A Ferrari grand tourer should make the long way home tempting, not turn every journey into an endurance exercise. That is the useful question behind the Amalfi: not whether it deserves a place above every previous Ferrari GT, but whether its changes make extraordinary performance easier to enjoy. Ferrari’s launch announcement dates its unveiling to July 1, 2025. This is an examination of that car, not news of an impending reveal.
The accompanying short identifies the right theme—balancing performance with everyday usability—but its promise of excitement without compromise needs qualification. A grand tourer is an exercise in choosing compromises intelligently. The Amalfi’s significance lies in the details of those choices, particularly where an impressive specification gives way to something a driver actually touches, sees or uses.
A successor, not a rejection of the Roma
Ferrari identifies the Amalfi as the Roma’s replacement: a front-mid-engine V8 coupe with a 2+ seating configuration. Its official introduction establishes continuity of purpose rather than a wholesale change of direction. That distinction matters. The case for the Amalfi should rest on how it develops this formula, not on pretending Ferrari has just discovered the comfortable sports car.
The short’s central question is therefore best treated as an invitation to examine priorities, not a historical ranking. Importance can mean commercial success, technical influence or simply a more satisfying ownership experience. Specifications alone cannot settle the first two. They can, however, reveal whether the engineering effort addresses the things that make a fast car appealing beyond a brief burst of acceleration.
The V8 story is about response, too
Ferrari’s specifications list a 3,855-cc twin-turbo V8, 640 cv at 7,500 rpm, 760 Nm and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Converted, that is approximately 631 horsepower and 561 lb-ft. The quoted 3.3-second sprint is a manufacturer claim for 0–100 km/h—roughly 62 mph—not an independently measured 0–60 result.
Ferrari attributes sharper response to independent turbo-speed control and pressure sensors for each cylinder bank; maximum turbo speed is 171,000 rpm. Those details come from its powertrain explanation, rather than an independent measurement of improvement.
For this kind of car, the distinction between output and response is important. Peak power answers how much performance is available. Response concerns the conversation between a driver’s request and the engine’s reply. The latter is arguably the more interesting grand-touring objective: an engine need not be at full throttle to make a journey memorable. A larger headline number is easy to advertise; the quality of the interaction deserves equal attention.
Chassis sophistication needs a measured verdict
The documented changes include brake-by-wire, ABS Evo and recalibrated steering, according to Ferrari’s technical release. These are more useful starting points than an unsupported declaration that the car inspires confidence in every corner.
The active rear wing has three configurations. Ferrari’s model page quotes up to 110 kilograms of downforce in its high-downforce position at 250 km/h. That speed condition is essential: the number does not describe a constant load available during ordinary commuting. It is evidence of the car’s high-speed engineering brief, not a reason to explore those speeds on public roads.
Independent impressions add useful perspective. In his December 19, 2025, MotorTrend first drive, Jonny Lieberman praised the steering, damping and brakes, while suggesting that more brake-pedal travel could improve modulation. His account also described a sharp oversteer episode on wet pavement. These are his observations, not ours, and together they offer a more balanced picture than unconditional claims of easy performance.
The worthwhile question is not whether sophisticated electronics eliminate compromise. It is whether the controls make the available performance intelligible to the driver. A specification sheet can identify the systems involved; it cannot substitute for evaluating their behavior in different conditions.
The most persuasive improvement may be a button
Ferrari confirms physical steering-wheel buttons in its interior description. That gives the cabin story a more interesting direction than simply celebrating newer digital technology. Progress here includes a tactile way to issue commands, rather than treating every additional touch-sensitive surface as an advance.
The screens remain substantial: Ferrari specifies a 10.25-inch central touchscreen and a 15.6-inch instrument display on its model page. This is not an analogue retreat. It is a different division of responsibilities between screens and switches.
That distinction deserves attention in a GT. An interface should be judged by the tasks it supports, not just by its appearance. In this reading of the Amalfi, control design belongs alongside engine calibration in the discussion of driver involvement. Neither needs to dominate a journey to influence its character. The objective should be less friction between an intention and its execution, not technology for its own sake.
Usability still has boundaries
The official specification sheet lists 273 liters of luggage capacity, a width of 1,974 millimeters and a 1,470-kilogram dry weight with optional lightweight equipment. The last figure is not a ready-to-drive curb weight; the qualification belongs beside the number.
Rear accommodation needs perspective, too. Lieberman’s road review judged the rear seats useful principally for luggage, even while praising the Amalfi as a long-distance companion. Everyday usability is therefore relative, rather than proof that a sporting coupe can replace a spacious four-seat luxury car.
Calling the Amalfi Ferrari’s most important GT would require a historical and commercial argument that its specifications cannot settle. A narrower conclusion is more persuasive. The car makes a case for refinement as meaningful enthusiast engineering: deliberate responses, thoughtful controls and performance considered in the context of a journey. Those priorities are worth examining without declaring the result perfect—or pretending that every compromise has disappeared.
Cover: Ferrari Amalfi coupe in Giallo Montecarlo, photographed on March 22, 2026. Vehicle model year unspecified. Photo: Photo: [Alexandre Prevot](https://www.flickr.com/people/alexprevot/), via Wikimedia Commons; [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Indicate any changes and license adaptations under CC BY-SA 4.0. · Photo source · Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Original photograph; WordPress may create display-size derivatives.
