There are two things that come to mind whenever Ferrari is mentioned: Race cars and the colour red. Ironically, the Amalfi that I am driving today is neither.
Adding to the challenge, my experience was limited to a short drive around Kuala Lumpur’s busy streets. How, then, would I get to savour the renowned engineering and performance Ferrari is known for?
Well, those were my thoughts before I drove the Amalfi, but I quickly learnt that I had grossly misunderstood the car…
Complete elegance and style
While Ferrari is known for its fiery race cars, the Amalfi is quite different. As the successor to the Roma, which itself followed the Portofino, the Amalfi isn’t positioned as a hypercar with eye-watering performance. Instead, style and grace, along with a healthy dose of Ferrari’s dynamic performance, form the basis of this 2+ coupe.
Being front-mid-engined, the Amalfi detracts from the Ferrari that you remember on the poster plastered on your bedroom wall when you were a kid. Instead of a wedge-shaped racing machine, the Amalfi leaves an impression with its elegantly sculpted curves and grand-tourer proportions.
An evolution of the Roma’s design, the Amalfi has done away with the distinct front grille. Instead, the front end is now much slimmer and sleeker, featuring a black band that connects the pair of sharp Headlights, complemented by a large air intake integrated into the bumper.
Meanwhile, the sculpted body flows into a rear end reminiscent of the Roma’s, albeit with simpler and cleaner lines. The taillights are now also connected by a black band, mirroring the new front-end.
Where purpose meets Italian craftsmanship
As expected of a Ferrari, the masterfully crafted interior features the use of plush leather and Alcantara, creating a space that exudes equal amounts of luxury and sportiness. In the driver’s seat, the space is purposefully designed to be driver-centric, with the digital instrument cluster and air vents integrated into a single section of the dashboard and curved to envelope your view when on the move, it creates a cocooning effect. that feels somewhat reminiscent of a single-seater race car.
Interestingly, the passenger gets a similar treatment, with a dedicated passenger display that shows real-time information such as the tachometer.
While the Amalfi is equipped with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard, there was no need to connect my phone for the short drive around town. Instead, my attention was drawn to the steering wheel, which features an array of physical knobs and buttons, including the iconic Manettino dial, which I’ll say is the gateway to the magic of the Amalfi.
Two souls: Everyday versatility meets Ferrari’s performance
Ferrari says the Amalfi is a car with two souls, and my experience has confirmed it to be more than just marketing spiel. I started off the drive with the Manettino set to Sport as I was eager to experience the performance that Ferrari is known for.
With 631bhp and 760Nm of torque from the 3.9-litre twin turbo V8 engine channelled to the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual clutch gearbox, I have no complaints at all. While the busy city streets didn’t allow me to fully experience the power and acceleration that the car is capable of, there was still more than enough opportunity to experience its dynamism. Power delivery was immediate and intense, steering was incredibly sharp and precise, and the brake-by-wire system left a particularly strong impression with its effectiveness (though they could be a little too effective at crawling speeds).
I was already impressed, but switching the car to comfort was when my mind was truly blown away. With the car in comfort, the suspension soaked up Kuala Lumpur’s imperfect roads with ease, transferring little harshness into the cabin. Even the quick-shifting gearbox has relaxed to offer a truly smooth and pampering experience. In all aspects, the Amalfi in Comfort mode is a truly daily-drivable supercar.
The surprisingly good visibility and manoeuvrability further add to its usability — the unit that I drove was left-hand drive, and driving the car for the first time in KL traffic was surprisingly painless.
Entrance to the world of Ferrari
Ferrari positions the Amalfi as a car designed for clients who are new to the brand. It’s intended to be unintimidating, versatile enough to be enjoyed by a wide range of drivers, and yet still able to offer an enjoyable experience for more experienced drivers.
After my experience, I’d say Ferrari has nailed the brief. The fact that I could feel right at home driving something upwards of a million dollars on the packed city streets of Kuala Lumpur has proven the car’s versatility. While we didn’t get anywhere near to the limits of the car’s capabilities, I have little doubt that the Amalfi would continue to impress when pushed even harder.
So, yes, this Ferrari isn’t red, nor is it a thoroughbred race car, but I’ve walked away thoroughly impressed by the brand’s engineering prowess.
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This article was first published in sgCarMart.
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