2026 Ferrari Amalfi arrives in style

Ferrari has unwrapped its new 2026 Ferrari Amalfi, a stylish front mid-engine V8-powered successor to the Ferrari Roma that delivers more power, less weight and the firm’s latest in-car tech.

Sharing plenty with the car it replaces, the new Ferrari Amalfi sits on the Roma’s platform and borrows an updated version of its powertrain but features an entirely new body.

Replacing the Roma must have been a daunting task, as the Prancing Horse’s current 2+2 is regarded as one of the most beautiful Ferraris of modern times.

To ensure it has succeeded in the style department, the baby V8 Ferrari has been designed using a sleeker, more sculptural approach that is said to major in minimalism.

Dropping the Roma’s front grille for a more open-air intake, the simple approach sees the Amalfi adopt design cues from the latest 12Cilindri for more of a striking snout, with designers keen to continue to reference its heritage and glorious GTs of the past, like the 250 Lusso.

Look closer and you’ll spot a large front splitter that is evidence of a new package of aerodynamics; this includes a pair of new air intakes above the front headlamps that jet cool air into the engine bay. Beneath the skin there’s a redesigned floor, rear side skirts, large rear diffuser and a pop-up rear spoiler that can deploy in one of three positions.

In maximum attack mode, the rear wing helps generate up to 110kg of downforce while only increasing total drag by just four per cent.

At the rear, there’s an oversized rear diffuser and a re-profiled rump, giving the Ferrari more of a Kamm tail for optimum aerodynamics.

Within the Amalfi Ferrari claims there’s a greater feeling of spaciousness, even though total volumes haven’t changed.

What has altered, is designers have revised and lowered the centre console which is now milled from a single block of anodised aluminium.

The familiar gear selector gate, key holder and a wireless phone charger pad are all present.

Ahead of the new central tunnel is a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment that runs Ferrari’s latest software and works with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 15.6-inch digital instrument cluster, meanwhile, is combined with an 8.8-inch passenger display.

Since the Amalfi is made for grand touring, rather than going flat-out around a track, the Italian car-maker will offer not one but three different Comfort seats that are tailored to your size.

The comfier ventilated pews come equipped with 10 different air chambers that provide a massage function.

Finally, if you tire of the twin-turbo V8 soundtrack, Ferrari offers buyers the choice of a 14-speaker 1200-watt Burmester sound system.

Following on from the track-focused 296 Speciale, the Amalfi is the second Ferrari to adopt physical buttons for the multi-function steering wheel that replaces the haptic switch tiller that was too easy to trigger while wheel twirling.

The new steering wheel also creates a button that can be programmed to kill off all the Amalfi’s mandatory driver assist tech, which finally includes adaptive cruise, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot detection, lane-keep assist and traffic-sign recognition.

Most will buy the latest Amalfi on the combination of its looks and what lurks under its long, sculpted bonnet.

Carrying over the twin-turbocharged 3.9-litre V8, Ferrari decided against adding any electrification to keep weight down. Instead, engineers focused on increasing response and engagement.

This has involved recalibrating its engine management software, raising the maximum rotational speed of the two turbos, redesigning the intake and exhaust system, bolting on new pressure sensors to each bank of cylinders, adding a new camshaft that’s 1.3kg lighter and redesigning the engine block, saving another kilo in weight.

The result is an engine that now spins up to 7600rpm and produces 471kW and 760Nm – 15kW more than the Roma, with the same level of torque.

Combined with a smoother, faster-shifting version of the old car’s eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, Ferrari has slashed the 0-100km/h sprint to just 3.3 seconds – 0.1 seconds quicker than before.

It’s also worth noting that 0-200km/h now takes just 9.0 seconds – a considerable 0.3 seconds brisker – while top speed remains pegged at 320km/h.

Guaranteeing a best-in-class power-to-weight figure, as well as cutting kilos under the bonnet, the Italian car-maker claims liberal use of aluminium and carbon-fibre elsewhere has cut kerb weight down to a lithe 1470kg (dry). That’s only two or three kilograms less than the Roma, although the new ADAS equipment will have added plenty of unwanted mass.

The final piece of the puzzle is ensuring the Amalfi remains at the top of the class for its drive, although it must have helped engineers that there was little wrong with the outgoing Roma when it came to driving dynamics.

Nevertheless, the latest Ferrari features new springs and dampers all round and a drive-by-wire braking system that has been borrowed from the mid-engine 296.

Combined with advanced 6D sensor tech that precisely estimates the vehicle’s speed and then determines the optimal slip for each wheel, the Amalfi uses larger carbon-ceramic brake discs to stop faster than ever before.

The introduction of the firm’s Side Slip Control (SSC) 6.1 is said to be 10 per cent faster in calculating the grip levels below, while Ferrari says the Amalfi is even easier to drive fast, while offering higher levels of engagement.

The standard forged 20-inch alloy wheels are wrapped with either a specially developed Bridgestone or Pirelli tyre that is said to add to the enhanced feeling for agility, traction and grip.

Built to battle the likes of the Aston Martin DB12 ($455,000 plus on-road costs) and the Porsche 911 Turbo S ($559,400 plus ORCs), the Amalfi has been priced from €240,000 ($A430,000) in Europe, when sales begin in the first quarter of 2026.

Meanwhile, it’s expected the right-hand-drive version of the Ferrari 2+2 won’t land until the second half of 2026, with pricing for the Ferrari Amalfi set to kick off at above $A475,000.

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