Ferrari Roma vs Porsche Taycan

What's the difference?

The Ferrari Roma is like a trained assassin in a Zegna suit - capable and clinical yet stylish and effortlessly superior. We believe there’s a replacement coming later this year and it will have to be doing well to top this superb machine.

Porsche says its Taycan models have always been performance-focused and this updated version is even faster than the car it replaces, in a straight line and point-to-point. It’s better equipped, more efficient, and yes, more expensive but every millimetre a Porsche in the way this EV sedan and wagon package has been executed.

It’s an impressive car likely to appeal to Porsche newcomers rather than traditionalists, although you may already have other Porsches in the garage. But with the Macan EV landing any minute and the pure-electric 718 Boxster and Cayman just around the corner it's a key part of the changing face of this iconic German brand.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

If you’re looking for a flash Fazza with spoilers and vents at all points of the body, you’ve come to the wrong coupe.

The Roma is a subtle, beautifully balanced and delicately detailed two-door inspired by all-time Ferrari classics like the 250 GT Lusso and 275 GTB.

Its proportions are impeccable with complex curves and sweeping lines combining to produce an exquisitely pure shape.

Slimline LED headlights are divided by horizontal DRL strips, the broad bonnet incorporates a quietly muscular power bulge and the minimalist ’egg crate’ grille sits below a sharply chiseled nose.  

I’m a particular fan of the split wedge-shaped tail-lights, seamlessly incorporated into the upper deck of the rounded rear end. The active rear spoiler is also neatly hidden away in the leading edge of the boot lid. No shoutiness here, even the exterior badges are works of art.

Crack open the bonnet and the engine sparkles like a jewel in a display case. Scarlet red crackle finish on the intake plenums and cam covers make it pop like a firecracker. 

The interior follows a dual cockpit theme with twin curved sections divided by a flying buttress style console between them housing the gear selection gate and central media screen.

Flashes of carbon-fibre and chromed alloy add a touch of overt raciness, Alcantara on the dash and doors echoes the ‘mouse fur’ of Ferraris past and the contrast stitching around the cabin is flawless. 

The sleek front seats feel as good as they look, the typography of the Roma badge on the passenger side of the dash is super cool, and overall the interior is snug and ultra classy. 

Porsche has freshened up the Taycan’s front and rear end, the nose losing the vents dropping down from the headlights as previewed by the original Mission E Concept in 2015.

Matrix LED headlights are standard with high-resolution HD available. But there are no major sheet metal changes to the bulk of the car. And why would you fiddle with it? The drag coefficient is an ultra-slippery 0.22.

Around the back the Porsche logo in the rear light strip has been given a cool three-dimensional treatment al la the 911, Panamera and other current Porsches. And if you have eyes for the Turbo or Turbo S the brand’s glamorous ‘Turbonite’ metallic silver colour is now available.

Inside is a screen-rich environment with a three-dial digital version of the brand’s five-dial instrument cluster customisable through roughly 5000 configurations and there’s a new multimedia software interface for the central screens with additional functions. A passenger display is a $2860 option.

At close to 4.7m long, the Roma isn’t compact but its supercar stance comes courtesy of a close to 2.0m width and low-riding 1.3m height (with a 2670mm wheelbase).

The cabin is cozy, as intended, but at 183cm I still have ample headroom in the front. The rear is a different story with the two ‘+2’ seats serving as occasional emergency spots only or a handy option for smaller kids.

For storage there are slim but long pockets in the doors, a surprisingly generous glove box, a wireless charging pad under the centre console, phone-size slits on either side of that console, a single cupholder between the front seats with a lidded box (containing 12V and USB-A outlets) behind it.

There’s a recess for oddments on the transmission tunnel between the rear seats, and armrests either side in the back.

The boot holds 272 litres, which is enough for several soft bags, rising to 345 litres with the 50/50 split-folding rear seatbacks lowered. There are tie-down anchors, which is handy but be aware there’s no spare, only a repair/inflator kit.

Overall, not exactly SUV-like in terms of day-to-day practicality but at least on par with its key competitors.

At nearly 5.0m long and 2.0m wide but less than 1.4m tall the Taycan is a low-slung large sedan.

In the front of the Taycan I’ve got plenty of breathing space, lots of headroom and enough shoulder room and you don’t feel cramped relative to the co-pilot.

In terms of storage, there are pockets in the doors with room for bottles, a couple of cup and bottle holders in the centre console as well as a tray under the flying buttress type upper console section.

A lidded box between the seats housing a couple of USB-C outlets and a 12-volt socket is handy and there’s a decent-size glove box on the passenger side. 

Interestingly, an in-car video function enables video streaming on the central display (while the vehicle is stationary) and the passenger display at any time with the vision hidden from the driver by a lenticular-style screen.

In the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm position, I have ample legroom and space for my feet. Problem is my head hits the roof solidly, even with the extra room afforded by the panoramic glass insert, which is a no-cost option from the Taycan 4S up.

Standard configuration is two rear seat positions, although a ‘4+1’ set up which adds an occasional centre rear position is optionally available. Trust me, that’s tight. 

On the upside you have adjustable ventilation for the rear seat passengers (climate control zones on the Turbo grades) with a small oddments shelf below them, slots in the doors for bottles and two more cup or bottle holders in the fold-down centre armrest.

No map pockets on the front seat backs, so while there’s some room for storage it’s not exactly over supplied in that department, or for breathing space in general.

Boot space is relatively modest at 366 litres in the sedan but the 60/40 split-folding rear seat liberates more space if required. The Cross Turismo wagon offers 405 litres and a much larger load aperture for greater flexibility. An 84L frunk sits in the nose of all Taycans.  

Interesting to note Taycans in other markets boast an extra 41L of boot space. It doesn’t feature here because Porsche Australia has made the high-end Bose sound system standard and its sub-woofer eats into available capacity. 

A power boot lid or tailgate and auto self-levelling to maintain the car’s ride height under load is standard but there’s no spare tyre of any description. A repair/inflator kit is your only option, which is less than ideal.

Cost-of-entry to the Taycan club stretches from close to $174,500, before on-road costs, for the entry-grade, single-motor RWD model to just under $373,600 for the flagship dual-motor AWD Turbo S. That’s an increase of between 2.7 and 6.6 per cent, varying by model.

MSRP - correct at time of publication

The heavy-hitting Taycan Turbo GT is scheduled to arrive in the third quarter of this year at $416K, and we’ll no doubt see a sporty GTS variant within the next 12-to-18 months.

That price spread for the new Taycan pitches the Porsche against the likes of Audi’s closely related e-tron GT and RS GT, BMW’s three-tier i5 line-up and the Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan.

Highlight spec additions include ambient lighting, soft-close doors and an ‘Intelligent Range Manager’ which uses the nav and onboard systems to optimise energy use.

The ventilation system now features a heat pump which compresses outside air to heat the cabin and wireless charging is included across the board.

Then tip in adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, lane change assist, surround camera view (with ‘Active Parking Support’), rear side airbags and digital radio.

The base model picks up adaptive air suspension, alloy door sill protectors and a bigger, lighter battery.

That’s on top of a laundry list of non-safety or performance related inclusions like auto matrix LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, 14-way electrically adjustable heated front seats (with memory), partial leather trim, privacy glass, 10.9-inch central multimedia display, configurable digital instrument panel, 14-speaker/710W Bose audio (with digital radio), Apple/Android connectivity, an auto tailgate and more. 

While, depending on model, higher grades collect extra standard gear ranging from bigger rims and full leather interior to a panoramic glass roof and ventilated seats. 

Not bad, even in this elevated part of the market.

Enzo Ferrari famously said “aerodynamics are for people who can’t build engines” and notwithstanding the fact the Roma is slippery in the wind tunnel (Cd .30), its front-mid mounted 3.9-litre turbo-petrol V8 engine would surely meet with il Commendatore’s approval.

Sending drive to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission, this all-alloy, 90-degree unit features dual twin-scroll turbos, a flat plane crank, dry sump lubrication, direct fuel-injection and a single-piece cast exhaust manifold to produce 456kW from 5750rpm to the 7500rpm rev ceiling, and 760Nm from 3000-5750rpm.

Worth noting its 'front-mid' placement as the entire block is positioned low down and behind the front axle centre line.

The entry-level single-motor RWD Taycan features a new electric motor that’s 10kg lighter and seven per cent more powerful but more notably produces 22 per cent more torque than the unit it replaces.

Both it and the additional motor fitted to the front axle of AWD models are permanent magnet synchronous units with outputs up across the range, the Turbo S producing a stonking 700kW and more than 1100Nm.

That 700kW peak number for the Turbo S comes courtesy of an ‘overboost’ function with Launch Control. And Taycan models equipped with the Sport Chrono package and the Performance Battery Plus have up to an extra 70kW courtesy of a 10sec push-to-pass button.

There’s a two-speed transmission on the rear axle and a single-speed on the front of AWD variants.

The Roma’s official (WLTP) fuel consumption figure on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 11.2L/100km, the 3.9-litre turbo-petrol V8 emitting 255g/km of CO2 in the process.

Not exactly miserly, but even with that engine begging to be revved we saw an average of 12.9L/100 over a combination of urban shuffling, twisting B-roads and some freeway running.

A start/stop function is standard and with an 80-litre fuel tank on board, the Roma’s theoretical range is around 715km, dropping to approximately 620km using our real-world number.

The Taycan runs 800-volt electric architecture which means it can charge at up to 320kW on a DC fast-charger which is 50kW more than its predecessor. In fact, charging at more than 300kW for up to five minutes is possible. 

You’re looking at a 10-80 per cent charge in 18min on a fast charger which is down from 37min. It’s 46min on a more typical 120kW charger.

An 89kWh lithium-ion battery is standard on the entry-grade Taycan. It boasts a nickel, cobalt, manganese cell chemistry which Porsche says delivers high energy content, lower internal resistance and higher charge and discharge currents. And it’s 9.0kg lighter.

All models above it feature the 105kWh ‘Performance Battery Plus’, a roughly $12K option on the base car.

Maximum AC charging capacity is 11kW and you’re staring down the barrel of nine hours for a 0-100 per cent fill of the smaller battery and 11 hours for the performance battery pack.

Official energy consumption on a combined urban, extra-urban cycle varies from 17.1kWh/100km for the single motor Taycan to 17.8kWh for dual-motor variants.

On the launch drive program, covering mainly rural B-roads on Tasmania’s east coast, we cycled through all models on offer and recorded a best figure of 21.5kWh/100km for the single-motor Taycan up to 22.0kWh for the Turbo S. Not bad.

Claimed range is 566km for the entry-grade Taycan, up to 626km for dual-motor models.

Interestingly, on 4WD models the - front electric motor can electronically decouple more frequently to improve efficiency.

Press the PS (Partenza Sportiva) button on the console, slip the manettino control on the steering wheel into ‘Race’ mode, left-foot brake (hard) and floor the throttle. Wait for the PS light on the dash, keep the accelerator pinned and lift off the brake.

Ferrari says the Roma will then proceed to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds, and in the interests of a thorough assessment I may have found a quiet light commercial area near Maranello, replicated this procedure and validated the claim.

Yes, even at 1570kg, with 760Nm of pulling power available from 3000-5750rpm, the Roma is exceptionally fast in a straight line. And the twin-turbo V8 that’s been so reserved and docile around town lights up to deliver glorious engine noise and a characteristic exhaust howl.

A flat-plane crank arrangement often makes a vee engine lumpier than a more conventional cross-plane design, but it will rev hard and fast, and in this case the compact size of the Roma’s twin turbos enhances throttle response even further.

Speaking of the turbos, variable boost management helps to smooth acceleration while keeping an eye on fuel economy and despite the flat-plane configuration this engine is perfectly civilised.

A tall top (eighth) gear makes for easy cruising but the tight B-roads and lesser highways we spent most time on didn’t allow for any high autostrada speeds.

But how’s this for a flex? Ferrari says the active rear spoiler will stay in its low-drag position until the car hits 100km/h, then pushing through medium and high drag (135-degree) positions as speed rises. But… “over 300 km/h, the spoiler is always in MD mode because in such conditions it is preferable to have a more balanced car”.

Suspension is by double wishbones at the front with a multi-link set-up at the rear and twin solenoid (magnetic) adaptive dampers all around.

Rubber wrapping the 20-inch forged alloys is top-end Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S (245/35 fr / 285/35 rr) and front-to-rear weight distribution is 50/50.

What that all adds up to is a comfortable, responsive and deeply satisfying drive experience. In standard Ferrari fashion the dual-clutch transmission is rapid-fire perfection, the steering is light but accurate and feelsome, while the in-cabin ergonomics are superb.

Push as hard as you dare in tight, flowing corners and the car just continues to grip and bait you to try harder. And if you do give in and start to run out of talent the ‘Active Yaw Control’ and limited-slip ’E-diff’ will step in to imperceptibly save your bacon.

Moving the manettino through its five positions - ‘Wet’, ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’, ‘Race’ & ‘ESC-Off’ rapidly transforms levels of ride comfort, steering, transmission and engine response. You can also set the ride to Comfort with other attributes dialled up to 11 for a cross-country sweet spot. 

And when it comes to slowing rather than going, the Brembo brake set-up is circuit ready with vented carbon ceramic rotors all around (390mm fr / 360mm rr) clamped by six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston units at the rear. They take a while to warm up, but never feel anything other than mega. 

Full disclosure. My preference when it comes to Porsche propulsion is pistons in cylinders; ideally six of them, horizontally opposed. 

But if the Taycan is on your shortlist you’re ready to move past internal combustion and there is no doubt this car is properly quick. 

The entry-level RWD model accelerates from 0-100km/h in 4.8sec (0.6 faster than the outgoing model) with the Taycan Turbo S at 2.4sec which is hypercar fast.

Porsche admits to having played around with some dual-clutch transmission-type mimicry along the lines of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. But the boffins in Zuffenhausen left that to one side due to concerns over compromise to the car’s point-to-point ability. Porsche seemingly can’t entertain anything that makes a car slower.

It did, however, install a push-to-pass function on dual-motor versions which gives you a 10-second burst of extra performance which is fun.

Suspension is by forged alloy double-wishbone front and rear with some extra links at the back.

Adaptive air suspension is standard across the range, and ‘Active Ride’ is fitted to the upper variants which takes things one step further.

And it does ride very nicely. The launch drive covered second-class, coarse-chip B-road type surfaces and the Taycan smooths the road out beautifully.

Standard wheel diameter is 19-inch for the entry-grade, 20s for the 4S and Turbo, then 21s on the Turbo S. The cars on the launch program all featured 21-inch rims shod with Goodyear Eagle F1 or Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber and even on those big wheels the car still rides well.

In terms of the steering… hey, it’s a Porsche. It’s fantastic. Accurate and direct without being too jerky or snappy. It does exactly what you want the car to do. The connection with the front tyres feels like it’s almost direct.

This car may be lighter than its predecessor but all models are over 2.0 tonnes so you’d expect it to be heavy and slow. It’s not. Point and accelerate through corners with supreme confidence. It’s beautifully balanced. What you’d expect from a Porsche performance car.

Physical braking is by big ventilated discs all around with six-piston aluminium monobloc fixed-calipers at the front and four-piston units at the rear. Suffice it to say they wash off speed effectively. 

Believe it or not the Turbo S’s front brake calipers contain no less than 10 pistons, clamping ceramic composite rotors. We gave all Taycan variants a solid workout on the Baskerville Raceway just north of Hobart and stopping power felt as strong and effective at the end of the session as it did at the start.

There’s also improved recuperation capacity for the regenerative braking system, up 30 per cent from 290 to 400kW.

In terms of miscellaneous observations, beware the 11.7m turning circle. What might appear to be a three-point turn situation often turns into a five-pointer.

And entry to cars fitted with Active Ride is made easier (when activated). As soon as a door is opened, the body raises by 55mm. May seem OTT but it makes life with the Taycan that bit better.

Although Porsche and ANCAP do not intersect at this stage the Taycan ticks just about every active (crash avoidance) safety box in the book.

The highlights are AEB (including pedestrian detection), 'Intersection Assist', 'Lane Keeping Assist' and adaptive cruise control (with ‘Swerve & Turn Assist’). There’s also a high-def reversing camera, a surround view set-up, lane-change assist and a head-up display.

If a crash is unavoidable there are 10 airbags onboard (dual front and front side, driver and front passenger knee, rear side and full-length curtains) as well as an active bonnet to minimise injuries in a pedestrian impact and multi-collision brake minimises the chances of subsequent collisions following an initial crash.

There are two top tethers and two ISOFIX anchors for baby capsules and/or child seats across the second row.

As the name implies, Ferrari’s ‘7-Year Genuine Maintenance’ program means you won’t have to worry about servicing costs for the first seven years of ownership. Everything from labour and parts to lubricants and brake fluid is included in the free-of-charge package.

For reference, maintenance is recommended every 12 months/20,000km, which is a healthy distance and roadside assistance is complimentary for the first 12 months. 

Warranty cover is three years/unlimited kilometres, which trails the mainstream market but matches high-end competitors like Aston Martin, Lamborghini, McLaren and Porsche.

Porsche covers the Taycan with a three-year, unlimited km warranty which is off the pace for the premium segment where five years, unlimited km is the norm. The high-voltage drive battery is covered by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty. The paint is covered for three years and a 12-year (unlimited km) anti-corrosion warranty is included.

Porsche Roadside Assist provides 24/7/365 coverage for the life of the warranty, and after the warranty runs out is renewed for 12 months every time the vehicle is serviced at an authorised Porsche dealer.

Thanks to fewer moving parts, servicing intervals for the Taycan are relatively lengthy at two years or 30,000km, whichever comes first. 

With Porsche, final costs are determined at the dealer level (in line with variable service labour rates by state/territory).