TESTERS’ XMAS LUNCH

Our annual automotive Secret Santa lunch is a chance for Autocar’s road testers to show their caring, sharing side, with a select choice of carefully curated motors as the main course

PHOTOGRAPHY MAX EDLESTON AND JACK HARRISON

Mark Tisshaw Who likes someone enough to get them that Ferrari out there in the car park? That’s the one we all really want… Matt Prior It’s Christmas. If you’re going to buy somebody something for Christmas, money no object, why not buy them a Ferrari? And it’s festively red. The coupé, however, isn’t a new car, but the Spider is, and I think I’m right in saying it’s replacing the coupé to become the only Roma. Given that (a) it’s such a good car in coupé form and (b) Richard likes it so much, I thought it was the perfect car for him. Is it not the best Christmas present? Like, ever? Steve Cropley Is that the first time you’ve been given a Ferrari, mate?

Richard Lane Sadly, yes… But what a superb gift it is. Truly, I feel there’s a case to be made that the Roma is not only the most complete car Ferrari makes but also, possibly, the best. It has had a bit of a chassis nip and tuck going from coupé to Spider – the bite point for the brakes isn’t so ridiculously sensitive and the steering is a touch more measured. It’s just a bit more natural to drive overall, and remember the coupé being already incredibly intuitive.

Underrated, too. It lives in the shadow of the 812, but only in the minds of those who haven’t driven both cars: it does things the V12 car doesn’t. Or, at least, doesn’t do easily, at sane speeds. On the road just now there was a sweeping corner where you change down to third, turn in, then squeeze the throttle an almost imperceptible amount and the nose just tightens. I mean, an Aston Vantage is just so far from that level of deftness and precision. And it’s such a pretty thing.

MT So why say it’s underrated? We all love it.

RL No one really talks about them. It’s not spectacular, it doesn’t really get headlines. And I think to understand the genius of the Roma, you really need to spend time in one and, not to put too fine a point on it, know how to drive smoothly and with precision. When you’re flowing it along at seven-and-a-half-, eight-tenths, gearing up most of the time, and you listen very, very carefully to what the chassis is doing… It’s completely brilliant. Era-defining.

Matt Saunders Perhaps it’s got Porsche Cayman-itis, or, like the Ferrari 360 Modena, there’s a precedent for people overlooking junior cars from brands like that.

SC I think that’s it. It’s a format of vehicle that doesn’t make it the most radical Ferrari, therefore you perhaps don’t move it to the top of the class. I think a Spider in particular looks terrific. I love the profile. Beautiful.