This could be a test mule for the 812 Superfast's replacement.
The entry-level Ferrari Roma comes from the factory with a twin-turbo V-8 under the hood. This test mule, though, seems to be hiding something completely different beneath its bodywork: a V-12 engine.
Varryx, an Italy-based automotive spy YouTuber that specializes in Ferrari prototypes, spotted this unique camo-clad Roma leaving the factory in Maranello recently. Though there’s no concrete visual indicator the car is packing an extra four cylinders, the exhaust note tells a different story. While we can’t be 100 percent sure, Varryx is confident this car is packing a V-12. Considering he was right about the Purosangue having a naturally aspirated V-12 long before anyone else, we’ll trust him on this one.
The question remains: Why is Ferrari testing a V-12 engine in a Roma? Varryx believes this car could be a test mule for the 812 Superfast’s replacement, which makes some sense. That car’s been out since 2017, and it’s due for a refresh.
This car could just be a mule for testing powertrains set for other future products, too. There’s no way to know for sure what’s going on here unless Ferrari comes out and says it, which is highly unlikely to happen. For now, we’ll just have to sit back and wonder.
Brian Silvestro Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
Keyword: This Ferrari Roma Prototype Sure Sounds Like it Has a V-12