Your First Ferrari Might Just Be the Amalfi

KUALA LUMPUR — Amalfi is best-known as a town in the southwest coast of Italy that features stunning cliffside views, winding roads, and pastel-colored houses. Recently, however, Amalfi has also lent its name to the latest nameplate in the lineup of famed Italian carmaker Ferrari.

The Ferrari Amalfi is a grand tourer front-engine V8 coupe that was first unveiled last year in the Amalfi Coast in Italy. On Thursday (March 12), the car made its regional debut here.

“Amalfi is a place people love,” Emanuele Carando, Ferrari’s head of product marketing and part of the company’s marketing and commercial department, told Esquire Philippines during the launch. “It’s where Italians go to enjoy life. It’s a mix of the energy of the sea, the power of the location, and the vibes of the people there—elements that you can find in the Amalfi car itself.”

In Ferrari’s lineup, the Amalfi is the successor to the popular Roma, which is the brand’s front-engine grand tourer, or a car designed not just for performance, but for everyday use. It has a 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, producing about 640 horsepower and capable of sprinting from zero to 100 kph about 3.3 seconds.

ALSO READ

A Legend Reignited: Ferrari 849 Testarossa Makes Its Debut in Southeast Asia

Jacob Ang Takes the Wheel

Similar to its predecessor, the Amalfi exudes a more lifestyle-driven approach rather than pure technical prowess. Think sweeping coastal drives or leisurely countryside escapes over lap times at the track.

One interesting feature of the Amalfi is that it brings back physical buttons on the steering wheel, including a physical engine start/stop button

“We decided to go back to physical buttons, including the starting button,” Carando explained. “A couple of years ago, based on the appreciation from clients, we decided to bring physical buttons on all the new cars.”

The shift reflects Ferrari’s growing emphasis on balancing technology with tactile driving experience. While newer models will continue to integrate digital interfaces, Carando stressed that the brand is not pursuing a one-size-fits-all approach.

“We’re completely technology-neutral,” he said. “We develop the best car according to the technology that suits it. Different cars may have different solutions.”

This philosophy might also explain why the Amalfi runs on a pure internal-combustion engine, even as Ferrari doubles down on the development of hybrid and electric models.

“We thought the pure internal combustion engine would be great for the market positioning,” Carando said. “Within our portfolio we have hybrid technology, but also internal combustion engines. We get the best out of each technology and develop the best car according to that.”

Inside, the Amalfi features a 15.6-inch instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch central touchscreen, passenger display, and a dual-cockpit layout wrapping around driver and passenger. The cabin also includes premium materials, including a carbon fiber trim, and options like a Burmester sound system and massaging seats.

The Amalfi should attract buyers in the Philippines, where the brand has been steadily gaining customers. According to insiders from Velocita Motors, the official distributor of Ferrari in the country, a total of 24 Ferrari units were sold in 2025, up from 17 cars the previous year. Clearly the demand for luxury performance cars continues to grow.

“The Amalfi was designed for people who want a car that combines elegance and sport,” he said. “It’s a car you can use every day—going to work—but it’s also fantastic on a winding road with the family. It satisfies different needs in one single car.”

Perhaps not everyone will be lucky enough to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari, and even fewer people will get to say that they are the proud owner of one. But if there ever was model of the storied Italian brand that will earn broad appeal across a variety of tastes and customers, the Amalfi would be it.