A DOUBLE FIRST

Steve Loughton

In the busy month of September I had the opportunity to drive the Jannarelly Design-1 on the roads around my home town in Surrey and the Ferrari Roma on the Millbrook Proving Grounds in Bedfordshire.

The Jannarelly is a 2 seater with a fixed windscreen and the option to go strictly open top (but with a ‘get you home’ cover in the event of rain) or, at extra cost, a hinged c/f hard top that you either have on the car or you leave at home. I drove it open and enjoyed a wind free drive and the ability to talk fairly normally with Alan Robb who had brought the car over.

With the standard glass fibre body the total package weighs in at about 850 kgs and has a power output of 325bhp from its mid engined 3.5 litre V6 sourced from Nissan. To maintain the ‘60’s feeling of carefree motoring there is no traction control or airbags and the 6 speed manual is standard although an auto is available. The instruments are analogue, but I wouldn’t have minded if they were a little larger for road use. Track would be different.

Make no mistake this is a gorgeous looking car in the best traditions of hard edged, purposeful sports cars designed to be nothing more than pleasurable driving machines. With a few options the cost creeps up to the magic £100k area but with its decent luggage capacity, heater, a/c and very civilized interior it’s several leagues ahead of many other stripped-down lightweights.

So to the drive itself. Despite the fact that this example is the UK demonstrator that has been pedalled quite firmly around various tracks by some properly quick drivers as well as on magazine road tests and group comparisons it was a gem to drive as everybody seems to agree.

It runs smoothly at low speeds on crowded roads with loads of torque and a moderately loud exhaust. That all changes

on an empty road and the twisties where the gearbox and clutch are perfectly balanced with the unassisted steering and a much harder noise that adds to the very visceral and ‘connected’ drive. I found the ‘spring’ on the manual gears relatively hard but some of that could be because its LHD and therefore changing gear with my unaccustomed right hand.

Alan Robb, Head of UK Sales, has appointed Autofficina in Ewell for service and support. This is a huge bonus for Jannarelly and completes a serious package for consideration away from the more mainstream weekend car choices. Would I buy one? You bet I would.

The Ferrari Roma is a very elegant, sophisticated fixed head GT with a hint of Aston Martin about it, not a welcome comment at launch although latterly agreed that wasn’t altogether a criticism. It sits between the Portofino and the F8 Tributo in the range and is designed to evoke the carefree ‘60’s (heard that before?) style of motoring. They even describe it as ‘La Nuova Dolce Vita.’

It has a 3.9 litre twin turbocharged V8 producing 620bhp mounted right up against the front bulkhead, which surely helps its remarkable balance, along with all the expected electronic trickery. Unique for me is the 8 speed paddle gearbox (my Huracan P boasts ‘only’ 7 speeds) and a dual clutch system with lightning fast changes that make progress seamlessly fast.

The test was at the Millbrook Proving Grounds in Bedfordshire rather than the open road which has some advantages, not the least of which was managing 161mph on the one mile straight after a ‘launch control’ start. I can attest to the superb feel and stopping power from the standard carbon brakes. The Roma keeps its composure on all surfaces even the Millbrook Alpine Pass which has caught out better drivers than me, albeit they were probably driving faster.

The steering wheel has the now familiar Manettino switch but also includes Race mode which is a hint perhaps that Ferrari sees this model as something of a GT and a Supercar. The electronics also include a Wet setting as well as the ability to select ‘Bumpy Road’ which even in Race produces a beautifully smooth and nicely firm ride. It has lost the famous red start button though, replaced with a touch sensitive button, a small step backwards for me. The interior is one of the best ever, including a complete electronic dash with a small additional panel on the passenger side so they can watch progress. I’m sure I’m not the only person who expected the large centre mounted iPad type screen that controls the infotainment to lift out – but it doesn’t.

One small thing I particularly liked is the slot for the electronic key which fits snugly out of the way. I loathe the keyless start fad because well, where are you supposed to put it when inside? Overall, this is a real statement from Ferrari about their upgraded electronics.

This is a properly fast, beautifully handling, quiet and comfortable car that ticks all the boxes of elegance, grace and speed. Would I buy one? You bet I would.

These two cars could barely be further apart in execution and style quite apart from the fact that one is roughly double the cost of the other (after including a few options).

They both claim to evoke a long past age of freedom and simplicity and I think they both achieve their goal, but in very different ways.

Image using Ferrari online configurator © Ferrari