2018 Ferrari Portofino - What's in stock?

The Ferrari California is out and the Portofino is in. The softer car in the Ferrari lineup is always struggling to be a proper GT car without losing the Ferrari precision. And by the looks of it, they might have come pretty close to achieving it finally in the Portofino.

 

A GT car needs to have luggage space, comfort, usability, and the ability to take the roof down. A Ferrari needs to have power, aero, lightweight, and not look like fat sports fan with a misshapen cap. While not an easy balance to strike, Ferrari’s new attempt seems to have gotten most of it correct.

Progress is important. Since it replaces the California, it needs to be better than it in every possible way. It’s certainly better looking- both with the roof up and down. That roof itself is a hard top and not some gaudy soft top that looks like a boil on a supermodel’s butt. It also gets its share of slashes and vents. Most interesting of these are the ones that blend in with the headlights in the front fenders. These cool the brakes and then flow out through the side vents in the flanks, reducing drag by 6 percent. The car also avoids having a huge butt which seems to be inspired by the current 488.

The engine is new too. Or it is a reworking of the award-winning 3.9-litre twin turbo V8 that produces 592 PS and 561 Nm of torque between 3000 and 5250 rpm. It now uses exhaust ports that are casted along with the turbo heads. This minimizes turbo lag and produces a better engine noise. The usual sprinkling of exotic materials is present too, with the chassis alone using 12 different alloys and get this – magnesium seat frames.

These have made the car interior lighter by 24 kg. Just remember that magnesium fires are notoriously difficult to put out. Magnesium also happens to be very strong meaning that the seat frames are thinner, creating more knee room. The +2 seats, however, are still not suitable for human beings with legs, despite the extra 5 cm of space. The ergonomics, on the other hand, have been improved from the 488 making them more easy to use.

The multi-function steering wheel frankly looks frighteningly out of place in the otherwise svelte dashboard. Infotainment is designated to a 10.2-inch HD touch-screen equipped with Apple CarPlay. The passenger gets their own elongated 8.8” LCD touchscreen display that shows them everything from speed, rpm, navigational prompts, and entertainment options. Passengers can, therefore, change songs while the driver focuses on the driving. The air conditioner is now 25 percent faster and 50 percent quieter. Good for the summer heat then.

 

And if the AC is not good enough, thankfully the roof can be taken down. But with the roof down you cannot take the car to its top speed of 319 kmph. Acceleration is quick too – 200 kmph comes in at 10.8 secs. The chassis is stiffer too – by 35 percent – and lighter by 80 kg than the California. Still being a convertible GT car it is most at home cruising than belting out on twisties. And that is completely fine.

 

A car like the Portofino is a major make or break product for car makers like Ferrari. Like the Ferrari California, they bring the dream of ownership of a Ferrari, that closer to reality. For 70 percent of California buyers, it was their first Ferrari ever. Therefore an affordable (read less expensive) Ferrari like the Portofino at RM948,000, means that more and more people will buy more and more Ferraris. And more of them will be new buyers who are sure to buy more Ferraris in the future.

In conclusion, the Portofino should retrace the legacy of the California and sell in huge numbers. It is faster, lighter, and prettier like all new Ferraris. With its GT like dynamics, more affordable pricing (and 7-year warranty) it should also be easy to own and live with.