Wednesday 13th September 2017

Ferrari Portofino - Frankfurt 2017

Don't like the California? No problem, the replacement is here now!

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The California won't be remembered as a great Ferrari, will it? It largely abandoned its sports car heritage without quite capturing the GT market it was aimed at. The situation improved with the Cali T, adding some turbo'd torque to help with relaxed cruising, and the more focused Handling Speciale, but you can't imagine many will mourn its demise.

Well now this is better - isn't it?

In its place comes the Portofino, named after the famous Italian coastal town. Ferrari loves the place so much in fact that it gets a launch colour named after it too: Portofino Red.

So what's changed? The chassis for a start, described by Ferrari as offering a "significant weight saving" over the Cali, with an increase in torsional rigidity too. While a weight hasn't yet been issued, it's split across the Portofino 46:54 front to rear.

The 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 is as seen in the California T, here with new con-rods, pistons, intake and exhaust which, when combined with a "specific calibration of the engine management software", produces 600hp and 560lb ft. In the entry level Ferrari! It does 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and 199mph...

There are a few dynamic firsts for the Portofino as well, the E-Diff3 and electric power steering, which didn't feature in any Californias, are both here. The magnetorheological dampers have been updated as well, promising "an even more dynamic, responsive car that also delivers superior ride comfort."

Portofino also gets the larger infotainment screen

While it shouldn't really be PistonHeads' place to comment on styling, to us the Portofino looks a significant improvement on what's come before. It's more assertive and dynamic but still recognisably a GT, not treading on the toes of more expensive Ferraris with its newfound swagger. The official line is that the Portofino "has a sportier character without impinging on its elegance and dynamism."

All sounds rather promising for the Portofino then - perhaps it's third time lucky for Ferrari's attempts at a hardtop convertible GT.

[mersontheperson]

Like it

[ganser]

Very nice. Looks a bit like a NSX at the front and Zagato from the back. Much improved from the Cali

[99dndd]

Looks smart, I wonder if the gearing's been done to make sure you need to go past the "entry level" to crack 200mph.

[sidesauce]

Looks very nice.

[Dazed and Confused]

Horror show.

[je777]

What is with the backs of cars these days? Particularly Ferraris.
The bit where the exhaust comes out - bear with me whilst I get technical - always looks like it's been stuck on afterwards and is often a different colour. Why the decision to make this not a coherent part of the design - and so consistently?

[je777]

Much better interior than the designed by a pubescent boy interiors of the 458/488.

[Pothole]

"calibration of the engine management software"???

Remap, then?

[MikeGalos]

About time they did something to the California (and gave it a new name so it wouldn't be tarnished with connection with it's predecessors)

I got to drive a California T at a Ferrari event right after the launch and made the mistake of driving to the event in my Elise. Even at normal in-town speeds the California felt like I was driving a truck (or maybe an old Jaguar XK). It was heavy and there was virtually no feel in the chassis or the steering.

If I get invited to the local Portofino launch event, I think I'll drive there in my wife's Range Rover just so the Ferrari won't be too embarrassed.

<ObligatoryOldGuyRant>OK. I have to get this off my chest. It's a Dino not a Ferrari. A Ferrari street car has 12 cylinders and a name that's the displacement of one cylinder. If it has less it's not a Ferrari, it's a Dino.</ObligatoryOldGuyRant>

[Maldini35]

It's not an ugly car by any means but a lot of the current Ferrari's, this one included, have a really big @rse.

They don't look very elegant as a result.

[MikeGalos]

Good lord...

They actually kept the turn indicator switches on the steering wheel that turn with the wheel.

In the Ferrari California T launch event they had to spend as much time explaining how to work them as all the other controls and settings combined. You'd think somebody at Maranello would at least have listened to their own people who realized that everybody hated that idea.

[RumbleOfThunder]

Well it looks very much like a Superfast doesn't it? Could think of worse comparisons.

[Snubs]

MikeGalos said:

<ObligatoryOldGuyRant>OK. I have to get this off my chest. It's a Dino not a Ferrari. A Ferrari street car has 12 cylinders and a name that's the displacement of one cylinder. If it has less it's not a Ferrari, it's a Dino.</ObligatoryOldGuyRant>

Eh? The F40 meets neither of those criteria, but i doubt many agree it should have been called a Dino...

[SFO]

the roof line with roof up is perfect

[M1C]

Don't like the name.

Like the car.

[RumbleOfThunder]

Ta-da! Their photographer is lazy AF.

[5pen]

Maldini35 said:

It's not an ugly car by any means but a lot of the current Ferrari's, this one included, have a really big @rse.

They don't look very elegant as a result.

I don't disagree, but in this case it's due to having to store a folding hardtop surely? A dark colour would probably hide the bulk a little.

[lord trumpton]

It's how an Aston Martin should look these days.

[swisstoni]

Dark colour. Lighter interior. I wouldn't say no.

[MikeGalos]

Snubs said:

Eh? The F40 meets neither of those criteria, but i doubt many agree it should have been called a Dino...

It also wasn't a true "road car" but a "special".

Ferrari himself said that Ferrari road cars had 12 cylinders to use the name.

812 Superfast should be Ferrari 540 Superfast
GTC4 Lusso should be Ferrari 540 GTC4 Lusso

488 GTB should be Dino 398 GTB/T
488 GTS should be Dino 398 GTS/T
GTC4 Lusso T should be Dino 398 Lusso T
California T should be Dino 398 California T

Even the Ferrari page now splits cars into 12 cylinder car and 8 cylinder car sections.