There’s this belief which runs parallel with millennial relationships that tags don’t matter and when we talk about the Ferrari Portofino in this regard, we very much agree. The Portofino has many tags under its belt including the most affordable Ferrari and it’s said to be easiest to drive too. The tags don’t matter here as well because even in this guise, it’s very much a Ferrari. We got to drive the Portofino around the bustling streets of Mumbai. Not an ideal place for an exotic, we know! But it was fun nevertheless, piloting such a gorgeous beast amidst the chaotic traffic. So how did the Portofino fare? Read on to find out.
The Ferrari Portofino is the spiritual successor of the California but is developed to come out as a more evolved product. It’s 80 kilograms lighter than California and the chassis underneath is also new. The power output has been increased by 40 ps. The Portofino churns out 600 PS and 760 Nm of torque from its 3.9-litre, Bi-Turbo, V8 engine.
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Like we told you earlier too, tags don’t matter at all when the spec sheet looks this lit! In the looks department, the Portofino, as almost all Ferraris do, makes you feel weak in the knees. Especially in the red which we got to drive, it looks nothing less than an Italian Bella. Gorgeous, fluent and agile, even while standing still. The beautifully sculpted headlamps will make you stare at it for hours before you start noticing the other details. Like the integrated air inlets beside the headlamps which work together with the air outlets on the side panels. They don’t just look aesthetically pleasing but also have a very important role to play. They keep the air drag to a bare minimum while also keeping the engine heat down. There are two air vents on the bonnet as well, to provide necessary heat dissipation.
When you move to the side profile, things still remain gorgeous to look at. The creases, lines and the sloping roofline culminate together to form a rather gorgeous looking car. Moving to the rear, the oval tail lamps have been moved wider as compared to California but they still look beautifully crafted. The haunches at the rear are more pronounced than before. The rear diffuser is sculpted like an artwork but it works as well to keep the air drag minimal. The quad exhaust tips at the rear lend the Portofino that much-needed sportscar feel. The sound notes of the exhaust changes according to the mode chosen as it’s controlled by the opening and closing of flaps. The car sits very low and the ground clearance is rated at 135 mm. You have to take some extra care while dealing with those nasty speedbumps.
When you step inside the cabin, everything shouts “Ferrari” as the first thing you notice is the finely-crafted steering wheel. The Portofino that we drove came with a carbon fibre unit with an integrated shift light which lights up when you need to upshift. It doesn’t come as standard though. Well, most of the things which you see in the car that we drove doesn’t come as standard. The steering mounted controls include a Manettino, another button to fiddle with the suspension, among switches for other things.
The seats are very well bolstered and the frame inside the seats is made of magnesium which makes them extremely lightweight, yet, sturdy. The seats are manually adjustable in the standard trim but one can opt for the electronic package which provides electronically adjustable seats. For the extra amount that you pay, you get one more cool feature. The seats can be adjusted with the centre infotainment screen. In the Portofino that we drove, the dashboard is highlighted by carbon fibre inserts and the centre console is taken up by a 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment screen. The passenger also gets a secondary touchscreen which can be used to operate the infotainment, navigation and to keep an eye on comprehensive driving information.
The Portofino technically has 4 seats but the rear seats are almost non-existent and are only good for toddlers. Just strap them behind as you go for a spirited drive in the mountains with your wife. We are kidding, don’t strap them. The boot space is respectable for a convertible at 290 litres when the roof is up. That brings us to one of the most standout features of the Portofino. You can take the roof down when you want to have one of those days where you want to feel the wind in your hair. It takes 14 seconds to deploy and the mechanism works up to 40 km/h. You don’t need to come to a standstill to bring the roof down or mount it back up.
In the short period of time that we got to spend with the Portofino, we came out impressed. It might be the most affordable Ferrari but it stays true to its legacy and is worthy of the prancing horse badge. We love the everyday usability it brings on the table despite putting out 600 ps of power. The Ferrari Portofino is priced at 3.6 crore ex-showroom and one can opt for accessories worth more than one crore.