992 vs Portofino, which is sportier?

Just sold my 2019 Targa 4 GTS which was a wonderful all around car ( I've had multiple other 911's over the years as well as multiple Ferrari's ).

The car was very quick, extremely comfortable, drove like it was on rails, had good technology and was built like a brick sh*t house.
The drawback is that 911's are a dime a dozen and, although it was fun, it lacked that sense of occasion when driving it.

I have a 2020 Portofino and it is also a wonderful all around car.
In auto mode it shifts way too early and, IMO, should only be used when cruising on the highway for long distances ( the auto mode in the 911 when in Sport+ shifts properly and can still be fun to drive that way ).
However, the Portofino in manual sport mode ( which should be used 99% of the time ) is a true Ferrari. When driven aggressively, it offers lightning quick shifts that provide a kick in your back and has an exciting aggressive exhaust note (I've owned a Scud and a 488).

So, in answer to the question in your last sentence: Yes, with spirited driving in manual sport mode it is very "Ferrari like" and much more exciting than a 911 in any of its variations.

 

I've had many, many 911s as daily drivers and now own a California T ... there's no contest, a modern 911 is a great car and has its attributes -- fast, iconic silhouette, great engineering, dead reliable -- but it just does not compare with the experience of driving a Ferrari. I never use the Auto mode on the Ferrari -- I never used it on the two PDK 911s I owned, either -- but shifting the Ferrari manually is a great experience. Keep the top down and revs up, you won't look back. As an owner of both cars, I can tell you that I've never pulled up to a light in the Ferrari and seen a 911 on the other side and wished I was driving it instead. But when I was in the 911 and saw a Ferrari ...

 

Interesting question as a lot of repeat 911 owners make comments on the 992 not being the same as what went before and not in a good way. Some ferrari repeat customer probably say the same on the Cali, Roma and Porto.

992 cab isn’t really in the same game as the Porto. It’s a great fast Audi with a Porsche badge. But the interior materials are a bit meh. Design is a bit lost between trying to be historic and up to date plus the #autoplayburble overrun has nothing to do with the engine speeds etc. Even the 991 had those issues in N/A form.

I’ve owned many Porsche’s over 20 years, have some great pals from events and many many road trip miles across that time. But I test drove a 992 from Porsche at the Stuttgart Museum including on the old test drive Twisty routes and very high speed on the Autobahn. Just didn’t provide any excitement.

I test drove a Porto In the Swiss Alps. Decided to place a deposit before even turning the engine off.. my 991 4s went straight after I got back and that that was in a rare colour. Ferrari is just on another level.

What is very telling Is that my 997 Turbo S has not moved a wheel since my Porto went onto the production line. So the anticipation won even before the Porto came. It took a long time to find my Porsche in the colours I wanted and the Turbo S still makes me smile when the garage doors open...but it’s not the keys I pick up....

The Ferrari buying experience has been night and day different to Porsche. Porsche is like going to a department store for a suit, where the sales assistant thinks they own the shop (attitude). Buying a Ferrari is like buying a bespoke suit. I have bought new from both and they really don’t compare (note icing on the cake was the Atelier in Maranello - hope they start again soon for others to enjoy).

The Porto is never going to be a razor sharp drive like the mid engined cars, but it’s the very best all round car made. My criteria was something great fun and equally at home on long road trips and early morning sprints in the mountains as part of Grand Tours...

Best of luck with your journey. Life is just a ride, but the ride is better in a Ferrari

Is your Porsche Midnight or Dark blue ?

 

The correct answer is both!

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T

 

+1 to what Tom says. I have a 991 S Cab with a manual transmission and an insane spec (~$40K in options). It's special and I'm never selling that car. Call me old school, but just having a manual transmission makes a car sportier to drive than an auto manual, even if it's not objectively as fast. That's one major advantage of buying a Porsche, as you can still spec them with a manual gearbox.

I'd like to add a Portofino M to my garage, but it's going to be in addition to my 991 and not a replacement for it.

 

I would think you can go back to a slightly older, but still recent 911 like the 997.2 or 991.1 generation, and a used Porto for the same money as a new Porto. I just love driving my 911 and Cali back to back. P car does not have the sense of occasion of F car, but it's still a great sporty drive in Sport+ mode. Lately, I've taken to shifting gears on the 911 by using the stick. Push it forward up a great, pull back, down a gear. Never really wanted to the buttons. But, you have to be in the sportier settings and shifting gears yourself to get max fun out of both of them IMO. But, by the same token, put both in auto, and enjoy a night on the town with the wife...T

 

Too funny, because I was just out in my Cali T and came across a polar silver 993 cabriolet ... and ... almost ... wished I was driving it instead. That is what I would add to my garage if I wanted a 911.

I've owned a half dozen or so 993s, this guards red over cashmere 97 C2 cab being the last one (sold it in 2013).

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I'm sure it would feel ponderous compared to the Cali T but the 993 had some of the older Porsche analog air-cooled character, and they are such good cars.

 

Rented a 992 S for 1 month it was great, a fantastic fun package but its not a Portofino. The Port sounds better, goes faster, and has a much more fun driving character. I would say it’s not entirely fair to compare as my Porto was over 100k more then the 992 I was driving. Now go and compare a 991 Speedster to a Porto and maybe now we start an interesting (if you could only have one) kind of discussion.

 

Both of them are heavy and soft GT cars. The term "sporty" does not really apply to any of them.

The Porto does feel lighter and more agile, but compared to a sports car, it still feels heavy and soft.

No doubt I'd choose the Porto in a heartbeat, but not because it is more sporty, but simply because it feels more special and is a nicer car.

Just for the fun of it, give the Mercedes GTR a look. Very cool and sporty GT, and it does manage to feel properly special.

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Porto faster than a 992TTS? Not even close. The Porto is great and feels more special, but a 992TTS will leave it for dead if you try and run them on the track.

That being said, they are not meant for tracking.

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I don't think OP mentioned a TTS but yeah agree with you it will whip a Portofino from standstill and thats about it. I still think its a superman package from Porsche but overtime you will realize its boring compared to a Portofino and I love Porsche, I have had many in my life. Its just the Germans have engineered all the fun out of there cars, they are almost too good. The last remain decent fun bunch that I would spend my money on are the GT cars and my beloved Speedster.

 

You're a lucky man. Which would you choose between the Speedster and the Portofino and how would you contrast the two?

 

Did you use Porsche Drive? How was the experience? The Ferrari has 1.5x as many cylinders and an open top. I'm sure those help towards the engagement.

 

Goodness this needs pages and pages to properly dissect and I am not sure I could do either car justice in describing their pros and cons. BUT I will say that they are actually more similar then you might think, they are both great cruisers they both offer fantastic open top experiences. I would say that the Porto is easier to live with daily and has a larger bandwidth of use (rear mini, seats, trunk, and automatic top). For city cruising and some hot pushes here and there its perfect. While the Speedster is a very unique experience but it makes you work (manual top and 6MT) BUT when you push it and the roads are nice there really is nothing like it. Its a screaming NA/MT car and while its bliss driving its razor sharp like a sports car and you feel very confident in it. I did end up selling my Portofino for the upcoming Roma (which may as well go to flip to the Portofino M) and I ended up keeping the Speedster, its limited and my spec is really nice for what I wanted. One thing is for sure, the Porto feels faster because it simply is but the control you have of the car going high speeds and through corners is about 85% of a Speedster but thats really because of the heavy roof, and the larger dimensions. I am sure if Ferrari stripped down a car to what the Speedster is would be a magical (AKA Monza).

Yes for the rental I did, it was a decent experience and I am glad I did it. Great way to experience their cars without the long term tie up. I will say where the Portofino loses and the 992 wins is the following - tech in 992 is killer (like the best), the rear seats are more spacious, and in the winter (which is when I had it) the car was sublime and just planted. I did drive my Port on a few cold days and its fine but not as planted as 911 for obvious reasons.

 

Can I make this easy? Just get both.

My 992 TTS Cab arrives in two weeks (almost a year to the day after my Porto).

 

I’ve owned a bunch of 911’s over the years. My first was a 1984 Coupe and my last was a 2012 Turbo Cab. I think my favorite was my 2002 C4S that I drove every day for 3 years. I currently own a 2018 Panamera Turbo that we’re trading in on an Aston Martin DBX. As much as I loved owning Porsches, there is nothing, repeat nothing like owning a Ferrari. I freaking love our 2020 Portofino and will likely never buy a Porsche again.

 

bmcginn, curious to know why you love it so much. The Portofino seems like an underrated gem in Ferrari's lineup, and it's good to hear that many of the owners here seem to love it.

 

How about a brand spanking new yellow GT4? Smaller by almost a foot. 400hp. 6-speed. GT3 suspension. Under $120k.


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I have a 991.2 TTS cab. Apart from the weak exhaust note i'd say the TTS is sportier. The chassis of TTS is much firmer and tighter in S+ mode with PDCC on while Portofino is much softer even in sport mode. TTS is also more agile with rear wheel steering. PDK shifts very aggressive in S+ while auto mode in Portofino is almost unuseable. Overall i would consider Portofino more like a GT with much better riding quality than 991.2 TTS but not that sporty.

 

I agree with this assessment but with that being said I prefer the Porto

 

Portofino M wins.

 

Me too. TTS is sportier and faster but lack of that exotic feeling Portofino provides. Its just not that special unless you drive it fast.