Novitec Portofino: 675 Horsepower

I think the Portofino is underpowered in the same way someone would throw a Supermodel out of bed because she has ugly ears. Its emotionally irrational.

Just my $.02

 

It is not just owners who only want to have and leave their cars in stock condition or only use factory parts vs. the opposite end of the spectrum, folks who, like Morrie, the Carnut, who get their kicks out of improving on their cars and would do so immediately after purchasing a new car. There are also owners like myself, in between, who use up their warranties and then upgrade their cars with aftermarket as well as factory upgrades.

There are many Ferrari owners who will only want to buy a stock-trim Ferrari and would never modify their cars, except for factory-issue items and they have valid reasons for doing so. Ditto for folks like Carnut who appears to enjoy the process of messing with and improving their cars, because they also believe they have the experience and know-how... and can afford to ditch their warranties.

I can't afford to ditch my warranties but I also have a habit of keeping cars I like, so these sentiments work together for me. To me, every new car is a potential money pit but I can't help it, I love cars and I love driving them, and try to improve them at the same time. So when I have found and sorted out a car that I like, I keep it as long as I can. Otherwise, I am always trying to figure out and trying to sort out new cars. As much as I like doing this, I prefer some peace and quiet, so I can spend more time driving the cars as well as tend to my other projects. So I'm sort of in the middle - I will upgrade my rides but not in unending fashion and not at the expense of factory warranties.

As for sports exhausts, it's easy to pick one.

First determine if you would ever also do a complete exhaust system, meaning, also replace the factory cats. If you do then stay with the best outfits that have solid local dealer and installers. This means Capristo (oldest Ferrari aftermarket tuner), Novitec and Fabspeed. There are others too but they will have weaker dealer/installer networks and not be as experienced or concerned about protecting their reputation. This may be OK for BMWs, Hondas and even Audis but not something you want to risk with a Ferrari, with their higher resale values. If you will never want to replace cats then you only need "cat-back" exhaust upgrades and you should also consider the Tubi units that Ferrari sells, as they are good quality and definitely will not void your warranty so you can do those at any time. There are some differences with the resulting sounds and that's where you may have to do some legwork and take some risk. I can personally vouch for the sound of the Capristo sports muffler, using the factory H-pipe.

If you think you will likely do a complete exhaust system, it gets a fair bit more complicated but IMO, the cat-back upgrades offer the most easy to like, easy to live with results. Full exhaust system upgrades are extreme and many people will regret doing them if they are not also similarly extreme in their taste.

Always retain a valve-controlled exhaust system or you will regret the valves always being open.

 

It is hard for normal people to understand how an aspie's brain works, just like I cannot understand normal folks, but there is no car I really like. They are all just projects with a purpose. This is how I am (I have 193 watches, I wear maybe 6), you will never understand it nor can you try and put any normal measures to my behavior. Probably why I feel more comfortable with dogs than people.

 

The great thing about the car “hobby” are the seemingly endless combinations of things you can do to any car. As an enthusiast I can apprishiate the thought behind an enhancement even if it’s not something I would choose.

4thgear, thank you again on the information reguarding the exaust options. I was specifically referencing the sound and tone aspects of the different exaust systems. I also was referring to the exaust controller vs removing the vacuum lines for the valve control, as anymore while I enjoy the symphony an engine can unleash I also enjoy the quieter cruising aspects associated with longer rides where driving and loud exaust can drain you nearly as much as an uncomfortable seat. If I ultimately purchase a Cali 30 I’ll likely just install a valve controller, but if I purchase a Cali T I’ll likely investigate at least a sport exaust but will have to try to find an exaust I like the tone of since the stock exaust leaves a lot to be desired at least based on my personal experience with these cars, limited as it’s been.

 

Morrie, my dad was aspie so I do understand what you mean. He was a surgeon and took it upon himself to fiddle with every lamp in the house, which caused my mother, who was not aspie, no end of frustration, as most the lamps would be put out of action or oddly-modified. Luckily, the extent of my dad's fiddling with his surgical practice only extended to his fashioning special tools for his work, which I am glad to report, was apparently successful. I OTOH, am not aspie, just a mild touch of OCD tendencies concerning several of my hobbies, which one would normally consider to be a requirement for those activities. BTW, my dad was also into dogs but I'm more into cats and the opposite sex.

 

LOL you made some good points Shotgun. I think the Portofino looks better than the 812 and F12. It’s the best looking GT car .. line it up next to a lusso , f12 and 812 and you most will agree. The more time I drive my Portofino the more confident I have become with it . It’s a fast enough car. The power/acceleration comes on hard and smooth so its a bit deceiving how fast your actually going also because the exhaust is not screaming like a 458. I have recently seen three auto magazines including, Car and Driver and AutoMag that have it going 0-60 in 3.1 seconds ... supercar numbers .. the 458-488-f12 and 812 and in the 2.8 to 3.1 area ... not much difference really on the road

The biggest thing I would like to improve on the Portofino is the exhaust .. it sounds good but not great .. would be nice to get just a little more Ferrari grunt out of it .. An upgraded exhaust is the one thing I would consider . The issue is I really don’t want to void the warranty... I asked the service manager if it would and he said it could void it since they did not install it ..
The service manager thinks Ferrari will come out with an upgraded exhaust in 1-2 years for the Portofino and if they install it no issues with the warranty . I will be keeping an eye when this comes out

 

There is a high end car tuner in SD called TAG Autosports and they said the two exhausts they recommend are Capristo and Novitec . In his opinion Capristo sounds better . If I could get some assurance from Ferrari the factory warranty would not get voided I would gladly have it done right away . Otherwise I am waiting until Ferrari comes out with their upgraded sport exhaust.

 

I found this video on YouTube on many Ferrari start ups from 1962 to 2019 models .. which ones sound best to you guys ?

 

From personal experience the Capristo exhaust sounds more high pitch.

The Ferrari sport exhaust for the Cali was a rebranded Tubi unit - expect the same for the PF. I believe they came with an X-pipe for the Cali. Not sure of how the PF stock exhaust is set up but probably similar to the Cali. I recall pricing for the Ferrari-branded Cali unit was reasonable.

 

Good for entertainment value but start-up sound is actually not a useful comparison of overall sound quality for many reasons. To be begin with cold vs warm startup and manual transmission where the driver applies throttle vs automatic transmission (DCT incl.) where it's the ECU that applies throttle.

 

I agree just fun to see and hear all the ferrari models .

 

I have seen the car on a carshow, but 0-100 km/h is in 3.2 sec. The portofino is lighter then the California T but heavier then a 488/F8 tributo, so it will not accelerate faster then them.

 

The thing is, the extra torque that is obtained in the lower rpms by increasing boost is what a tune does for the car. Now will the TC system manage it properly? Not likely, I had problems tuning up my 991tts where the TC on the launch control just didn't work well in my launch edition 2014 991tts when the car had been tuned to 725hp. The later cars had better software in the transmission and were able to handle more torque with less slip. My 488 even overwhelms the TC with just the boost it has and I can't get 2.9s even though some claim to.

 

I have since traded the T for a 458 spider (it is in storage at Algar), and if anyone wants the piggy back (PM me I will give you a great deal on it) for the T I have both brains (Bluetooth controlled/an not bluetooth), and I just bought another i8, this one I do plan to modify. I am also looking for a 4C spider to take apart and put a 6cyl engine in, so far the cars I have found are too nice to take apart or have too many options I don't need or want. What I have found over the years is that there are different types of people who modify cars, but most are more concerned about bragging rights (and the floor it at the light maneuver), than whether what they did actually made the car better. I have said this so many times, but here it goes. As someone who was once (a very long time ago) good enough to be offered to drive for a team, I firmly believe the first thing anyone should do is learn to handle their cars without traction controls, somewhere safe (like an empty parking lot), because you will never know any car that is not letting you fully control it. I am willing to bet a lot of you will realize the car is a lot better than you are, and a lot more capable than you thought.

 

Without question, the best and most cost effective upgrade is driver training and education. (And long, long ago, I had the absolute life pleasure of driving for a team. And I was unquestionably still the weak link compared to a professionally prepared race car!!)

 

This.

I have the Capristo exhaust. It is wonderful.

TAG also installed the Novitec piggy back unit on my California T. Here are my impressions:

+ Torque is no longer "dialed out" down low by the factory.
+ The power band, and the car in general, just becomes far more usable.
+ You cannot tell you have a PiggyBack installed. There is no weirdness factor. It does not create too much power. It does not mess with the TC system

YMMV but I would do it again.