Ordering Portofino SPEC Advise First Car

Hi Everyone!

I'm in a similar position to the first time buyer. I don't know the age of the poster, but I am 61. I've always loved sports cars. I bought a new 1999 Porsche 911 C4 coupe standard. I've always wanted a convertible. About a year ago I test drove a California. I must say I didn't luv it, hard to explain why? But for some reason, the Portofino seems different to me. I really don't want to wait any longer to buy a Ferrari and am planning on ordering one in the next couple of weeks. I plan on purchasing the Portofino. I'm not looking to sell the Portofino for many years. I still have my 1999 911, which is in excellent condition. As a matter of fact, Porsche replaced the engine about 15 years ago, because 99 was the first year Porsche came out with the liquid cooled engine on this model and the aluminum block cracked. I think in Europe the liquid cooled engine was released the year prior. Porsche replaced the engine and all components attached to the engine. They were great, the engine was shipped in a crate and my mechanic installed it. I have like 30,000 miles on the engine. I love a stick, but my wife was upset when i bought the car as a standard, because she could never drive it. The one thing that I'm not excited about with the Portofino is that it will be an automatic, even thou you can shift with the paddles, it's not the same. But I want my wife to be happy and I'm going with the automatic. I also have the same dilemma about the Ferrari shields, but I think I'm gonna order the shields. I'm driving a Ferrari and I always loved the the look of the yellow shields. So besides the look of the shields, I'm trying to figure a way to make the car not look so outstanding. The problem is I'm probably ordering the car in white, wifes input. She loves a white car. I happen to think the car looks good in white, with a black interior. But I want to downplay the look somewhat. So for instance, I think if I order the option of black pillars, that downplays the car a bit. If anyone has any thoughts on what else would not make the car look so showy, I'd appreciate comments. I know your gonna say why order the shields if I want to downplay the look, but I like the shields. Not sure about calipers? I always liked yellow calipers on a Ferrari? I also want to order a black interior, I want to add some custom options, like stitching and the horse on the seat. I don't want to sit in the car and have to much a contrast with the black and the stitching, to me this can be a cheap look. Any thoughts on what color stitching and horse insignia? The other options I was going to order were, magneride, upgrade sound system, passenger LED readout, as I think this is really a nice option. I'm not sure about other options at this point. I'm also concerned about what the car will cost? I'm going to put down 100,000 - 150,000 and finance the rest. Down payment and monthly payment is also a factor. I also luv the look of 20" forged diamond rims, although I don't know the cost of them? At this point I don't even know what the price of the car will be, with the options I described, is it 250,000 or 300,000? I don't even know what the taxes will be, I live in NJ. All I know is that it's taken me many years to decide I want a Ferrari and I'm gonna do it.

Anyways, thank you all for listening!

 

^ Welcome, Michael! Great first post.

I was playing around on the configurator the other day, and by happenstance put up a build like you describe. Bianco avus is my favorite white (after, avorio, of course!) and I think a BA Porto with an all black interior looks awesome. I would suggest a lighter colored stitching, maybe even the thicker stitching, and a white horsey (oops, cavallino!) for the head rest for some contrast and visual interest.

Magneride - definitely, as discussed up-thread. If you go with black pillars, why not go for a black roof? Alternatively, I recall an F-chatter who ordered his Cali in the typical fashion, matching body color, and then wrapped it. That has the advantage of being reversible.

I would also look into the electrochromatic mirrors, which IIRC adjust at night to prevent cars coming from behind from blinding you. I have this in my Porsche @ it is a nice feature given the large # of pickup trucks, which ride much higher than my 911. If you don't plan on driving your Porto @ night, then I'd skip it.

The passenger display IMO is not worth $6K. The last thing I need is for my wife to have further proof that I'm speeding! And, when she is driving the Cali, I really don't want a display distracting me when I'm holding on for dear life! If it were me, I'd "invest" my options dough into some of the carbon fiber options that replace the aluminum interior bits - like the central bridge, door kick sill, etc. - which I think would nicely set off a mostly black interior.

I personally don't think the upgraded sound system is worth the price, but mine is a weekend/after work fun car, so I'm either enjoying the engine noises, not needing traffic reports, or chatting with the wife.

Most prices that others have quoted from folks in the states that I have seen here are in the range you quoted, 250 - 300K, if I recall correctly.

There was a thread in which an F-chatter generously provided prices on options. See below. It is a tad out of date, but should give you a ballpark estimate.

Best of luck in making your Ferrari dream a reality!

T

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Order the car the way YOU want it,and modify it the way YOU want it. Don't focus on pleasing someone else.

 

Does anyone have experience with Anti Stone Chipping Film.

 

I would only buy a Ferrari if it didn't have the Shields.

 

That's cool but you should know you are in the vast minority.

The shields can also be a beautiful touch of yellow if you go with Grigio Alloy, yellow calipers and yellow cross stitching on an all black interior. Just sayin'

 

Most dealers offer a partial or full Xpel clear protective coat. It feels like you are being up-charged at the dealer (again). It's still worth it. I went with the full package -- not just the front of the car. Yup, it's a couple of extra thousand. Yup, it's worth it.

 

This is absolutely true but the guy was seeking advice. I went into buying a Cali T with a lot of "I will never add that option" attitude and I am frankly glad many of you (and my dealer) talked me out of those pre-conceived notions.

My take:

+ get magnaride no matter what
+ i like the upgraded (larger) wheels, some don't
+ carplay is not worth it
+ the upgraded stereo isn't worth it (the motor sound is the symphony)
+ the carbon wheel + LEDs is fun -- not that functional but fun -- so I added it
+ i really like the full carbon bridge, etc on the inside, so i "invested" there also -- glad i did two years later
+ i went with the yellow brake calipers -- looks amazing on Grigio Alloy (IMHO)...and looks great with the shields (as noted above, a must in my book but understand that others feel differently).

Bottom line:

These are not limited edition cars. They are going to depreciate -- a lot. Buy it. Enjoy it. Drive the hell out of it. But these are NOT investment cars. So, put on it what you want for your own personal enjoyment. None of the options are ever going to hold the value of a seriously depreciating asset. But don't worry about it. Keep it for a long time.

The "amortization" is the amount of joy and passion you feel while driving it - especially with the top down and the motor at full tilt.

There is no other way to look at the California T / Portofino. They are built to enjoy, love and add passion to your life. They are not financial investments.

Good luck!

 

There are plenty of third parties who do PPF (paint protection film). I am also planning to get my whole car covered. I think the pricing is comparable to letting the dealer/Ferrari do it (you can specify it as an option when ordering the car), but I am going to use a third party. Main reason: cars don't leave a factory with perfect paint. A good third party firm will spend a long time (at least a whole day) correcting the paint and very carefully cleaning your car. The PPF then locks in this perfect paint. I'm not convinced Ferrari would employ the same intensity of labour. In total, a whole car PPF with a market leading firm takes 4-5 days. In London, Topaz comes highly recommended.

 

I've been told by 2 x Ferrari dealers that the Ferrari PPF is pretty rubbish.

I would suggest getting your dealer to organise PPF from a 3rd party or organise it yourself.

 

I had my car 100% wrapped with xpel. 3rd party not as an option.

 

I'm going with white exterior. I still haven't figured out if I want a black or white top? I've always liked the look of the yellow calibers and the shields. I just don't know if I will like the yellow calibers against white car?
I own a chevy suburban with apple carplay, on highway trips I use the voice recognition texting all the time, it works really good, so I'm gonna order the CarPlay.

The carbon interior options, I will look at some Cali's at the dealership and see how they look. I also like a yellow tach, so I have to see what option that is.

At the dealership I'll look at stitching and colors.

Thanks

 

Of course, if you're OCD, the shade of yellow on the shields, calipers and wheel caps are slightly different!

T

 

If you go to YouTube, and search "white Ferrari Portofino" there's about half a dozen videos of a white Porto - avus, I think, but that's a guess on my part - under different lighting conditions. It's a white roof. That could give you a good idea if its to your taste...T

 

Congrats a few things I would like to add here as I took delivery of my CaliTHS last summer and it was my first custom spec Ferrari. Whatever you do please get the shields and change them out to Carbon ones if you want something more low key, the car deserves the shields and I would not order my first ever new Ferrari without them. Hi-Fi I recommend it because whatever everyone says about the basic one being alright, its actually rubbish in the CaliTHS and I can barely even hear phone calls properly let alone the radio - worth the upgrade. Full electric seats are nice and have a cool "memory feature" that will help set the seat back if you move it around. Outside of that I would recommend you think about the electro-chromatic mirrors as they are not standard on the car. I also love the passenger display in our Lusso, its another unique Ferrari feature and I would get it as its fun and all about the experience - that is why you are buying this beauty. And finally whatever timeline they give you please add another 2+ months in head to just manage your expectations. I heard the Portofino is very delayed..

 

I really am looking to see a white Portofino with a black top. Can’t find one on YouTube.

 

Just some thoughts to both of you. First, welcome to the family!

@FutureBuddha , color and paint is so subjective. If you love the matte aluminum paint, then by all means get it. A Ferrari is not just about a-b transport. You need to have a spec that excites you when you see it in your garage or drive way, then you love how the car drives when you are behind the wheel, and then when you park, you just can't help but to look back at the car. This advice goes to the shields as well. If you like them get them, if you don't then don't get them. I am telling you from over 10 years experience that the shields do help others identify the car as a Ferrari, but, don't think by going without shields you will be incognito. People will still see its a Ferrari. From a resale point of view, the shields are a must, especially with a matte paint, I think most buyers looking for matte paint are looking for something different that stands out and no shields will hurt resale further. In terms of the kind of shields, I would advise against going with CF shields. Yes, they look cool, but CF shields are like when I see someone wearing a red Yankees hat. The standard shield has historical significance. As a long time Tifosi, I just cringe every time I see CF shields. That's just me, but I think as someone new to the family, you should know its really not the red paint that you need to keep traditional, its the shields.

@builder1 I think white looks great on the PF. My suggestion if you want a metallic white and don't mind the upcharge for the paint (I forget the cost now, but it won't be inexpensive) check out either Bianco Italia (slightly more silvery) or Bianco Fuji (slightly warmer, ever slight hint of champagne color). My suggestion for you would be Bianco Italia with Blu Scuro interior- this is dark blue, and it is so dark that it can look black, unless you hold something black next to it. But it will give the car a little bit more elegance and Ferrari has so many wonderful colors, and the leather is so nice, I would suggest something other than simply black, unless that is where your heart is. Suggestion for the brake calipers with this combo is either black or maybe blue, depending on the wheels. I don't think the black windshield pillars help the car look more understated, to my eyes it makes the car look more like a Corvette, I would go with body color, but its really a personal preference. When it comes to wheels, if you live in NJ, the roads are bad, I would suggest the forged wheels, they are much stronger than the standard cast wheels. The contrast stitching is great but keep in mind light contrast stitching on the dash can show in reflections in the windshield. This doesn't bother me as I wear polarized sunglasses but it might bother you. As to the rest, my opinion:

Magnaride- a must.

LED steering wheel- I think a must because its a Ferrari thing.

HiFi- if music is something you want to enjoy in the car, its expensive, but I would recommend it because doing something after the fact is more expensive.

CarPlay- Not worth it, but if you think you might hold on to the car for more than a few years, CarPlay is a way to future proof the electronics in the car.

Passenger display- If you think your wife will always complain about it then it might not be worth it, but is something cool that can draw in your passenger and right now its a Ferrari thing.

Adaptive lights- worth it

Front and Rear Parking Cameras- worth it

Heat insulating windscreen- worth it, if you are someone who likes to have the car cool.

Electrochromatic Ext Mirrors- I like it.

 

This one maybe not. It will disable any windshield mounted Radar Detector. I have this on the RR and it keeps my window mounted Max 360 from working except at a useless ticket getting range.

 

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that. When you say RR do you mean Range Rover? My wife has a Range Rover with the heated windshield but I didn't know they had a heat insulating windscreen as well. I can tell you on my wife's car, there is no apparent reduction in radar performance, we use the same detector as you.

I usually have detectors built in to Ferraris, but, if correct, this could be relevant for anyone using a windshield mounted detector.

 

Yes, I had the heated windshield but not the insulated one on the previous Range Rover and it wasn't a problem. I took a long trip to West Texas in the new one last month and noticed that it failed to spot cops on I-10 until I could see them and that isn't normal for that detector. Doesn't have a problem in my Ferrari or the Maserati. I googled windshield blocks radar detector and discovered that the cars with the insulating type of windshields will do this. The cost to install the 360ci in the Rover was $4500 vs a $600 windshield mounted unit. Not worth it to me, just have to live with Waze or figure something else out. Anyway, I am not buying another car with the insulated windshield. The guy that installed the paint protection film told me he could see the windshield was insulated by looking at it. He also installs tinting and the kind that blocks UV is the same kind that blocks RF as well. He says if you just have privacy glass then it doesn't protect against the heat.

 

Thanks for the info. I just like the cleaner look of the CI unit in a car I know I will keep for some time. I use the windshield mounted unit in my daily car as its a lease. I can tell you my BMW has some kind of insulating windshield and that doesn't affect the detector. So I do think it has to do with who the supplier is.

 

Don't have to be OCD.

The contrast is visually jarring. Painful, even. LOL

 

Hahaha CalitHS and Lusso both have yellow brakes and the shields. So funny how almost everyone mentions how it all matches. Hahaha, too funny because Ferrari could easily fix this but they don't.

 

Personally I don’t want them to match. Not yellow Ferrari in steering wheel does not match either brakes or shield. Toss in tachometer ... another yellow. It does not have to match (IMO).