Portofino - "Real Ferrari"...opinions please

1) The Portofino is not a four-seater. It is a two-seater with tiny jump seats that can be used only by small-child-sized people.
2) The 488 is longer and wider (slightly). The F12/812 is significantly longer and wider.

 

The 488 is a little shorter but is a little wider. I have both in my garage. They are both real Ferraris and so was my Cali T HS. A Ferrari drives, sounds and looks like no other car.

 

I think there are two key elements in a Ferrari: design and engine.

The engine is, imho, the best turbo engine out there on the market.

The design is incredibly sexy. No Portofino photo or video does it complete justice.

Whenever I see a Portofino, I remember this brilliant ad:



(Helps if you speak italian, but you don’t need to in order to get the picture).

Rest assured: yes, it’s a proper Ferrari.

Personally, my favorite Ferrari since 2008, apart from the 458 which I still own (same reason: sexy, flowing lines, no scoops, side vents, ailerons, etc).

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

I was using the figure for the 488 Pista,which is longer than the 488 GTB. My point is that the Portofino is not a Queen Mother Ferrari designed to carry four adults in comfort. It is a sports car for two adults with a handy storage area behind the seats,and it is also beautifully styled.

 

I love that commercial!!! Thanks for posting.

 

Take it from me...stay away from the DB11 If you actually enjoy driving. I had a V12 version and couldn’t get rid of it fast enough. The DB11 is good looking and has a beautiful interior. However, the driving experience totally sucks. The car handles like a dog turd, the traction control is very intrusive, and the engine/transmission response is subpar for a car at that price.

The Mercedes infotainment system is a bit glitchy as well, which I’m not sure why, as the one in my G wagon is fine.

I drove a Portofino and totally loved it. 600Hp, convertible and great sound for a turbocharged car. My wife wants one and I would love to use it as our family fun car as it has small back seats and can fit my kids. Perfect car for trips to the winery, longer distance drives, and maybe a few back roads. The navigation and infotainment system is actually usable too unlike in every other Ferrari.

I think the California was known as the girl’s Ferrari, definitely not the case with the Portofino in my opinion. More like the gentlemen’s or gentle-ladies Ferrari.




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I have had my portfolio for over a year now and love everything about it. I have always wanted one since I was a youngster. I am now almost 80 and glad I can now afford one. It is beautiful handles great and is quite fast. I drive it almost daily and have never had a problem.
You cannot go wrong driving a Ferrari.



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^Good points. I love my Cali, and just had a short test drive in a Porto, but my one big take away was how much improved the steering feel was. Tighter, sportier, more direct...T

 

Are you considering a purchase there Tom???


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To be honest, Andy, I'm waiting to see the Roma in person. I love the exterior apart from the grill, but can't see the grill from the cockpit. So, I could live with it! What I want to see in person is the Roma interior. I'm not a fan based on pics. It seems too busy for a sports/fun car, a tad cluttered with the new center console IMO. Porto interior much more to my taste. And I loved the Pottotest drive. The biggest roadblock, however, is that I just love my Cali!! It's been such a great car, & it really is the best color combo I've seen!

I hope are doing well in these trying times, and enjoying your own Cali...T

 

The Portofino and the Roma are examples of beautiful Italian styling. The Roma (just like my Portofino) will benefit greatly from cleaning the junk off the exterior that clutters up the beauty of the basic design. In the case of the Portofino,the biggest problem is the cheap-looking black plastic vents on the front fenders. In the case of the Roma, the biggest problem is that grill. I don't yet know what I would do about it. I hear that Ferrari offers grill options,which may solve that problem.

 

Great points. I got some sample Roma configs emailed to my by the fine folks at Miller, and it seems there are grill options. The grill also looked less obtrusive with darker colors. There was a vinaccia over tortora sample that configuration that looked primo. Can't wait until they launch the Roma configurator to play with.

As for the Porto front vents, do you mean these? Thanks.
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T

 

No! I mean the vents behind the front wheels that relieve air pressure in the fender wells. They should be painted body color.

 

Aha. Gotcha. I saw a bianco avus Porto @ Boardwalk with carbon fiber exterior options, including that front vent in CF, and I thought that was a major plus up in terms of looks.
As I recall, about a $5K option. Worth it IMO...T

 

I guess tastes differ. I really like the vents to be in black. I considered ordering the Portofino in white so that the contrast could be really high but finally ordered it in Azzurro California which seems to be light enough to provide the wanted contrast. Will know when the car arrives as the actual colour seems to be darker than the screen renderings

 

I've seen a few Azzurro California F-cars, old and new, and I think you're gonna be wowed!
It's a gorgeous color...T

 

A couple of weeks ago while my wife was taking too much time wandering around Barnes and Noble, I was scanning the auto magazines. I picked one of the Ferrari mags (sorry I do not remember which one) and there was a title article, something like "The Portofino a real Ferrari?" Since I own one, it peaked my interest. The author had apparently panned the California multiple times and had late last year driven a Portofino in a press ride for about 10 minutes and then declared it was a faux Ferrari similar to the California. But the point of this article was that he felt he may have misjudged the car with minimal seat time. So this time he got hours and a couple of days with the car. Summary was very complimentary and at the end he said the Portofino was indeed a real Ferrari. Thank God. Having said that, similar to what others have said, we test drove the Aston Martin, Porsche, Bentley, Maserati and various Mercedes. The Portofino stands out among that crowd distinct and different. There is nothing like a Ferrari and yes, it qualifies. If reminds me of my 458 but more appointed and approachable.

 

tbh... real auto journalism is dead. these morons who judge whether something is a really ferrari or not have no idea what they are talking about. bottom line, buy what you love and drive it like you stole it... your opinion is the only one that matters .