Total Newb...spec'ing a Portofino for fiancee's 60th BD

Let me just get this out of the way that I'm a total newb to the brand. Please forgive any uninformed questions or viewpoints which I'm sure to have.

My fiancee has always wanted a bespoke GT car such as a Maserati, Aston, etc. (She currently drives a rather pedestrian Lexus). I think she would absolutely fall in love with the Portofino, as I have. It's pretty much the most beautiful thing I've ever seen that has wheels. (My opinion, anyway.) As Ferrari first-timers, we are squarely in the target market for the PF.

I would like to surprise her for her 60th in October 2019. We're getting older. She's a cancer survivor (and now healthy thank goodness). At this point in life, it's time to say WTF and get her whatever she wants, cost be damned. One doesn't buy a car like this based on specs, price, etc. You buy it for the art and spirit of the thing and how your own soul interacts with the driving experience. You get a Ferrari because it's well..a Ferrari. And other cars are not. I get it...or at least I think I get it.

She would love a convertible. I have this vision of presenting the car to her with the top up. And hearing her say "But I really wanted a convertible. What about that?" I would stall as much as possible of course. Then at the right moment, she might say "What does this button do?". And I'd say "I don't know. Why don't you push it?"

Worth the price of admission right there.

I'll have lots of questions about spec'ing the car and the process of ordering.

Keep in mind that I'm spec'ing a car for a mature female driver who would tend not to push the car's performance too hard (although I might). She loves to drive, but she's not an extreme performance driver. We would use the car as a GT, driving locally a few times a week and road trip getaways of a few hundred miles or so. Maybe the occasional cross-country trip. The car would never be street raced or tracked.

If the car was just for me, I'd spec it differently. But I really want her to feel like this car was built for her with the options she'd like. She is more luxury oriented as opposed to racing oriented. I'd tick the box for all leather options. Full power seats yes. No passenger display. No CF. Wouldn't impress her at all, especially for the cost.

I'm thinking no shields. Yes, I am familiar with the discussions on this. We tend to keep our cars for a very long time, so resale is not a primary concern. She would look at those shields and ask "Why are these here?". And I'd explain about the racing team and she'd say "So?". Not her focus. She would prefer clean, classy, and elegant to race inspired badgery, even if it is iconic to the brand.

Paint...hopefully there's a standard color that'll work. With our hot southern climate, I'm thinking heat insulating windshield and light colors inside and out. We intend to put significant road miles on the car and inevitably there will be scratches and dings despite our best efforts at avoidance. Something in grey, aluminum-like, or a very light blue. She really wouldn't appreciate the ultra-premium price of some of the colors. I have the PF option list, but it lacks detail on what colors are standard vs. premium vs. ultra-premium. Suggestions?

We're on the Gulf coast and the most practical dealer choices are Houston or Atlanta. Any pros or cons of one vs. the other? We live bi-coastal, so we could also consider a west coast dealer. Or I suppose any US dealer for purchase as long as we could go to any of them for service.

Okay, I've probably written much more than I should for a first post.

I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions for options, dealers, and the process for ordering.

Respectfully,

Brian

 

Thanks for the thoughtful reply.

Yes, upgraded stereo for sure. And I like the color stitch suggestion. Little details like that say "something special going on here".

Any thoughts on choosing a dealer? Any that are particularly good (or bad) to work with?

 

I did not know about the dedication plate. Thank you Tom!

 

That's an approach still under consideration. However...

And this is only what's true in my experience. And in my experience with this particular woman. Everyone's experiences are different.

If there are any women on the forum, I'd really welcome your thoughts. I heard a rumor that "they" are wired a little differently (certainly better) than us male folk.

For starters, I doubt that she'd make it over the hurdle of spending this much on a car. If she saw the price list her hair would catch fire. I don't have that problem. I'm over that hurdle. I would rather her not know specific costs. Obviously she'd know the car was ridiculously expensive. The quality speaks for itself. Deliciously. But expensive is relative. A PF is a lot of money for a car, but not a lot for a Ferrari. I would rather just have her enjoy and not dwell on the cost.

Sitting for hours at the computer weighing every little decision is a guy's approach. We're optimizers and analytics. At least I am. We love the details and will consider them ad nauseam. She wouldn't care like I would about tachometer color. Or exhaust tips. Or wheels and calipers -- what's a caliper? ;-) . Shields or no shields. Or any number of such details. She wouldn't enjoy that part of the process. She'd fret. She'd get frustrated. Other than colors, she'd say "I don't know, decide for me". It's just the way she's wired. Which is very different from myself.

Although there are many thousands of combinations possible as you noted, the vast majority of them I can eliminate based on what I know of her likes and dislikes, what's important to her and what is not. As first-timers, Atelier and Taylor Made aren't a consideration. (Maybe for the next one). There's an element of living dangerously here, making choices for someone else. But if the color is right, it has the right measure of class and elegance, she'll absolutely love it. Am I crazy? Or just stupid? Hehe.

So, on the color... It has to be on the lighter side. And from the standard palette (to have more budget for other options).

I was leaning towards Grigio Ingrid. Great romantic backstory there with Roberto Rosselini and Ingrid Bergman. And then I saw a comment "looks like it belongs on grandma's Cadillac". Killed it for me. We've all seen "grandma's Cadillac". Full stop on that. Ha!

Another choice is speaking to me. Grigio Alloy. Seems to have just the right balance of gray/silver and a hint of blue. (She always picks silver to grey cars) This looks really good on the configurator with chrome painted rims. That might be the one.

Thanks for all your comments so far guys. I really want to get this right, so much appreciated.

B

 

For a dedication plate, I'm thinking "Ti adoro. Ora e sempre"

And/or...take her to Fiorano for a sport driving course. That's gotta be fun!

 

Agreed. Beautiful combo.

 

A few things I'm certain of. There are maybe only 2-3 paint colors from the standard palette that she'd go for. She wouldn't like black roof/A-pillar (perception of hot in our climate). She definitely doesn't like black or dark colors in the interior. Even Cuoio interior is probably much too dark/masculine for her. She's not impressed with CF. To her it looks more techie/racy (which it is) than elegant. Definite yes to contrasting stitching, horses, colored seatbelts, colored dash and wheel. etc. Seat style is only one offered on PF, yes? They seem to make a big deal of the magnesium frame on the new PF seats which gives 5cm more backseat legroom. I think there are only a few items that I could be a little off on. But the palette is pretty narrowed down.

You guys have made some good points though. I'm pondering how to get her input without letting the cat out of the bag completely.