Friday 19 / April / 2024
It’s fast, it’s comfortable, and it’s versatile as well. While driving Portofino on a busy road may not be the best use of Ferrari, it isn’t unusual either. After all, this new Ferrari has very little to complain about.
Named after Portofino, a fishing town and scenic harbour of Italy, its performance is unbeatable. A flea on the straights and hugging the tarmac on bends, Portofino is full of Ferrari surprises. The Italian giant has billed its 0-100kmph time at 3.5 seconds while reaching a 200kmph takes only 10.8 seconds. An engineering masterpiece, the car, as Ferrari claims and truly feels like, has zero lag when pushing the pedal. The car reacts with no delay that can be noted by human mind and that just feels wonderful especially if the driver is used to performance cars.
The Ferrari Portofino delivers a significant weight saving with the adoption of new components using innovative designs made possible using cutting-edge production techniques. This, combined with a 40Cv higher power output than the California T, has resulted in a significant hike in performance and a corresponding drop in emissions. Vehicle dynamics benefit from the introduction, for the first time on this model, of electric power steering, the 3rd generation electronic differential (E-Diff3) and the latest evolution of the electronic suspension control system (SCM-E) integrated with Premium 9.1 ESP.
The V8 power unit, which has won the outright International Engine of the Year award for two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017, Ferrari’s engineers worked on several different fronts to deliver a power output of 600Cv at 7500rpm, the equivalent of 156 Cv/l, introducing new mechanical components as well as specific engine management software.
Maximum mechanical efficiency is guaranteed using high-resistance aluminium alloy pistons and con rods with innovative geometries and specially-shaped high-tumble intake manifolds.
The Ferrari Portofino features Variable Boost Management, a control software developed by Ferrari that adjusts torque delivery to suit the gear selected. As the car goes up through the gears (from 3rd to 7th), the amount of torque delivered by the engine increases all the way up to 760 Nm. This has allowed Ferrari to adopt longer gear ratios in the higher gears, which helps keep fuel consumption and emissions down on the one hand, while adopting different torque curves through the rev range in the lower gears for a feeling of strong, continuous pick-up.
As is always the case in Ferrari, the aerodynamic development process involved every single area of the car and its development, from the initial layout choices to the management of the flows involved in heat dissipation, and the definition of every single detail of the underbody and bodywork.
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A subtle interplay and juxtaposition of concave and convex surfaces lends a sense of three-dimensionality to the body, yet also creates an impression of great naturalness which can be seen in the way the flows needed to increase aerodynamic efficiency were optimised.
The front of the car is also underscored by a new headlight assembly with a more horizontal development which is designed to follow the crest line of the front wheel arches. Half-hidden at the outer edges of the headlights are highly innovative aerodynamic “air curtain”-type intakes which vent into the front of the wheel housing to increase the evacuation of air coming from the wheel spokes and wheel arch and channel it along the scooped sides, thereby reducing drag created by the wake from the front wheels.
While the Portofino’s exterior exudes a stylish compactness and instantly marks out its GT vocation, its cabin too has also been carefully designed and developed. The Ferrari Design team pinpointed certain specific essential requirements, the foremost of these being formal and functional coherency between the car’s exterior and its interior, weight reduction and creating more space for occupants.
Seen in plain view, the cockpit’s symmetrical arrangement and the improved rear seat space are clear. The dashboard architecture features two shells, which incorporate all the technical components, and a bridge which visually connects the instrument panel area with the central tunnel which, itself, was clearly conceived to act as a divider between driver and passenger.
The optional 18-way adjustable electric seats ensure that even longer journeys are exceptionally comfortable and relaxing. Aside from longitudinal seat and backrest adjustment, the seat height and angle can also be adjusted, as can the side cushions and the central and lumbar regions of the backrest. The new comfort button on the side of the front seats brings up on the infotainment display the controls for the adjustable-length seat cushion (which provides under-thigh support for even taller drivers), seat and backrest side and back support air cushions and heated seat. The Portofino is probably the best bet for a car that is versatile enough for everyday use and some excellent on road performance. The comfort level is hard to complain about as the sports styled seats feel not very different to ones in a luxury car. The fact is, if someone is looking for a daily use car with controlled power, Portofino is the answer.
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Performance
Maximum speed >320 km/h
0-100 km/h 3.5 sec
0-200 km/h 10.8 sec
100-0 km/h 34 m
Engine
Type V8 - 90° turbo
Total displacement 3855 cc
