Replacing the California T convertible, Ferrari’s most-sold car in its long history, the Ferrari Portofino is a luxo-sporty grand tourer aimed to sell. Associate Designer Hunter Kelley attended the NYC debut (at Classic Car Club Manhattan) to grab some glamour shots of Ferrari’s new car, seen here.
The Portofino is an improvement in nearly every metric: it is faster and roomier and can drive for longer distances, thanks to a 460-mile cruising range Its body is longer, wider and lower and features nicely-updated, crisp sheet metal (offering six percent less drag than the California). The Portofino is 10 percent lighter and it’s much stiffer overall, while components like magnetic dampers and an electronic differential put power down in a sophisticated way.
The California T’s 3.9-liter, twin-turbocharged flat-plane-crank V8 engine carries over, but with many improvements: 38 more horsepower (to 591), three more lb-ft of more torque (now 560 lb-ft) and it reaches maximum boost a hair quicker. It’s quick in other matters too: the Portofino, likely relegated to boulevard cruising, will all the same top 200 mph and reach 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds. Most interesting is that Ferrari claims 85 percent of California owners use their cars as daily drivers — a figure I bet remains the same or ticks up slighty as Portofinos find new homes.
What Others are Saying:
“What’s clever about the Ferrari Portofino is that it’s engaging to drive at moderate speeds. Brisk cruising is this Ferrari’s forte; it flows beautifully down the road, the chassis displaying delightful coherence and consistency. Roof up, it’s a comfortable long-distance tourer and practical daily driver. Roof down, on a sunny day and a winding road, it’s a fun-to-drive sports car.” – Angus MacKenzie, Car and Driver
“This is Ferrari’s most important car for key reasons, starting with the revenue stream, and it’s an obvious indicator how the little company in Maranello (and maybe its audience) has changed the last 25 years. The important things are still here, of course… [and] there are new pieces of technology, too, though they aren’t always visible to the naked eye.” – J.P. Vettraino, AutoWeek
2019 Ferrari Portofino Key Specs:
Layout: 2+2 hard top covertible
Engine: 3.9-liter twin-turbo V-8
Transmission: seven-speed dual-cluth automatic
Horsepower: 591
Torque: 560 lb-ft
0-60: 3.5 (est.)
Top Speed: 200-plus mph
Price: $214,000
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