YOU’LL WANT TO PONY UP FOR PORTOFINO
Ferrari droptop is a relative bargain compared to its siblings, but there are other options
So you want a Ferrari that’ll blow wind in your hair? Then it’s probably the Portofino you want. A convertible with a power retractable hardtop, the Portofino is the most, let’s call it, accessible of all Ferraris.
Power flows from a soulful 3.9-litre, twin-turbo V-8 that’s good for a supercar-serious 592 horsepower. Fed through a paddle-shifted, double-clutch seven-speed transmission to the rear wheels, the Portofino has a 3.5-second sprint time to 100 kilometres per hour and, given its head (and a very good radar detector!), it’ll touch almost 320 km/h. Those who decry the Portofino as somehow less than super, as they did the California T before it (largely a result of that aforementioned accessibility) are really off the mark here.
It certainly sounds like a supercar. Oh, it’s a little subdued at low speeds — almost all turbo engines are — but once the tachometer swings past 4,000 RPM, it’s all-italian passion and brio. Ditto for the handling, which is as precise as you’d expect from a Ferrari thanks to an enhanced magnetorheological suspension and third-generation electronically controlled rear differential. No, it will not keep up with the mid-engine 488 or even the similarly front-engined 812 Superfast, but there’s a prancing horse on the hood and the Portofino acts like it.
What the Portofino does best, however, is bring Ferrari style — and the Portofino has notably more of that than the California it replaces — and performance to people who don’t want the trials and tribulations of a traditional supercar. It’s roomy, comfortable and just about the easiest Ferrari of alltime to drive. It is graced with light, electrically boosted steering and brakes that are powerful but not overly sensitive.
Indeed, the only odd thing about the Portofino for most newcomers will be the switchgear. The turn signals are on the steering wheel rather than on a turn stalk mounted to the steering column. Ditto the wiper controls. Ferrari’s placement is actually superior to traditional arrangements and makes all manner of good sense. The problem is that even if the rest of the industry has it wrong, it is the norm and getting used to signalling a turn with a button on the steering wheel does require some time. It’s the only adaptation required, otherwise the Portofino is as easy to drive as a Mercedes roadster, albeit a very fast, very loud, very sensuous Mercedes roadster. This is as much fun as you can have with your top off.
You want a little English reserve: Then you need to look at the Aston Martin DB11 Volante. Powered by a similar engine — a 4.0-L twin-turbo V-8 — sourced from Mercedes-amg, the Volante packs about 503 horses under its hood. Coupled with a curb weight about 200 kilograms heftier than the Portofino, the droptop DB11’S 4.1 seconds to 100 km/h can’t quite match the Portofino’s sheer urge. That said, the Aston Martin is plenty fast, handles well and is certainly easy on the eyes. Whether the English badge is as coveted as the prancing horse, I’ll leave it to the reader to judge, but the Aston Martin certainly won’t be ignored. The Vantage Roadster was starting to get a little long in the tooth. The Volante is a worthy replacement. You want something a little stealthier: It may eschew much of the Italian’s drama and theatrics, but Mercedes-amg’s SL 63 Cabriolet tears up tires almost as well as the Portofino. Another twin-turbocharged V-8, Mercedes’ version bumps the displacement up to 5.5 L. Despite this, the ragtop AMG doesn’t have quite as much horsepower at 577 and isn’t quite as fast as the Ferrari, taking 4.1 seconds to reach 100 km/h. It also can’t match the flamboyance of the Ferrari nor its effect on passersby, members of the opposite sex and, most importantly, parking valets. That being said, if blending in is more important to you than standing out, the AMG is a stealthier alternative.
You really want a Ferrari: Well, Ferrari’s lineup is not exactly extensive, so if what you were looking for in the Portofino was a classic front-engine, rear-drive coupe, then your other choice would be the new 812 Superfast. But it’s not a convertible and it’s an absolute bomb of a car, basically the Laferrari’s V-12 with its displacement boosted to 6.5 L and 790 hp! It’s a holy terror. If you’re shopping Portofino, you’re almost assuredly not in the market for a Superfast, though the 812 is probably the fastest classic front-engine coupe on the planet.
If you are bound and determined to enjoy some wind in your hair, then you’re looking at the new Spider version of the go-faster 488. With its version of Ferrari’s twice-turboed 3.9-L V-8 amidships, the 488 is faster, sportier and more compact than the Portofino. It is the quintessential mid-engine Ferrari, but it’s not quite as practical as the Portofino.
Simply put, there really isn’t a Portofino alternative in the Ferrari family unless you’re willing to date its distant cousin once removed, the Maserati Grancabrio, which is, despite its growly engine, getting quite dated. Besides, there’s no better classic front-engine, droptop supercar right now than Ferrari’s Portofino.
Driving.ca