The Ferrari Portofino Is the Beastliest Entry-Level Car We’ve Ever Seen
Last year, newly-minted Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne made it known that he doesn’t think too highly of the California T. So it’s not too surprising that he wasted no time replacing that car. Behold the Ferrari Portofino, the Sammy Hagar to the California’s David Lee Roth.
The Portofino is Ferrari’s new entry-level model (i.e. the most affordable car in the company’s lineup). Named after the sunny Italian vacation destination (arguably superior to the sunny American vacation destination the previous model was named after), it’s a folding hardtop convertible, like the California. But it now packs a 592-horsepower twin-turbo V8 engine that puts out an additional 40 horsepower. Its chassis is also lighter and stronger than before.
The Portofino will be able to reach speeds of over 320 km per hour, accelerating from 0 – 100 km per hour in just 3.5 seconds. Drag on the Portofino is reduced by air intakes on either side of its LED headlights that vent into the front wheel arches, causing air to exit along the body side. So basically, it will be much closer to a proper Ferrari than the California ever was.
But the biggest takeaway for Ferrari fans: the Portofino will come equipped with an electronic differential that’s integrated with Ferrari’s F1-Trac, giving drivers more agility, from turn-in to balance to grip. Like Hagar, it will simply be capable of much more than its predecessor ever was. (Sorry David.)
