Everything You Need To Know About The Ferrari Portofino

The replacement for the California is here- and it sounds good.

So this is the replacement for the California T. It's named after the beautiful seaside town of Portofino, located on the Italian coast and we reckon it does it justice. Well visually at least.

The California and California T got a bit of flack in the motoring world since their respective releases. ' too soft', 'the poor man's Ferrari', 'not a real Ferrari' are but a few of the terms thrown about. A bit of a poser's Ferrari rather than a true motoring enthusiast. Yes, this is Ferrari's entry level range, but let us not forget that the California was the best-selling car in the company's 70 year history and allowed Ferrari to tap in to new markets in a struggling world economy. The engineers and designers at Maranello seem to have addressed the aforementioned concerns with the Portofino, however.

Let's start with the exterior. Aggressive, striking, beautiful and yet somehow elegant (not something Ferrari has been great with of late). Beyond the cylindrical exposed rear brake lights and bonnet vents, there's not much resemblance to the California T. And there shouldn't be- it's an all new, stiffer and lighter aluminium chassis.

Mounted to that chassis is bunch of advanced Ferrari tech-a magnetorheological damping system (think magnetic smart fluid), which reduces body roll while allowing for more compliance over bumps, and the company's third generation E-diff integrated with the F1-Trac traction control system which will improve both ‘’mechanical grip and the control of the car on the limit’’ according to Ferrari. Essentially, this a GT you can take to the Nurburgring.

The engine has also been tweaked and tuned. New con-rods, pistons and intake system means the 3.8L turbocharged engine now produces 600hp/ 441kW and 760Nm/ 560lb-ft. Combine that with some weight savings and you’ll be doing 100km/h in 3.5 seconds and on to a top speed in excess of 320km/h.

The interior is sleeker than we’re used to from Ferrari, as the Italian manufacturer seems to be getting a better grip on ergonomics. A 10.2 inch touch screen, new steering wheel, and passenger display screen are a few highlights from the interior. Couple that with 18 way adjustable seats, a new air-conditioning system and 30% less airflow into the cabin and you’re left with what seems like a very comfortable place to be.

All in all, the Ferrari Portofino appears to be a more than worthy addition to Ferrari’s history books.

Specs:

Power: 600hp/ 441kW

Torque: 760Nm/ 560lb-ft

0-100km/h: 3.5 Seconds,

Top Speed: +320km/h

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