Ferrari Portofino – More Than Just A Weekend Car

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KUALA LUMPUR: The Ferrari Portofino is a two-door two-plus-two seater hardtop convertible grand touring (GT) sports car, made by the Italian carmaker to replace the California and the California T.

Named after an Italian village, the GT sports car is now lighter and faster than the predecessor. 

Naza Italia, the official importer and distributor of the Ferrari brand of vehicles in Malaysia, has launched the Ferrari Portofino in May 2018. Auto News Asia spent a couple of hours in the Ferrari Portofino, and it is a comfortable, fast and fun ride.
The writer drove the Ferrari Portofino to Sepang and Cyberjaya, before returning to Naza Italia’s showroom at Seksyen 51a, Petaling Jaya.

Powering the Ferrari Portofino is the award winning 3.9-litre V8 twin-turbo engine, mated to a seven-speed F1 dual-clutch automated transmission. Resulting to a maximum 600 hp at 7,500 rpm and 760 Nm of torque in between 3,000 and 5,250 rpm.

Ferrari claims that the sports car can complete the century sprint in 3.5 seconds and the top speed is over 320 kph. The average fuel consumption rating is rated at 10.7 litres per 100km (l/100km) and an emission rating of 245g CO2 per km.

The Ferrari Portofino is fast, flooring the throttle will result in the GT sports car to take off like an airplane. The acceleration is immediate and the gear shifts were smooth and quick. The system will select the most efficient gear ratio during the drive.

Measuring in at a length of 4,586 mm, a width of 1,938 mm, a height of 1,318 mm and a wheel base of 2,670 mm. The Portofino weighs 1,664 kg and it has a 80 litres of fuel tank capacity and a 292 litres of boot space.

On the inside of the Ferrari Portofino was well designed and developed. It is straightforward, the buttons and switches were easy to reach. It looks sporty and lavish at the same time. Inside, the cabin was very quiet at low revs and the wind and tyre noise was at its minimum. 

At the same time, the sports exhaust plays great sound at high revs or when switched to sports mode. For those who enjoy open-air driving, it takes less than 15 seconds for the top to fold itself into the trunk. With the top concealed into the boot, it still has enough space to fit in two hand carry luggage, or a couple of laptop bags.

There was enough headroom, legroom and shoulder room to carry any six-foot large-frame adults in front, however, with tall occupants in front, there won’t be enough space to fit anyone behind. The two small rear seats are ideal for occasional usage or carrying children.

The Ferrari Portofino we drove was equipped with adaptive headlights with Static Bending Light Function (SBL), yellow brake calipers, carbon ceramic brakes, Rosso coloured safety belts, sport exhaust system, Magneride dual mode suspension, electrochromic rear-view mirror, front and rear parking cameras, passenger display, aluminium driver and passenger footrest, yellow REV counter, 20-inch forged diamond wheels, full electric 18-way adjustable powered seats, foldable rear seats backrest, 10.2-inch touchscreen display, and JBL sound system.
Some of the safety aspects of the Portofino include dual airbags, traction control, anti-lock braking system, electronic rear differential (E-Diff3), electric power steering and many more.

The Portofino offers tremendous grip during corners, partly thanks to the E-Diff3. Alongside with the EPS, it made the steering more responsive and direct, at the same time it added stability at high speed driving.

In sports mode, the suspension and steering become slightly stiffer but it doesn’t affect the ride comfort. In comfort mode, the system softens the suspension and it is the best mode to tackle bumpy and damage road conditions. 

Despite running on the 20-inch wheels, the Ferrari Portofino overcame potholes pleasantly, only the larger and deeper ones were felt.

Overall, the Ferrari Portofino is a comfortable and a practical super sports car for everyday usage. Nevertheless, there are some features missing. It would be great if the Portofino comes equipped with the blind spot indicator to enhance its safety during lane change. It would make the interior more attractive (especially at night), if it is fitted with some ambient lighting.

The base price for the Ferrari Portofino is priced at RM948,000, without duties and customisation options.

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