Ferrari Portofino Engine and Performance

So finally, lets get to the heart of the matter. The Portofino gets a 3.9 litre twin turbo charged V8 that is the same motor that powers the 488 GTB, but in the Portofino it is retuned to put out 600 horsepower and 760 Nm of torque. With these kinds of figures, I find it hard to believe how they get away with calling it the entry level GT. Even though it has forced induction, there is no turbo lag at all and power delivery is instant, the moment you step on the throttle, she surges forwards effortlessly. With the Mannetino in Comfort mode, the Portofino is super comfortable like your regular everyday luxury sedan, infact better than some cars with runflats. The ride quality is fantastic for a car of this caliber and you can actually drive the Portofino to work and back everyday, no matter where you live or work in the city. The Portofino has oodles of torque which can have you tooling along in the 7th before you hit 50 kmh. The up and downshifts are probably as quick as any new Ferrari. The exhaust note is relatively muted (until you put the top down, and what a sound track that is) and you won’t have the cops pulling you over for driving a ‘LOUD’ super car. It doesn’t bottom out on speed breakers either and this is despite not having the front lift system. The lifts an optional extra on all the other models except the Portofino that doesn’t require it. It also handles rough patches of road with aplomb.

So is this a very tame Ferrari? Turning the Mannetino to Sport should answer this question. And that transforms the Portofino into a completely different species. The suspension stiffens up, the throttle becomes way more responsive, the E-Diff stiffens up and the gear changes give you a kick in the small of your back on every upshift. You get all the crackles and pops that you wished for and more.  Add to that, the quick shifts from that awesome 7 speed dual clutch gearbox which makes for an epic driving experience. The 0 to 100 kmh dash is demolished in just 3.5 seconds with a top speed of more than 320 kmh. The Portofino gets an electric power steering but it is still so direct and the car turns instantly into the direction you point it to. It also gets the third gen E-Diff but without Side Slip Control. Grip from the 245/35 rubber up front and 285/35 tyres at the rear riding on 20” alloys is fantastic and the carbon ceramic brakes are just outstanding even when they are cold. You can also turn off all the electronics ‘ESC OFF’ but leave that for when you have ample space, as she’s very tail happy in that setting, especially on concrete roads.

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