Spurred by the success of its California coupe, Ferrari ups the ante with its replacement, the Portofino. To test the appeal of this topless Ferrari, Andre Lam takes it for a spin in winter
It has been a rather unusually bitter winter in Europe, but Ferrari has wisely chosen the region of Puglia in southern Italy to introduce us to its new baby, the Portofino. In summer, Puglia’s stunning beaches and whitewashed towns are packed with holidaying foreigners; while in the depth of winter, the roads are nearly empty and ideal for some driving fun.
The Portofino takes its name from a picturesque fishing town on the Italian Riviera and supersedes Ferrari’s front-engine California T, which in turn replaced the original 2008 California four years ago. The original California was conceived as Ferrari’s entry-level model, with the same level of aesthetic refinement as the rest of its cars. It was highly successful, thanks to its coupe‑convertible design, and its 4.3L, naturally aspirated V8 engine that could push out 460hp—this was later uprated to a 560hp twin-turbo V8 engine in the California T. In fact, as an accolade to its success, up to 70 per cent of California’s buyers were new Ferrari customers.
(Related: Singapore Premiere Of The Ferrari Portofino)