There’s a new Ferrari here, a convertible for more. The 2+2 Ferrari Portofino M gets a more powerul V8 and an eight-speed automatic along with some delicately worked-over Italian bodywork to help freshen the car.
It’s the first time Ferrari has put an eight-speed into the convertible, and it also comes with a first in the five-position Manettino drive mode selector that now includes a Race mode. The Portofino M’s 3.9L V8 now makes 612 hp (20 more than before) and 561 lb-ft of torque (the same as before) thanks to reworked cam profiles and a speed sensor for the turbo that measures its spin and lets it spin 5,000 rpm higher.
While this is an entry-level model for the company, performance is hardly so. 0-100 km/h arrives in 3.5 seconds and 200 in 9.7. Fuel economy testing is underway but will be looked at by nobody. The new gearbox and clutch should make city driving smoother, though, thanks to more efficient control of the torque applied by the dual-clutch box.
A new generation of Side Slip Control dynamics control is fitted, including a dynamic enhancement (code for drift) mode available in Race mode. If you’re not in drift mode, driver assistance features available include adaptive cruise, predictive braking, blind spot monitoring, surround-view cameras, and the other usual suspects.
On the outside, the car has visual changes like new air vents in the bumpers to redirect flow, aluminum slats in the grille, and a new exhaust that removes the rear silencer and makes the tail more compact. Diamond-finish wheels were designed specifically for the M. Under the power retractable hardtop is a new multi-level dash that Ferrari says it has simplified to break up the look and organize controls. New features like ventilated and heated seats are on offer, with three-level ventilation and intelligent neck warmer.
