Prancing Horse Portal

The Portofino is more powerful and refined than the California T, making it an even more compelling gateway model to the Ferrari world.

- Dr Andre Lam

WHEN Ferrari introduced the California convertible in 2008, its aim was to entice new buyers to the marque by offering a less hardcore model, albeit one powered by a naturally aspirated 4.3-litre V8.

In 2014, the California was replaced by the California T, which has a smaller but more powerful turbocharged 3.9-litre V8. Seventy percent of buyers of these two models were first-time Ferrari owners, which indicated that the Prancing Horse was on the right path.

Replacing the California T is the Portofino, which takes its name from a pretty fishing town on Italy’s west coast. It is interesting how the name of an Italian fishing village sounds more seductive than a US state.

The California T was criticised for its lack of aggressive looks, so the designers gave the Portofino a more purposeful appearance. The resulting design bears more than a passing resemblance to the F12berlinetta.

The Portofino’s styling also lowers the drag coefficient to just 0.31, or a 6 percent improvement over the previous model. The airflow beneath the car was optimised to enhance brake-cooling and generate more downforce.

The Portofino doesn’t produce as much downforce as Ferrari’s other sports cars, but the 40kg it develops at 200km/h without any wing elements is nothing to sneeze at.

To achieve this figure, Ferrari designers ensured that the air flows through the body, rather than around it, to generate the desired aerodynamic results.

For instance, if you inspect the headlights closely, you’ll see vents beside their housings that lead air into the wheel well to cool the brakes. On each of the front fenders, there are vents which extend to the doors that extract the air from the wheel wells, thereby reducing front axle lift.