The Portofino: a super-serious Ferrari with mass appeal
The California was supposed to be Ferrari’s tilt towards the motoring masses. The new Portofino does the job
The California was supposed to be Ferrari's tilt towards the motoring masses. The new Portofino does the job.
Too soft, too slow and too much of "a hairdresser's car": the poor Ferrari California had a tough time of it at its launch in 2008, says Andrew English in The Daily Telegraph. Not that the 199mph, V8 sports car was anything less than "super-serious", but it was far from Ferrari's finest work.
The Portofino is Ferrari's second attempt to create a car that would appeal beyond its typical customer base to attract the types who actually use their cars for shopping trips and so on. And it is a "very impressive job". It has "mopped up most of the serious criticisms of the old car, with the addition of extraordinary high-speed stability, better electronics and more outright power". It may not please purists, but it's not hard to love this car. It is "probably the most practical Ferrari, while still insanely fast and frankly quite a looker".
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
It is not Ferrari's most visceral sports car, agrees Steve Sutcliffe in AutoExpress, but it is easily the most useable. The cabin looks good, and there is more space in the rear seats. The ride is "well resolved", smoothing out whatever a bumpy road can throw at it. As for the performance, "the way it fires itself towards the horizon is deeply dramatic", and the sound from the engine that accompanies the performance is "spectacular".
The fact that it is a tamed beast is actually part of its appeal, says James May in The Sunday Times. It makes those Ferrari traits "something to be dipped into at leisure" rather than a challenge to live with every day, and they're still "very gratifying when they're indulged". The rest of the time, the car is "just a deeply desirable and muscular roadster".
Price: from £166,180. Engine: 3,855cc, turbocharged V8.Power: 592bhp. Torque: 560lb ft. Top speed: 199mph.
-
Halifax: renting cheaper than first-time home ownership in ‘most parts’ of UK
Halifax’s data showed monthly mortgage costs were only cheaper in the South West, London and Scotland
By Henry Sandercock Published
-
Hargreaves Lansdown bumps up cash ISA with £25 cashback - does it beat the wider ISA market?
Just days before the end of the tax year, Hargreaves Lansdown has launched a £25 bonus for those who open a cash ISA on its savings platform. Does the bonus make it a competitive rate, and are you eligible for the cashback?
By Vaishali Varu Published