When you think about fast cars, the first name that pops up in to your mind is Ferrari. Known for its motorsport legacy, the Italian carmaker had launched its convertible grand-tourer, the Portofino last year in 2017. It replaced the California T, one of its most successful cars and is being brought to India as a completely built unit.
Well, it is a typical Ferrari, low-slung, hunkered, raked and aggressive. The large air dam covers most of the fascia flanked by two fluted air intakes while the kinked headlamps remind us of the 812. The contoured hood with the flush air intakes, the slits on the fender and the flowing lines are pure magic from Pininfarina. The single round tail lamps hark back to the 90s but the carbon-fibre rear splitter and quad exhaust give it the modern touch.
Inside, the Ferrari Portofino is luxurious with its neatly crafted cabin. The bucket seats contour perfectly to fit and the dashboard is loaded up with modern tech. the TFT screen for the instrument cluster, the infotainment display in the centre console and the neatly machined buttons and switches make it look and feel top-class. There are two little seats in the second row as well, but those can be strictly reserved for some excess baggage.
Under the hood of the Portofino is the all-new 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V8 that delivers 592bhp of power and 760Nm of torque all delivered to the rear wheels through the F1 dual clutch seven-speed gearbox. It blasts to 100kmph in 3.5 seconds with top speed beyond 320kmph. The hard-top convertible can switch the roof on or off within 20 seconds at speed sup to 60kmph.
In the Indian car market, the Ferrari Portofino competes with the likes of the Aston Martin DB11 Volante or the Bentley Continental GT convertible.
