Ferrari Portofino - Successor to the California T unveiled

[FT-1]

Ferrari's new entry-level model is set to make its debut at Frankfurt. Key details:

• Power comes from a 3.9L V8 Twin Turbo producing 592bhp
• Top speed is 199mph
• The Portofino sits on an all-new chassis which makes it significantly lighter than the Cali T

 

[kikie]

Entry-level is relative when it comes to Ferrari.

I'm not a Ferrari fan but this Ferrari looks 👍👍👍👍👍 with the roof up.

 

[AerodyManiac]

Looks pretty nice and simplistic. I actually think it looks better than the California T, but I've never liked the California T's styling. Still doesn't look as good as the 2008 California to me though.

Somehow the front air intakes on the two sides remind me of the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale. That's not a bad thing though. 👍

Looking forward to the available rim options.

 

[SPhilli911]

This isn't bad looking at all, compared to many of the other modern Ferraris. The side profile shot, with the roof up, is actually really good looking. Make a fixed hard-top version and I would still not buy it because I'll never have the money... but I will like it better!

 

[GTPNewsWire]

This is the discussion thread for a recent post on GTPlanet:

New Ferrari Portofino is a 600hp Drop Top to Replace the California

This article was published by Andrew Evans (@Famine) on August 23rd, 2017 in the Automotive News category.

 

[Robin]

I much prefer the frog eyed original California, it had personality, now the whole range looks like it's been resized in a photocopier. Also the name is naff, should have stuck with California.

 

[TVR27]

About time they replaced the California!

 

[ProjectWHaT]

The rear is nice. The front looks like a cheap version or a knock off of the F12.

 

[TenEightyOne]

It looks very pleased with itself, and so it should. Love it.

 

[iName]

The soon-to-be official car of "ugh daaaaaaad! I wanted baby blue, not red!"

 

[Nielsen]

Best Ferrari design since the 599!

 

[Corsa]

The what suspension?
That is a great looking Ferrari.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

The what suspension?
That is a great looking Ferrari.

The same magnetic ride suspension they've been using just tweaked further. It's just the actual name rather than a generic laymen term.

 

[Tornado]

Manages to look a lot more compact than the California, even though I doubt it actually is.

 

[Famine]

The what suspension?

Magnetorheological.

Basically, the suspension is hydraulic: it operates on the principle that you can't squash liquids. But instead of ordinary fluid like in any normal hydraulic suspension, it has particles that can be magnetised (Magneto-) floating in it. With the application of electricity (-rheo-), the particles become magnetised and the suspension can be made harder on the fly. And it can be done in either compression or expansion directions.

 

[trustjab]

I like it! Looks like a slightly smaller Ferrari Superfast.

 

[sumbrownkid]

It looks nice, but rather bland dare I say.

But a GT car doesn't need to look outlandish. 👍

 

[CTznOfTime]

BEST FERRARI DESIGN since the 458/488.

I LOVE this Portofino, but i hate its tacky name.

 

[Robin]

but i hate its tacky name.

You see that name written on cheap boats and caravans

 

[lancia delta hf]

So much nicer than the California.

 

[TenEightyOne]

I LOVE this Portofino, but i hate its tacky name.

Huh? Portofino's an awesome place, so "Ferrari" and synonymous with the Grand-Tour-proper. Sod caravans

 

[Delicious]

I have to say that it actually looks good, much better than the California T.
Now, if only they replaced that turbo engine with a proper NA...

 

[Corsa]

Magnetorheological.

Basically, the suspension is hydraulic: it operates on the principle that you can't squash liquids. But instead of ordinary fluid like in any normal hydraulic suspension, it has particles that can be magnetised (Magneto-) floating in it. With the application of electricity (-rheo-), the particles become magnetised and the suspension can be made harder on the fly. And it can be done in either compression or expansion directions.

Very good, simplistic explanation.
Digging a little looks like cadillac first used it in 2002.

 

[Tornado]

Very good, simplistic explanation.
Digging a little looks like cadillac first used it in 2002.

Unfortunately.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

Thanks to the little (plastic?) addition at the tail end of the window, I get some serious Aston V12 Zagato vibes in profile.

All the Ferrari front ends are starting to blur together. I'm glad the back-end doesn't look quite so hefty now — the detailing is so much cleaner without those awful lights from before. I like the roof pillar fairings a lot, too.

Personally, I think the name works well. It doesn't come with the baggage the Cali nameplate does. No shadow to constantly live under.

 

[Griffith500]

Lovely. Genuinely.

Speaking of entry-level, something like a revived Dino with the Quadrifoglio's V6 would be fun, no?


Maximum pedant: the -rheo- part in magnetorheological refers to the fact that the fluid's mechanical properties can be varied, i.e. rheology.

 

[Famine]

Maximum pedant: the -rheo- part in magnetorheological refers to the fact that the fluid's mechanical properties can be varied

I've always known rheo- as a prefix in physics (and thus engineering) for electrical current, from the Greek 'rheos' for stream or current - as in rheoscope (a device for detecting electrical current) and biological terms like rheotaxis (the tendency to orientate against a current). I know a rheostat is a variable resistor, but again I was taught it was rheo (Rheos) for electrical current and stat (States) for 'to set'.

Rheology is surely just the study of flows (Rheos - stream, current; Logos - study of)?


We have the weirdest discussions on GTP

 

[Griffith500]

I've always known rheo- as a prefix in physics (and thus engineering) for electrical current, from the Greek 'rheos' for stream or current - as in rheoscope (a device for detecting electrical current) and biological terms like rheotaxis (the tendency to orientate against a current). I know a rheostat is a variable resistor, but again I was taught it was rheo (Rheos) for electrical current and stat (States) for 'to set'.

Rheology is surely just the study of flows (Rheos - stream, current; Logos - study of)?


We have the weirdest discussions on GTP

I was half-expecting an education in response, so this was very pleasant to read!

You ought to be absolutely correct, but apparently rheology is one of those annoyingly specific terms coined of generic parts and is supposedly only applied to plastic or otherwise non-Newtonian fluids that only really flow some of the time. So much for the logic aspect...

My exposure to the term was via fluid mechanics, so the electrical analogy of "flow" never occurred to me! Now I know

 

[RetroJohan]

It looks like the car has devil smile

 

[kikie]

How much is it, this entry-level Ferrari? I have some cash to spend.