Say goodbye to the Ferrari California T and say hello to its replacement, the Ferrari Portofino. Officially bowing in at the upcoming Frankfurt International Motor Show, this is Ferrari’s newest front-engine V8 grand tourer.

Named after one of Italy’s most beautiful towns, the Portofino is supposed to evoke elegance, sportiness, and understated luxury. Designed by the Ferrari Design Centre, the Portofino features a classic two-box fastback design—unprecedented given this “coupe” comes with a retractable hardtop. Indeed, it seems the sleekness and sporting character are not compromised by the folding roof.


Of course, like every Ferrari, aerodynamics plays a key part in the Portofino’s design and this is seen from the large radiator grille opening, the carefully contoured nose, and even the shape of the new full-LED headlight assembly. At the back, the taillights are set further apart compared to the California T’s, masking the bulk of the housing for the retractable hard top.

All this is capped off by a special launch color: Rosso Portofino.

On the business end, the Portofino comes with 600 horsepower from its turbocharged V8 engine. It pushes 40 horses more thanks to the adoption of new components and special calibration of the engine management software. Plus, Ferrari engineers have enhanced the trademark “Ferrari soundtrack” especially for driving top-down. 0-100 km/h takes just 3.5 seconds.


The Ferrari Portofino’s all-new chassis features a significant weight saving over the California T it replaces. Thanks to the extensive use of modern production technologies, all the chassis and body-in-white components have been redesigned with a consequent reduction in weight despite an increase in torsional rigidity.

Other mechanical changes include the adoption of Electric Power Steering (EPS) and a third-generation electronic rear differential (E-Diff3) that improves both the mechanical grip and control of the car at the limit.


Ferrari also enhanced the comfort of the Portofino with its slew of new features including an infotainment system with a 10.2-inch touchscreen display. There’s also a new air conditioning system with improved cooling, a new steering wheel, and even 18-way electrically adjustable seats. There’s also a new wind deflector that cuts airflow inside the cabin by 30 percent when the top is dropped. Boasting a 2+2 seating configuration, the Portofino has improved rear seat space thanks to some sculpting work on the front seat backs.

The 2018 Ferrari Portofino is on track for a Philippine launch in the third quarter of 2018.