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Ferrari Portofino makes grand entrance in the Philippines

By Randy
.
October 26, 2018

Italian carmaker Ferrari, through its official Philippine distributor Autostrada Motore, Inc., has pulled the wraps off the Portofino, a sporty convertible GT that’s touted as the heir to the California T. Slated as the brand’s frontline model, it comes boasting with everything that made the California successful, and then some.

As expected from a brand that’s among the best in terms of automotive artwork, the Portofino flaunts a sleek body sculpture that evokes elegance right at first sight. According to Ferrari, its design engineers crafted the Portofino’s body layout with a two-box fastback configuration as its basic structure. Because of this, the rear end presents a sweeping design akin to a coupe.

But as the California T’s rightful successor, the Portofino’s styling crown and glory is its retractable hard top which can be deployed in under 14 seconds, even at low speeds. This allows its 4 occupants to enjoy a spirited ride, taking in nature’s grandeur while hearing the music of the car’s finely-tuned quad exhausts.

The top-market design and craftsmanship continues inside with a slew of goodies such as the 10.2-inch touch screen display, new front passenger side vehicle information display, new air-conditioning system, 18-way adjustable seats, among others. But the best part about the interior is the cockpit that’s designed for maximum driving feels. From its new steering wheel that contains a bank of buttons and switches, to its ergonomically-designed center console, everything is within easy reach of the driver without the need to take the hands off the wheel or eyes off the road.

Hidden under the hood is Ferrari’s award-winning 3.9L twin turbo V8 engine that gave its predecessor the “oomph” power. Voted as the International Engine of the Year awardee in 2016, 2017, and this year, the engine has been completely retuned to Portofino specs with 600 hp and 760 Nm of torque on tap, a few notches more than what the California T can put out. With its lightning-fast 7-speed robotized gearbox, this power plant pushes the Portofino from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds, ultimately reaching a maximum speed of more than 300 km/h.

Of course, all these performance numbers need to be kept in check. For this, engineers employed a host of driving dynamics goodies. These include electronic rear differential, F1-trac, electric power steering, and magnetorheological damping system, to name a few.

Autostrada also highlighted the launch with an exciting announcement. It has successfully inked a new partnership with Udenna Corporation, a multi-industry group that specializes in petroleum, shippine, and real-estate. This partnership marks a significant strategic alliance between Dennis A. Uy (Udenna) and Wellington C. Soong (Autostrada), which paves the way for the next generation in Autostrada to develop and grow the Ferrari brand in the Philippines.

Photos by Paolo Lesaca and Ferrari Global

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About the Author

Randolph de Leon
Randy is a person with disability (PWD), a partially-blinded person with only his left eye functioning. Since childhood, the automobile has always been his passion, and is able to express it through photography and most recently, through writing as well. Outside the motoring beat, Randy spends time manning the media aspect of his business which he co-founded with his sister/college classmate. It's called Dragonlight Wellness and Solutions, a multi-business venture centering on improving peoples' lives through earning.