In March 2019 my wife and I visited Los Angeles to test drive a 2020 Ferrari Portofino. Ferrari North America had arranged for us to borrow the Ferrari Portofino for a four-day test. Four days with a Ferrari is the very definition of an adventure. Now Ferrari imposes a mileage limit for these kinds of tests. I had a limit of 375 miles. So how far could I go within the boundaries of my Ferrari remit? Google Maps to the rescue. I use Google Maps for all my supercar adventures. Los Angeles is notorious for its traffic snarls, so getting out of Los Angeles is always a priority. For my Portofino adventure I choose to take the scenic Angeles Forest Highway up to Palmdale. Palmdale and Lancaster make up the region known as Antelope Valley. This region is a Mecca for aviation enthusiasts like myself. The area is home to Edwards AFB, the Mojave Air and Spaceport and Air Force Plant 42. Supercars and aviation are my two greatest passions. Needless to say being able to combine my two passions on this road test made me as happy as kid in a candy store.

2020 Ferrari Portofino

8.00 / 10
Key Features
  • Hardtop folding roof
  • 10.2 inch display screen
  • Passenger display screen
  • magnetorheological dampers
Specifications
  • Model: Portofino
  • Engine/Motor: V8 Twin-turbocharged
  • Horsepower: 592
  • Torque: 561 Ib-ft
  • Drivetrain: Front Mid Engine
  • Transmission: 7-speed dual clutch
Pros
  • Gorgeous Styling
  • Impressive Acceleration
  • Precise Steering
  • Improved Climate Controls
  • Award winning V8 Twin Turbo
Cons
  • Small Luggage Space
  • Apple CarPlay Expensive Option
  • Air Vents Appear Flimsy

Road Test Conditions

2020 Ferrari Portofino at El Mirage California
Jason Grunsell

The goal of any road test is to drive your test car on a variety of road surfaces and weather conditions. California can usually provide a variety of road surfaces, while the weather is hot and sunny. So I had low expectations for my Portofino weather test. I am happy to report that California had other plans for my rode trip. On this trip we got to experience the full gamut of weather. From heavy rain, to bright sunshine, to overcast weather. We encountered smooth roads, bumpy roads, and wet roads. The wet roads took the test up a notch or two by turning into flooded roads.

Lineage Of The Ferrari Portofino

Ferrari California Turbo road trip
Jason Grunsell

The Portofino is a replacement for the Ferrari California. Despite the misperception that the California was an unappreciated Ferrari, Ferrari produced 11,000 Californias between 2008 and 2017. For a great many of these owners, the California was their first introduction into Ferrari ownership. The biggest contribution made by the California was the introduction of the folding hardtop roof. This was a first on a Ferrari. Now the California is not the most attractive Ferrari of all time. Regardless it will always hold a special place in my heart as this was the first Ferrari I got to drive. I can still remember having to take the California to get gas and for the first I was all alone in a Ferrari. It was a special moment. In 2016, I spent four days in the canyons above Los Angeles testing the Ferrari California Turbo. Ferrari made improvements to the powertrain as well giving the California a stockier more aggressive styling profile. Alas, the power improvement and cosmetic styling changes were not enough to endear me to the last generation of the Ferrari California. The Portofino changed all that the moment I saw the car.

Picking Up My 2020 Ferrari Portofino

My wife and I picked up our Grigio Titanio metal Ferrari Portofino with cuoio interior from Ferrari Beverly Hills Service and Body shop. My first impression of the Portofino was "this is a good-looking Ferrari." Ferrari hit the design jackpot with the styling of the Portofino. An hour later we had escaped the nightmare of Los Angeles traffic and were driving the deserted Angeles Forrest Highway. I love the stark and arid landscape outside of Los Angeles. One is free of the urban sprawl, and you can breathe. It helps when you can drop the roof and actually breath in the unspoilt air. It was time to begin sampling the power and handling of the Portofino. It was advisable to engage the bumpy road button to iron out some harsher elements of the road. The driver can alter the handling of the Portofino with a simple switch change on the manettino (Italian for: little lever). At the turn of a dial you go from comfort to sport, and you have transformed the characteristics of this Ferrari from a GT cruiser to a rocket of a supercar.

2020 Ferrari Portofino engine
Jason Grunsell

Powertrain And Performance

Power for the Portofino comes from a Ferrari 3.9 L V8 twin-turbocharged engine. The Portofino shares this engine with Ferrari GTC4 Lusso Turbo. The V8 twin-turbo produces 591 horsepower at 7,500 RPM and 561 Ib-ft of torque. The Portofino can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.5-seconds, 0–124 mph in 10.8-seconds and can attain a top speed of 199 mph. The Portofino retains the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission from the California T with the addition of new software to allow for quicker upshifts. The exhaust system has undergone modifications to give the car a proper sound note while maintaining its grand touring nature, featuring an adjustable electric bypass valve that monitors the engine's sound according to driving conditions. With all these toys the list price for my test car was $268,608, which included $2,531 for carbon fiber cup holders.

Driving The Angeles Forrest Highway

Driving the Angeles Forest Highway I could feel all the changes in the Portofino over the California. The Portofino feels so much faster, and the electronically-assisted power steering feels quicker which facilitates better engagement with the road. While tackling the twisty roads of Angeles Forest my wife was able to see the speed, revs, and the G-loading of our journey thanks to a passenger display screen (a $5,906 option). This novel feature can be amusing or cause extreme anxiety to one’s passenger. Much to my wife’s delight we made it to Palmdale without any incident. The Portofino is a superior car to that of its predecessor, the Ferrari California.

Hardtop Folding Roof

The party piece of the Portofino is without doubt the ability to convert from a hard top coupe to a convertible. Conversation takes a mere 14-seconds. With roof down, my wife and I were able to sample fresh desert air in conjunction with the sonic warble of the twin-turbocharged V8 engine. Ferrari first introduced the folding hard top convertible on the California in 2008. For me the hardtop is aesthetically more pleasing than a canvas roof found on other manufacturer’s convertibles. Lamborghini is the most prominent supercar manufacturer that still insists on retaining canvas roofs on its convertibles. The folding hard top on the Portofino provides better all-round visibility. Watching the mechanics of the conversion process is a sight to behold.

Related: The Birthplace Of Stealth: 10 Thinks You Didn't Know About Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works

Now that we had arrived in Palmdale it was time to get my aviation geek on. So I took the Portofino to visit the famous Lockheed Martin Skunk Works at Air Force Plant 42. The Skunkworks have been responsible for a number of iconic aircraft designs of the twentieth century. These include the U2 spy plane and the SR-71 Blackbird. At the front gate Lockheed Martin have an F-104 Starfighter and an F-16 guarding the entrance to the facility. For the aviation geeks like myself the jewel in the crown is an F-117 Stealth fighter resting on a pole at the main entrance. I spent a bit of time posing the Portofino in front of the F-104 and F-16. I was in my happy place surrounded by fighters jets and a Ferrari.

2020 Ferrari Portofino El Mirage
Jason Grunsell

Can The Ferrari Portofino Handle Biblical Weather?

Palmdale weather proved biblical at times making this a true test for the Portofino. We experienced heavy rain, lightening, and amazingly even some flooding. Heading to the Mojave Air and Spaceport the heavens opened up, and I got to use the windshield wipers on a Ferrari for the first time. Ferrari have changed the wiper function from a small paddle to a rotary dial on the steering wheel. The old version was a bit hit-and-miss when trying to get the right setting, whereas the new version is an easy toggle between modes. One of my plans was to take the Portofino out to El Mirage, an old dry lake bed for a photoshoot. To drive to El Mirage we had to take back roads, and it was here we encountered flooded sections of road. I stopped on the side of the road when we came upon a major flooded section. I watched other cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks making the crossing. Taking a bit of gamble I took the Ferrari through the flood and emerged upon the other side. I wish I could have taken a picture of the Portofino fording the floodwaters. Sadly playing Noah in a Ferrari was for naught as El Mirage had closed down due to, wait for it, flooding.

Ferrari Fast

2020 Ferrari Portofino opposite Hermes on Rodeo Drive
Jason

After navigating back to dry land I found some empty stretch of road. On these empty long straight back roads I explored the full potential of this Ferrari. The rapid acceleration of the Portfofino is most impressive. A car that has 591hp and a top speed of 199 mph is by definition fast, but how it achieves that speed is the true measure of the capability of the car. I was not ready for the explosive acceleration of the Portofino. I had a huge grin plastered all over my face. What a change from the California. The Portofino’s heritage may be that of a Grand Tourer, but the performance is worthy of supercar. Not that I advocate driving at this speed but the Portofino could cruise at 150 mph with plenty to spare and then go on to hit its top speed of 199 mph.

Cruising Rodeo Drive In A Ferrari Portofino

Four days and 375 miles go by quickly in a Ferrari. It was time to return to Los Angeles and give back the Portofino. The drive down Antelope Valley Freeway and then onto the dreaded Interstate #405 was comfortable thanks to magnetorheological dampers on the Ferrari Portofino. No Los Angeles Ferrari experience is complete without a visit to Rodeo Drive. Thanks to my wife we got to take a new road on our way to Rodeo Drive. I recommend driving Benedict Canyon, which has some splendid views of Los Angeles. We cruised at a pedestrian 30 mph through the canyon, past the endless multi-million dollar mansions. Driving down Rodeo Drive, you cannot help but notice that most of the people walking about seem to be tourists rather than locals. At the end of Rodeo Drive is the Beverly Wilshire Hotel whose staff kindly allowed me to pull into their drop off area to take some photographs. The Portofino looked right at home in this environment.

Related: 19 Most Expensive Cars Ever Spotted On Rodeo Drive

The Portofino has all the performance and styling that the California lacked. Like the Ferrari California you can use this Ferrari as your daily driver. The California was at its heart a Grand Tourer, the Portofino, however, is undeniably a supercar cunningly disguised as a Grand Tourer. Ferrari have not rested on their laurels with the Portofino, last year they introduced the Ferrari Portofino M. I'm looking forward to exploring how Ferrari could make the Portofino even better. I would be happy to have a Ferrari Portofino parked in my driveway.