Braking news
All Portofinos came with ceramic brakes as standard. They work well but they can be quite noisy until they’ve warmed up. They last well, but replacements pads cost £10k
Interior
Luxuriously finished, the Ferrari’s dash feels modern but there are still switches for the key functions, which is very welcome. The front seats are superb, but the back ones are only suitable for small children. They fold down to improve boot space, which is just as well because there isn’t much of it with the roof down. With it up, there’s a very usable 292 litres on offer.
Roof
The roof mechanism is extremely complicated and it’s usually reliable, but sensor glitches can lead to it not raising or stowing properly, so put it up and down a few times to check it. It’s possible to activate the roof at up to 31mph, but so the mechanism isn’t stressed, it’s always best to do this when the car is stationary.
Engine
All Portofinos came with a twin-turbo 3.9-litre V8 engine that provides a fabulously linear spread of power, with excellent tractability. So far, reliability is generally proving to be very good, and while there have been instances of turbocharger failure on early cars, it’s not a common problem.
Running costs
You can’t run a Portofino cheaply, because parts are expensive and any decent workshop has big overheads to cover, such as labour and diagnostic equipment. The service interval for all Portofinos is 12 months or 12,500 miles, with routine maintenance covered for the first seven years. Main dealers often have deals to keep cars within the official network, but there are lots of really good independent specialists that can help you save money.
Outside the routine maintenance, expect to pay around £700 for a minor service and about double that for a major. The ceramic brakes are costly to replace (the pads are £1,000), but they last well; there’s no cambelt to replace. Insurance is expensive (group 50), while an average of 18-22mpg is the norm. Vehicle Excise Duty costs £200 per year, plus a £440 supplement until the car’s sixth birthday.
Recalls
Ferrari has issued two recalls, both for the Portofino and the Portofino M. The first, in July 2021, involved cars built up to May that year, which had faulty stop-start software. The second recall came in February 2022, and affected all cars made up until this point; they had faulty caps on the brake-fluid reservoir.
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