2021 Ferrari Portofino

The 2021 Ferrari Portofino is offered in two variants, the Base and the M. The Portofino M is covered in a separate review. The price for the base model starts at a staggering $215,000 and increases quickly with the optional extras such as opting for leather for the seats and the dashboard. There are some tasteful features on offer as options but we wish those would’ve been fitted as standard given the steep price tag of the vehicle. The features include a thermo-insulating windscreen, magnetic dual-mode suspension system, smartphone interface, premium Hi-Fi audio system, SVR anti-theft system with a card, and a lot more. There are even options to choose a luggage bag as per your requirement. Sadly, the car also misses out on several important driver assistance features which are unacceptable for its price tag; however, they are available as options and bundled under the ADAS package.

Which trim should you buy?

The car is available in a single trim only and offers a lot of customization options. But the optional extras do result in a quick increase in the price of the car.

High-performance cars are not quite synonymous with great fuel economy and the Ferrari Portofino is no different. The car returns 16mpg in the city and 23mpg out on the highways while the combined mileage stands at 18mpg. With a gas tank of 21.1 gallons, the Portofino offers some decent driving range numbers for the segment as well.

The Aston Martin DB11 is the most fuel-efficient grand tourer among the rivals here and truly impresses with its combined efficiency of 20 MPG, considering its performance and power figures. The Bentley Continental GT is slightly more fuel-efficient than the Portofino out on the highways and returns a better highway range of 618 miles, thanks to its larger tank. The BMW M8 is the least fuel-efficient of the lot and slots into the average position if its price to performance ratio is considered. It also has the least driving range numbers owing to the 20-gallon gas tank.

Ferrari has always focused on the interior with the same dedication it gave while tuning its vehicles to deliver mind-blowing performance. The 2021 Ferrari Portofino gets a luxurious cabin as standard and it can get even more exciting with the optional upgrades available from the brand. Despite being a four-seater grand tourer, the rear seats are still extremely cramped for adults and are best suited for small children and that extra pair of luggage you can’t fit in the trunk. The design is quite sporty with high-quality materials all around the cabin. The exposed surfaces are either finished in premium metal or soft-touch materials. The seats come with premium synthetic upholstery but you can opt for Alcantara or leather with a long list of colors to choose from. 

The dashboard can also be customized in three parts with three different colors to choose from along with a choice of materials. The front passenger also gets a display screen that shows the real-time performance stats of the vehicle such as the gear number, speed, and rpm. The gauge cluster can also be customized with four different styles apart from the standard layout. The standard seats can be swapped out with an optional Daytona seat or Squared Patterned seats as well. The cargo capacity is rather small but decent at 10.3 cu-ft since the convertible roof goes inside the trunk too.

The 2021 Aston Martin DB11’s cabin is way more spacious and luxurious than the Portofino’s and it is more comfort-focused rather than being sporty. It gets a more classy design like other Aston Martin vehicles and the cabin is quite spacious for a high-performance grand tourer too. The Bentley Continental GT offers what you can call the epitome of luxury in the segment. The cabin of the Continental GT feels like nothing else and there is a heavy dose of leather and wood interior panels throughout the cabin. There is nothing sporty about the cabin of the Continental and there are just acres of space inside as well with an abundance of features and a classy design. The BMW M8 Competiton’s cabin is quite luxurious and has an appealing design too. But, when compared with the rest of the vehicles on the list, it surely lacks in terms of the luxuries and elegance the rivals offer. However, it does have the highest trunk volume of 12.4 cubic feet, which gives it an edge when practicality is concerned. Both the Bentley and Aston Martin see almost 25% reduction in their boot volumes in direct comparison.

Some of the standout interior features are as follows:

• Steering wheel mounted controls
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Power-adjustable mirrors
• Power driver and front passenger seat
• Keyless ignition

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The 2021 Ferrari Portofino comes with a standard 10.3-inch infotainment display adorning the center of the dashboard. By default, the system offers some very basic features which is quite a bummer considering the eye-watering price tag of the vehicle. All the premium features are offered as optional such as Apple CarPlay, DVD Changer, Smartphone Interface, and a premium JBL Hi-Fi system.

Some of the highlights of the infotainment system are as follows:

• 10.3-inch infotainment display
• Bluetooth and Handsfree streaming
• SiriusXM Satellite radio
• HD Radio Connectivity
• Premium JBL 12-speaker Hi-Fi system with 1,500 watt output(optional)
• Apple CarPlay(optional)

Almost every Ferrari vehicle looks fast even while they’re not moving. The 2021 Ferrari Portofino’s exterior design looks super-aggressive, especially from the front end. The design looks like an angry monster with a menacing and wide grin ready to devour anything and everything that comes in its way. The stretched LED headlamps with the LED drls accentuate the front fascia and look like the “eyes” of the car.

There are a handful of sharp and sculpted styling cues all over the car’s exterior and the rear end also looks quite sporty as well. It is smaller in dimensions, however, than its competitors. It is the shortest in overall length and sports a wheelbase of 105.1 inches only. While its width of 76.3 inches is comparable, its height and ground clearance are shorter due to its traditional Ferrari-like stance. 

The Aston Martin DB11 looks quite sporty and aggressive for a grand tourer but has an abundance of smooth and flowing lines too to make it not too supercar-like . The Bentley Continental GT is the most elegant and classy looking vehicle here and it exudes nothing but opulence and elegance from every angle even from the outside as well, but it is the heaviest weighing in excess of 5,000lbs. The BMW M8 has a sporty and aggressive exterior design too but nothing can match the oozing sportiness of the Ferrari Portofino and is also the longest vehicle on offer measuring 191.8 inches. 

Some of the standout exterior features are as follows:

• 20" forged aluminum wheels.
• Cooling vents on the front fenders 
• Hood vents for better air dissipation
• Quad tailpipes
• Active brake cooling ducts 

No Ferrari vehicles have ever been crash-tested for safety owing to the super exotic status and sky-high price of the vehicles. But that doesn’t make the modern Ferrari vehicles unsafe. The 2021 Portofino gets almost all the basic safety techs as standard, however, the advanced safety systems are offered as outright disappointing options. All the advanced safety techs are bundled under the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems(ADAS) package and include features like a Front radar with acc and advanced front driving camera.

Some of the safety techs include:

• Automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Lane Departure Warning
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Adaptive Headlights
• F1-Trac with E-Diff 3

Ferrari Portofino vs Aston Martin DB11 Convertible

The Aston Martin DB11 needs no introduction and is a super exclusive vehicle owing to the James Bond franchise. The vehicle is more comfort-focused unlike the Portofino but has a solid performance on offer too. On the inside, the DB11 is more spacious and luxurious than the Portofino and would be a great alternative to the latter if anyone needs a saner vehicle than the Ferrari.

Ferrari Portofino vs Bentley Continental GT Convertible

The Bentley Continental GT Convertible and the Ferrari Portofino are completely different vehicles but dwell on the same segment owing to the price and body style. The Continental GT is for those who desire nothing but luxury and opulence with a dash of performance under the hood too. The Portofino is more agile and track-focused when it comes to driving dynamics whereas the Continental GT has an immense amount of comfort and oozes a rich nature from every angle.

Ferrari Portofino vs BMW M8 Competition Convertible

The BMW M8 is perhaps the most sensible car in the competition list owing to its lower price tag and the immense amount of performance it offers. Surely, it’s not as agile and sporty as the Portofino or as opulent as the Bentley Continental GT, but for the price, it offers adequate performance and interior space but falls short in terms of fuel efficiency as opposed to the pricier rivals.

In a word, yes you should. The 2021 Ferrari Portofino is super-exotic and sporty with excellent performance and driving dynamics. Sadly, most of the luxurious and creature comfort features on offer with the vehicle are offered as optional extras adding up to the already-high price tag but the enthusiasts with a deep pocket wouldn’t mind either way.