Ferrari Roma vs. Ferrari Portofino M

Ferrari's newest grand tourer, the Roma, is unlike any other Ferrari we are familiar with because most Ferraris are born for racetracks, the Roma, like its Portofino brother, prefers to have a laid-back attitude because it likes to be enjoyed on the road rather on the track or is it?

So, what is the Ferrari Roma? For less than 200K, this is the least expensive Ferrari you can buy, making it a hard bargain for the rich speedo boys looking for a Ferrari to begin with.

Unlike most Ferraris that prefer to look like racecars, the Roma features a more contemporary styling that blends passion with drama the Italian way and there's no judgment for that. When you take it for a spin around city centers, the Roma is a worthy feature attraction that gets all the attention it deserves like most expensive sportscars do in their daily life.

The interior, meanwhile, is a big shock because this is the first time a Ferrari has gone the tall screen approach like most vehicles today, and while it sports familiar Ferrari interior items such as the display near the glove compartment and the complicated steering wheel like most Ferraris had, the Roma comes with a super cool car key in the shape of the Ferrari badge. You insert it and you're in charge. That's it.

Unlike most Ferraris, the Roma runs on a brand new powertrain consisting of a front-mid-engined 4.0L Turbocharged V8 engine producing 620PS of power and 760Nm of torque and while mated to a new 8-speed DCT as seen on the SF90, it can go from 0-100kph in three and a half seconds and onwards to over 320kph. That's quicker than its main foe, the Aston Martin Vantage, by a long shot.

Apart from the performance it delivers, the Roma is a different kind of Ferrari that puts the priority on the road first rather at the track because of its road-focused suspension and chassis setup that sets itself apart from the other relatives but being a Ferrari, it's got a lot of race-derived tech on it, meaning that even if it's prioritized to feel at home on the road, it's worth addictive to drive and you can spend lots of moments toying around with the Roma all day.

While it was known to be the Ferrari that likes to be enjoyed on the road, some might say that the Roma is no doubt one of the best grand tourers made in this era but the question is, would you like it more than the open-top Portofino?

I just said Portofino because the open-top Ferrari we are all familiar with now comes with an updated version called the Portofino M, the improved version of Ferrari's open-top grand tourer that tries to question the Roma's authority.

Although it's priced over ten grand more than the Roma, the improved Portofino picks up where the previous Portofino left off but with some revised styling to match it as well as the new, more complicated, steering wheel as seen on the Roma on the inside, among many other updates in store for the Portofino M.

Like the Roma, the Portofino M's armed with the 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine produces 620PS of power and 760Nm of torque and is mated to the 8-speed DCT. Although it weighs more than the Roma, the Portofino M's performance matches the Roma's, meaning it can go from 0-100kph in three and a half seconds and onwards to over 320kph. It's quicker than the old Portofino, of course.

In the past, I said that the Ferrari Portofino truly defies expectations of what a grand tourer should be and in Ferrari's case, be it for pleasure-seeking or for going all-out. The M, meanwhile, is the same but better because the dynamics are even more breathable and more enjoyable to drive than the old one. It's got the new Side Slip Control 6.0 as seen on the Roma as well, meaning that even if its prioritized to feel at home on the road, it's worth addictive to drive, just like the Roma.

So, there we are; the Roma and the Portofino M. They may be road-focused grand tourers but they behave just like a true Ferrari, and looks like all bets are off with these newest grand tourers offered by the Prancing Horse. This is serious stuff and they really mean it.

Photo: Ferrari

Forza Horizon 4: Photogenics

In case you're new here, the return of Horizon PR in Forza Horizon 4 allows players to win great prizes just by taking photos of specific vehicles. When you see a moving vehicle with the camera marked on the top, switch to photo mode, take a picture, and Bob's your uncle. Simple as that.



There are two prize cars up for grabs in Horizon PR. Capturing 100 cars will grant you access to this, the Ferrari Portofino. You already know it, of course, but what happens when you took 200 cars in Horizon PR? The prize car is this...





This is no ordinary 993-spec Porsche 911 Carrera because this is a very special Gunther Werks 993. With only 25 examples made, this modern-day reboot of the 993-spec Porsche 911 Carerra features lightweight materials used on its body, especially carbon fiber, bespoke LED headights, revised 4.0L flat-six NA engine producing over 400 horsepower, and revised Getrag 6-speed manual gearbox. Because it weighs 2677lbs, this car has a power-to-weight ratio of 6.2lbs/hp.



Now that I got my hands on the two Horizon PR prize cars, let's pit these two for a quick sprint to the Horizon Festival to see which of the two Horizon PR prize cars is the best. The Portofino may have more power than the GW 993 but the GW 993 is lighter than the Portofino, making it a very one-sided experiment. Anyway, no time for words because it's time to commence the experiment.

After a quick sprint to the Festival, here are the results;

Portofino - 1:55.782
GW 911 - 1:53.614



What a shock result! The lesser but lighter one has beaten the open-top stallion by around two seconds! The GW 993 is the better of the two Horizon PR cars!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy driving these two Horizon PR cars. The Portofino and the GW 993 are definitely a blast to drive. Photogenic as well.

Enjoy your new rides!

Forza Horizon 4: The Ferrari Portfolio

Just as you know, the Series 21 update on Forza Horizon 4 brings back the Horizon PR feature where you have to take pics of all of the FH4 cars appearing in-game. The more cars you caught on cam, the better the rewards. There are two exclusive prize cars offered when you snapped specific number of in-game cars and the first one is fresh off the Ferrari portfolio, literally.



Care to guess what Ferrari is this? The answer is the Ferrari Portofino, the latest open-top Grand Tourer that succeeds where the California left off.



So, what's is all about the Ferrari Portofino?



Served as the replacement for the California after almost a decade, the Portofino is the newest open-top grand tourer that delivers legendary Ferrari performance in a more usable, road-oriented, cruising status fit for the weekend drivers. With styling fused from the best Ferraris of today such as the 488 and the 812, the Portofino is powered by the same same 3.9L V8 engine from the Ferrari 488, producing 600PS of power output and up to 760Nm of torque with the Variable Boost Management feature switched on. Mated to a Formula 1-derived 7-speed double clutch gearbox, it does 0-100kph in 3.5 seconds and onwards to over 320kph. In addition to the performance, the Portofino comes with stiffer suspension, the new electronic rear differential and F1-Trac traction control, not to mention being the first Ferrari to come with Electronic Power Steering.



The Portofino maybe a grand tourer fit for road cruising but it sure behaves like a Ferrari and while behaving like a racecar is not on its priority, driving in the open roads of UK is where the Portofino shines and the more I drive, the more I fall in love with. This is guilty pleasure, the Italian way, and no matter where it heads, the Portofino never fails to impress its drivers, especially those who are driving its main competitors.







I just remembered. There was a Top Gear episode where the new 911, the new Vantage, and the new Portofino got compared on a road trip with Chris, Freddie, and Paddy. With the Portofino arrived in FH4 as a Horizon PR prize car after the player snaps 100 cars on the list, it's time to find out how the Portofino fares with the new 911 and the new Vantage while at the green scenery of Moorhead. With my stopwatch set, the three sportscars find out which one is the quickest.

After a quick lap, here are the results;

Vantage - 0:52.719
992 - 0:51.985
Portofino - 0:51.185

The Ferrari way, ladies and gentlemen. The Portofino outclassed the 911 and the Vantage by a narrow margin and there's no telling just how much of a Ferrari this open-top grand tourer is. Well done.





Whether if its for pleasure-seeking or for going all-out, it seems that the Ferrari Portofino truly defies expectations of what a grand tourer should be and in Ferrari's case, this is the best open-top Grand Tourer in the world.

The Portofino really fits through the Ferrari portfolio nicely but I'm not done yet because being a Horizon PR prize car, it must face another Horizon PR prize car later on so stay tuned.

Ferrari Portofino

Almost a decade ago, Ferrari introduced us the California and while as not as mad as their most powerful siblings, the lesser child of the Ferrari stable feels as good as a luxury car and with the purpose of grand touring in mind, not only it feels comfortable on a trip round Italy but also good on track day use and it's the best of both worlds. Now though, Ferrari replaced the not-so-bad California with this...

2018 Ferrari Portofino

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It's called the Portofino and it costs 189,704 Euros, which sounds like a lot for Ferrari's newest grand tourer that is more on comfort rather than handling, although while it was made for comfortable driving, it still behaves like a proper Ferrari even when there are some things went wrong with it.

First off, there's the engine and in Ferrari's newest open-top grand tourer, it's got the same 3.9L V8 engine from the Ferrari 488, producing 600PS of power output and 700Nm of torque (760 if you let loose with the new Variable Boost Management feature). When mated to a Formula 1-derived 7-speed double clutch gearbox, which is good on supercars like the 812 and the 488 but not in here, it does 0-100kph in 3.5 seconds and onwards to over 320mph, which in car maths, that's one less than the Dodge Challenger Hellcat but unlike that muscle car I'd just mentioned, the Portofino isn't made to annoy drivers with its showboating crazines because it's a bit more than that.

2018 Ferrari Portofino interior

Like I was saying, while the Portofino is all about comfort at every angles, the suspension setup is very high tech indeed like every Ferrari should. The springs are stiffer than ever and it now comes with the next-generation magnetorheological damping system which promises to be as dynamic as a ribbon gymnast doing art in motion. Now that really is performance art when you experience the Portofino firsthand and in addition to its new electronic rear differential and F1-Trac traction control, you can really tell how much the Portofino has improved compared to its California predecessor. However, there is a major problem with this one and it's the Electronic Power Steering. Yes, speedo boys, the Portofino is the first time a Ferrari comes with Electronic Power Steering and you better get ready because when you trying to handle a corner like a hooligan, this thing will result to understeering issues and it's hard to get a perfect turn with this kind of steering unless you find a way to tick it off in the same way you did with the BMW M4, although it's a bit more complicating than that hot Bimmer I mentioned.

Although not a great idea to use the Portofino on track days unless you want to but on a weekend drive at the Amalfi, the Portofino really shines as a cruising machine without the bruising drama and because of such reworking on the inside components of the Portofino, especially the electronics and the engine, it weighs 80kg less than the California T, so therefore, it's even more lively to drive as well. How very interesting. While the inside remains as complicated as every Ferrari be, the retractable hardtop is reworked and it can be opened or closed in just 14 seconds even at cruising speeds.

So, how can I sum this car up? Well, what I love about the Portofino is the design, the comfort that every grand tourer should have, the dynamics, and the engine that doesn't have the guilty pleasure of being too artificial in its own right but what I don't is the complicating interior layout, the pricing, and of course, the electric power steering. While this is mainly the successor to the California, the Portofino is a double-edged sword that can be a blessing and a curse when stacked up against grand tourers of today and because being a Ferrari, it wants to take them all out in a game of Top Trumps which is easy to win in Ferrari's case, I believe.

Photo: Ferrari