This lucky YouTuber takes us for a ride in the new Ferrari Portofino, and he loves almost everything about it.
The new Ferrari Portofino has effectively replaced the California T, with a new look and more power. YouTuber MrJWW attended the first drive launch for this latest of prancing horses in Italy. Fortunately, he is virtually taking us along for the ride and explaining why the Portofino is so good.
Replacing the California T
This ride-along video in the 2018 Ferrari Portofino begins with the host behind the wheel, cruising through the Italian countryside. During the first portion, he talks about the California T that this car replaces, and he points out that he didn’t love the California line. He explains that the “Cali T” wasn’t a bad car, but it lacked the “sparkle” of a proper Ferrari.
That is a problem, since the California models accounted for 25% of the brand’s annual sales, so as the volume model, it is important to portray the Ferrari experience to all buyers.
According to this YouTuber, the Portofino fixes that problem.
Powerful engine, great gearbox
The heart of the 2018 Ferrari Portofino is a 3.8-liter, twin turbocharged V8 that delivers 592 horsepower and 561 lb-ft of torque. Mr. JWW explains that the key advantage to this engine is how the torque level swells with vehicle speed. Thanks to the dual-clutch automatic transmission, this new Ferrari uses a torque management to limit wheelspin on the low end, so as speeds increase, the torque management system sends more power to the wheels.
Also, while the host praises the gearbox while popping through gears during a hard run through the Italian countryside.
Open air cruising
During the drive, the host slows the Portofino down a bit and lowers the retractable hard top.
Once the top is tucked away, he spends a minute driving hard, giving us the best chance to see the new Ferrari in action. This portion also gives us the best chance to hear the boosted V8 roar from a variety of camera locations. Not bad at all.
The video ends with the host explaining that he didn’t care for the California T, but he cant find anything negative to say about the new Portofino. He closes by stating that the Ferrari team has “gone a long way to embody the Ferrari ethos”.
We think this facial expression does a good job of explaining it all:
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
