Is the Ferrari Portofino M the World's Most Exciting 2+2 Sports Car?

The M means "Modificata," which in Ferrari-speak refers to models that have undergone significant performance improvement.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

June 29, 2021

14 Slides

While Ferrari’s specialty is high-strung mid-engine supercars design for slicing and dicing both Apennine mountain passes and race tracks, the company also does a good business with front-engine grand touring models like the Portofino M.

It is a tricky balance to provide such cars the sporting character that their Prancing Horse emblem demands while infusing a dose of everyday practicality and livability. Trickier still, perhaps, is the art of mid-life upgrades to such models which could potentially upset the delicate balance between “sport” and “touring.”

Ferrari evidently found that the Portofino, a front-engine twin-turbocharged V8 hardtop convertible could still benefit from upgraded dynamic capabilities, so the Maranello company has introduced the Portofino M. The “M” stands for “Modificata,” which in Ferrari nomenclature refers to models that have undergone significant performance improvement.

The company knows well where to find the hardware for these improvements because the parts are already in use its’ sharper-edged mid-engine models like the SF90 Stradale. That means the adoption of the sportier car’s 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, engine upgrades, and Race mode control software.

Click through our slideshow to learn more about this lovely machine.

Related:Ride Along With Ferrari Test Driver and Engineer Raffaele de Simone in the new 611-Horsepower Portofino M

Ferrari Portofino M 21.JPG

2021 Ferrari Portofino M

About the Author(s)

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

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