A sports car for all occasions
The all-new Ferrari Portofino M, a reinvention of a classic sports coupe, promises comfort, performance, style and surprising versatility
WORDS GEMMA GREENWOOD
B
efore I start, let’s get one thing straight; I’m no Jeremy Clarkson, so when I was asked to review the new Ferrari Portofino M, I thought long and hard about what I could bring to the table. After I’d pictured myself cruising along Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road (SZR), hair blowing in the wind, I did some quick research. The Portofino M guarantees an “unprecedented combination of authentic GT performance, driving pleasure, agility and exceptional versatility in everyday driving context”. Now, this appealed. While I am certainly not a petrol head who rattles off brake horsepower and torque
NOVEMBER 2021
comparisons like there’s no tomorrow (yawn), I have been lucky enough to have driven a variety of so-called ‘luxury’ cars during my time and have learned very quickly what to look for – and what to avoid – in a sporty little number. Everyday drivability and versatility is certainly up there, so too are style, but not over substance – it’s got to look good, but above all, quality of build and engineering counts. Fast acceleration, agility and reactive steering for precise driving are crucial (to make a fast getaway from undesirable drivers), so too are a comfortable drive at all speeds and of course, user friendliness – there are so many buttons and levers to get to grips with these days, right?
