Ferrari debuted its first new model since the coronavirus pandemic temporarily closed much of the company’s operations, unveiling a more powerful Portofino.
The Portofino M, which stands for Modificata, or Modified, is equipped with 612-hp V-8 turbo engine, boosted from 592 hp in the current version.
It has a new eight-speed gearbox instead of a seven-speed transmission, and a five-position Manettino dial that includes a race mode.
The Portofino M is the first open-top Ferrari to get an eight-speed transmission. The clutch module is 20 percent smaller and torque delivery is 35 percent higher, according to the automaker.
Enrico Galliera, Ferrari’s chief marketing and commercial officer, told a news conference on Wednesday that deliveries of the Portofino M would start in Europe starting in the second quarter of next year, with a starting price of around 206,000 euros ($244,000) in Italy — just above the current Portofino.
After a record five new models last year, including the SF90 Stradale, Ferrari’s first hybrid car in series production, the Portofino M is the seventh in a pipeline of 15 models promised in Ferrari’s 2018-2022 plan.
The automaker also introduced the Roma coupe last year with a mid-front-mounted 620-hp engine.
Ferrari, best known for its high-performance sports cars, is now aiming to increase sales of easier-driving gran tourers (GTs), designed to be comfortable on longer road trips.
It has said previously that about 40 percent of total sales could come from GT models by 2022, up from 32 percent.
