Portofino vs Portofino M - Worth the price difference?

Hey All so i've been looking at getting my first Ferrari in the next year or so. I've posted something similar in the 458/488/F8 section and thats because originally i was looking at a 458. However the Portofino has really caught my eye recently for a few reasons. It seems very daily driveable which would be ideal because i buy cars to drive, not so they can sit in my garage. Its relatively practical so on road trips we have the space to bring luggage, gets better mileage than the 458, and is a lot newer so it has all the creature comforts. its also one of the best looking hardtop convertibles out there.

So my question now is...between the Portofino and the M, is the M really worth the price delta?

Right now the differences between the two seem to be:
M has 20 more hp
Has Wet and Race mode on the manettino
More aero
8-speed DCT

Am i missing anything else? The M seems to be around 50-100k$ more than the regular Portofino. And while theres a part of me that feels like having the Race mode would be great to have, i also know that i probably wouldnt use it as much as i think i would. 20 more hp seems negligible which it is. I went from a 718 GT4 to a 718 GTS and thats about a 20 hp difference and i cant tell the difference at all. The only thing that i feel really makes me look at the M, is the 8-speed DCT as i hear its amazing, and the exterior changes. Other than that i assume it might hold its value better as the "upgraded" versions of Ferrari's cars always seem to hold a bit better than the "base" versions but i'm unsure in this situation as this is Ferrari's "entry level".

So what would you guys buy given the choice? Would the M be a worthwhile upgrade? Or would you rather save the money and just stick with the non-M? Thanks

 

Gorgeous cars. Would be my dream setup if i had that kind of money. Alas, i only have enough for one, and if i were to go with the 458, i'd need to also buy a daily which basically increases the overall cost. How have you enjoyed the Portofino M? Do you feel like it has the same sort of Ferrari "fizz" that the 458 has? I actually found the 488 to be just...ok, but the 296 GTB really blew me away. The 458 is my overall Ferrari goal as i just love everything about that car.

 

Thats kinda been my thoughts so far as well. Have you driven an M? If you have is there much of a difference between Race and Sport? When i had a day with the 488 GTB, i couldnt really tell much difference between the two, but i hear its more of a traction setting than it is a throttle response/shift timing setting.

 

Do you regret not getting the 458/488? I think i might have missed my window to get a 458 at a lower price as i see prices are creeping up while Portofino's seem to be staying the same.
I have also noticed that there are a lot of really low spec Ms out there compared to the non-M Portofino. The one near me at my local Ferrari Dealership is going for 235k, but doesnt even have the CF driver zone or ZF trim, no Hi-fi sound or CarPlay, doesnt even have the LED steering wheel and no passenger LED screen. Its like they just paid for the Rosso Corsa color and then thats it.

 

Thats great to hear. Thats roughly where i am as well. Thinking about it, i know i'd love the 458. It has everything i want in a car. Mid engine, NA, 9k redline, looks, sounds etc. But i also know that i would just not be able to drive it as much as i would like. While both are Ferrari's i feel the Portofino is still a bit more subtle than the 458 and will draw less attention, which means i can take it more places. it means going out for lunch or dinner, but also means going for a drive along the coast and then being able to just stop off at a restaurant and not worry about it too much. I feel like with the 458 i'd constantly worry about it, i'd only take it out on the best days and wouldnt leave it parked anywhere for a significant amount of time unless i was right near it the entire time.

I think what is helping my Portofino decision is knowing that this is basically the same engine thats in the 488, just detuned. So i dont feel like i'm getting any sort of short end of the stick by going with Ferrari's "entry level" car. Also just knowing i CAN shove 2 of my friends in the back if we want to just shoot down to downtown real quick is nice. Trunk space isnt great but honestly its better than my Boxster GTS so i wouldnt have to worry about whether theres enough space to take our luggage when we go to our yearly timeshare. Hell it all fits in the boxster anyways so i KNOW it'll fit in the Portofino.

I think for options i 100% want the LED steering wheel, magnaride, and Hi-Fi sound. The CF driver zone isnt a must but would be nice to have. I think i'd prefer some form of Ferrari red for the exterior and am willing to spend a bit more for that. Luckily some things worked out for me recently so will probably be looking into buying one closer to the end of the year.

 

Thats so great to hear. Yeah i'm not too worried about the speed. Im driving a Boxster GTS4.0 right now and the 400hp that gets is good enough as is. Cant even imagine what a 600hp twin turbo V8 will be like. Originally i thought i'd not like the more GT characteristic of the Portofino, but i think the reality is i'm not as serious of a driver as i like to imagine that i am. I'm sure the Portofino will handle good enough for me.

A question about some options though. How easy would it be to e to add CarPlay if the car doesnt come with it? I know on my GT4 i could basically program it in with 30 minutes and a SD card so if thats the case with the Portofino then i dont have to worry about getting one with CarPlay. Also it seems like a lot of the Carbon Fiber trim can be added after the case so the only thing i really kinda want is, red exterior, LED steering wheel, and JBL sound system.

 

Wow thats some high praise for the PFM. Have you driven a non-M? From what i've been reading, there isnt too much difference in the driving experience, it's just more in the added bits that just enhance what is already a fantastic car. It sounds like me and you have similar car tastes, we really appreciate the pure sports car experience and that is something i really wanted with the 458. But i think that dream is just a tad out of reach for me as of right now. If the PF is as good as it sounds, i might be quite happy with it until i can then add a 458 (or maybe 488 by that time) as a second car.

 

You know i have to give so much credit to Mazda. They really do make a great looking car, and for the price of a new ND, its really hard not to just go for something like that if you dont care too much about brand or a specific driving experience. One of my best friends, not a car guy at all but does like to have a sporty car on hand, bought a ND Miata. Fantastic car, really fun to drive and a fraction of the price of any of my sports cars. It's no wonder they sell so many.

But man the Ferrari just makes the heart skip a beat doesnt it.

 

Haha thats awesome. Are you in SoCal? I dont recognize that area. I'm in NorCal and a big autocross enjoyer myself.

 

Oh nice! I have family in Lake Elsinore. Maybe if i'm in the area i'll catch one of your cars on the road. How do you like the Z4(2025)? Ive had a few BMWs in my time but i generally couldnt get used to the rubbery feeling of their manual shifters and i wasnt a huge fan of the ZF8 transmission they eventually stuck everything with. Had a M4 Competition xDrive for about a year but it just felt way too big and boaty for me even though it was quite fast.

 

Will do! Love your car lineup!

 

Interesting! What would you say was the one difference that really made you go "Wow that was totally worth the upgrade"? Not sure if you've driven many Porsches or 718, but if you had, would you say the difference is between the GTS and GT4? Both have the same engine but the GT4 is just...more, almost in everyway. For me the GT4 was worth the extra 10k over my GTS but a lot of people say the GTS is basically 8/10s the GT4, i feel its closer to 6/10.

For your exhaust complaints on the original, would a valve controller have fixed that issue? I have heard that the new 8 speed is fantastic and its the same one they have in all their newer cars including the SF90. Heres a question, would you take a Portofino M thats a very lean spec over a well specced Portofino? A good example is the dealership near me has an M for 235k, But it seems like most of that cost was in the exterior color and interior color, theres no CF anywhere inside the car and i think the main option that was added was Apple Carplay. In Contrast, a dealership down south from me has a VERY well specced Portofino with CF driverzone, LED steering wheel, deviated stitching, colored seat belts and all that jazz for about 209k. The jump wouldnt be too bad, but wouldnt be sure if i would miss all the nice gadgets that i kinda want (LED steering wheel is a big one for me).