Three years after the introduction of the Portofino at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Italian car-maker introduced the M version for it, a more powerful version for the open-top supercar.
In the Italian’s brand designation, M stood for “Modificata” (Modified), which meant an improvement of an existing model. Since it was a Ferrari, those modifications were about more power and better performances than of the model it evolved from.

From the outside, the Portofino M featured a redesigned front and rear bumper. The rest of the car was very similar to the standard Portofino. It was understandable since the Italian car-maker was in lockdown due to the COVID 19 pandemic. The M version was the first Ferrari launched exclusively online.

The interior of the Portofino M featured a new central horizontal aluminum blade that divided the instrument panel, the air conditioning vents, and the passenger display into separate areas. The other control functions were located in the lower section, with a 10.25” touchscreen in the middle of the center stack.

The drivetrain was heavily upgraded. While the displacement and the torque remained the same, the power was increased from 600 to 620 hp. The twin-turbo V8 engine was paired to a new, 8-speed, dual-clutch gearbox. It sent all the power to the rear wheels via an electronically controlled differential. The performances were improved over its predecessor. Another new update was the addition of a gasoline particulate filter (GPF), to lower emissions and comply with the Euro 6d standards.

The Ferrari Portofino was the Italian answer to the open-top GT segment.
It replaced the former Ferrari California T in the convertible segment. The Portofino kept the retractable hard-top concept for the 2017 model, even if it is heavier than a regular soft-top. The main advantage is that it can be shaped better. So, the car looked great regardless of the top was open or closed.

Inside, there is somehow difficult to understand why the Portofino had seats in the back since there was room only for very small children. Maybe for some taxation rules which, in some countries, are higher if a car has two seats.

The dashboard had two small displays for various information about the car and a big tachometer in the middle. The main switch-holder was the steering wheel. Even the turn-signals were on it, besides the start/stop button, the manettino switch for driving modes and buttons for the audio system.

But, there is no doubt, that the most important part of the car was under the hood. Even though the Portofino was the most affordable Ferrari at the time of launch, its performance was better than those of a Ferrari 456 from only 10 years ago. The twin-turbo V8 under the hood offered 600 hp and 760 Nm (560.5 lb-ft) of torque. It was mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. In the end, the Portofino was a GT, but with supercar performance.