It’s not often that the rest of us get to look down our noses at Ferrari owners, and sadly, with the arrival of the new and genuinely gorgeous Portofino four-seat convertible, that time is over.

Previously, it was possible to openly mock people in this car’s predecessor, the California, for buying a 'cheap' Ferrari, or even an ugly, soft one, if you were feeling particularly cruel.

Launched a decade ago, the 'Cali' was seen as a desperate attempt to woo America, and global, poseurs to the brand. The kind of people who loved the idea of a Ferrari, but were intimidated by the reality.

No one would argue this big-butted, bulbous vehicle was the prettiest thing ever to come out of Italy - even Silvio Berlusconi is more attractive - but Ferrari can claim to have had the last laugh.

Dropping its prices and creating a new, easy-to-live-with entry model was the prancing panacea it was looking for, with 70 per cent of California buyers being new to the brand.

The success of its replacement, the Portofino, which is more Italian in style and title, seems almost assured, because it will still be accessible - in relative terms, at a sniff under $400,000 - but now it is something its predecessor (even after a design makeover in 2014) never was; stunningly beautiful.

But is it as good to drive as it looks? We flew to Bari, in southern Italy, to find out.

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