Test drive Ferrari California: split personality
Content
The new Ferrari California has room for two adults and two children, up to 340 liters of luggage and a folded aluminum hardtop. And although the stock looks "fuller" than necessary, the model is not at all clumsy.
These days, car manufacturers who dare to add details just because of the emotion of driving can count on the fingers of one hand. One of them is (and likely will be for a long time) Ferrari, and proof of this was recently presented with the California convertible. In it, when shifting gears, the combination of engine and gearbox reproduces an exceptional sound that is not technically necessary, but brings a smile from ear to ear to every avid car enthusiast. A mixture of mini-blast and deep rumble is heard every time the shift button is pressed and the dual-clutch automatic transmission takes it to the next level. The extra fuel injected directly into the V-XNUMX's combustion chambers burns out quickly and shows that the designers' idea was to create something more than a comfortable and fast convertible.
Little revolution
While Ferrari says the new model is a mixture of convertible, GT and sports car, it's more of a minor revolution. This is the brand's first model with direct fuel injection, the first with seven gears and a double clutch gearbox and the first with a hard folding metal roof. In addition, the rear seats can be used as a place to carry additional luggage using mounting brackets or to attach two child seats using Isofix hooks. Even closer to the category of vans is a hatch for transporting long items - skis or cornices, for example, to each according to his needs.
Unlike the F 430 Spider, which comes close to track cars, the California can be categorized as a GT. The model has no direct predecessor after the 206 Dino 1968GT and the units planned for this year have already sold out at a base price of 176 euros. But is that enough to turn California into another myth from the Maranello stables?
Today we can hardly give a definite answer. Our vibrations are amplified by the enlarged rear of the car. Has the pragmatism of the hardtop concept and two additional seats not yielded to the aesthetic appeal of the Ferrari designers?
Cons
A high rear end is not only an obvious disadvantage of the body structure, but also has its own practical disadvantages. With the roof closed, the view in the rear-view mirror should be satisfactory with limited visibility. Even when the body is open – after the roof is hidden in the trunk for a record 15 seconds at the touch of a button on the center console – the lower part of the field of view meets the upper part of the rear seat back, which can be upholstered in the thinnest. skin, but he remains a wall to the eye, hiding cars behind him.
Behind it hides up to 340 liters of cargo volume, which can be filled with a set of colored and formal Ferrari-branded suitcases. The threshold is low enough and the opening wide enough for loading, even when the roof structure retracts – then the volume drops to 100 liters. In fact, when was the last time we talked about the practicality of Maranello convertibles? The revolution continues.
California can be defined as a Ferrari family called the 612 Scaglietti. But despite its impressive 4,56m length, hopes for cabin space shouldn't be high. There are hardly any adults who voluntarily agree to ride in the back seats. Only small children will be satisfied with this offer.
The driver will be pleased as he wondered if he was sitting in the original Ferrari even before the start. Power 30 hp less than the F 430 and weighing over 599 GTB, so it makes sense for California to question its dynamic capabilities. Because even the brand's engineers admit that the acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in less than four seconds is more due to the lightning speed of the gearbox, and not so much due to the engine power.
Naughty
The V4,3 California engine has the same volume of 430 liters as the F 8, but is completely new. Here is its 460 hp. exceed the magic limit of 100 hp per liter of displacement, but even more impressive is the torque level, which also exceeds 100 Nm per liter of displacement, which is an absolute record for cars with a naturally aspirated gasoline engine.
Starting the engine might surprise most people accustomed to the racing tone of the F 430. Despite being modulated by eight cylinders and a proprietary 180-degree crankshaft, the muffler tone is deeper, stronger, and seems to come from deep abyss. Even with the roof closed, the sounds of the intake and exhaust manifolds imperceptibly, but continuously and without undue acoustic attention, penetrate the interior.
The basic steering is soothing, with all the main elements located near the steering wheel, and the two most interesting ones are on it. This is the start button and the Manettino is a switch to adjust the various characteristics of the car. If the owner has invested 3870 euros in the purchase of additional adaptive dampers, he can choose between two suspension behaviors. In "Sport" mode, he captures all the bumps in the road in detail, but does not forget to filter out the bumps. In "Comfort" the system only suits to "summarize" the condition of the road.
Magic ball
When the Manettino switches from Comfort to Sport mode, a character change takes place. California Goes Beyond Typical Maserati Models The GT condition is in a racing-combat condition typical of a Ferrari. The steering wheel becomes straighter, the body tilts less, and drifts now seem like the most normal way out of corners. The transmission allows the revs to be increased before the electronic limiter intervenes, and the pleasure of gear shifting with feathers at the wheel rivals the music of the four tailpipes. Even if there is a pause between shifts, the driver will not feel it.
More adrenaline? The Launch Control system provides the perfect start to your vacation. With more traction than the F 430, the convertible moves forward at 2500 rpm, but as the revs increase, the engine doesn't show the same ease of turning as its mid-engined counterpart. The 100 km/h limit is reached in less than four seconds – faster than the F 430 Spyder.
Transformations
On a suitable hilly road, the car's hidden character stands out even more clearly, and driving with the roof down is a matter of course – whether in summer or on a cool autumn day. Even without the protective air damper and with the side windows removed, no turbulence develops in the body: the pilot's stiff neck is not a topic of discussion in California.
Behind the wheel of a convertible, the driver seems to see the perfect line more clearly, has the ability to move stopping points as close as possible before corners thanks to standard carbon-ceramic discs and press the gas earlier when exiting corners. The high traction level of the multi-link rear suspension allows the California to remain stable even when ESP is disabled.
California is perhaps Ferrari's "most forgivable" mistake of all time. And when the driver decides to stop proving how fast he can go from point A to point B, it is enough to return to comfort mode and close the roof. Then the gearbox starts shifting gears with the softness of a classic automatic, and nothing can disturb the peace of mind in the cabin. Is there a better example of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
text: Marcus peters
a photo: Hans-Dieter Zeufert
technical details
| Sell your Ferrari California | |
|---|---|
| Working volume | - |
| Power | 460 k. From. at 7750 rpm |
| Maximum torque | - |
| Acceleration 0-100 km / h | 4.0 with |
| Braking distances at a speed of 100 km / h | - |
| full speed | 310 km / h |
| Average consumption fuel in the test | 13,1 l |
| Base Price | 176 euros (Germany) |
