Back in 2008, the Ferrari California appeared, promising great things to a car-driving world which always seeks novelty. The California boasted, among other things, the first front-engine V8 in Ferrari's stable, as well as a retractible hardtop and double-clutch 7-speed transmission. At the same time, the California retired the ever-popular manual gearbox, meaning an era has truly come to an end. But the car has a wheel in the future and the past.
No one ever complains about being forced to spend time behind the wheel of a Ferrari, but as a "grand tourer," the California adds its speed and handling to a desire for the cross-country roadtrip. Aiding in this venture is the "2+" design, a two-door four-seater. Now you, as driver, can show off for two more people than before.
The California's name is a nod to one of the great Ferraris of the last century. The 250 GT California came on the scene in the late '50s and pleased many a mid-century driver. That particular model was made famous in the 1986 John Hughes movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." In that film, the car was a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California, one of fewer than a hundred cars built. It was also, if you recall, destroyed in the movie's climax -- but worry not, that was just a replica.
But anyway the Ferrari folk liked the car, and the name, and so it was passed on. It could've been called the Des Moines, but the California seems way cooler. And in any event it's definitely a 21st-century machine. This new California goes zero-to-60 in a bit under four seconds, tops out at 193 mph, and is Ferrari's most aerodynamic car yet.
This is a big car, and a fast car, but it's not one of the really mean Ferraris. The California has actually gotten a rep as a car that plays as nice as it rides. It looks good, sure, but not crazy. It has speed, but not that mind-numbing kind. And it has been said to have, by some, a large ass.
None of which is to say that the Ferrari California fails any kind of test, whether in appearance or in how it rides, or even in backseat space (which is, admittedly, a bit limited, but still a backseat). It's the car you want when you want to go somewhere far away. For that very quick trip cross-country. It's the new minivan. Or well no, not even a little bit, but the California is indeed a car you'll want to spend a lot of time in with people whose company you enjoy at high speeds.
No one ever complains about being forced to spend time behind the wheel of a Ferrari, but as a "grand tourer," the California adds its speed and handling to a desire for the cross-country roadtrip. Aiding in this venture is the "2+" design, a two-door four-seater. Now you, as driver, can show off for two more people than before.
The California's name is a nod to one of the great Ferraris of the last century. The 250 GT California came on the scene in the late '50s and pleased many a mid-century driver. That particular model was made famous in the 1986 John Hughes movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." In that film, the car was a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California, one of fewer than a hundred cars built. It was also, if you recall, destroyed in the movie's climax -- but worry not, that was just a replica.
But anyway the Ferrari folk liked the car, and the name, and so it was passed on. It could've been called the Des Moines, but the California seems way cooler. And in any event it's definitely a 21st-century machine. This new California goes zero-to-60 in a bit under four seconds, tops out at 193 mph, and is Ferrari's most aerodynamic car yet.
This is a big car, and a fast car, but it's not one of the really mean Ferraris. The California has actually gotten a rep as a car that plays as nice as it rides. It looks good, sure, but not crazy. It has speed, but not that mind-numbing kind. And it has been said to have, by some, a large ass.
None of which is to say that the Ferrari California fails any kind of test, whether in appearance or in how it rides, or even in backseat space (which is, admittedly, a bit limited, but still a backseat). It's the car you want when you want to go somewhere far away. For that very quick trip cross-country. It's the new minivan. Or well no, not even a little bit, but the California is indeed a car you'll want to spend a lot of time in with people whose company you enjoy at high speeds.
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