Review - 2009 Ferrari California

Are you ready for a Ferrari to drive to the office, the mall, the beach, the slopes—anywhere, everywhere? That’s the concept behind this revival of a name from Ferrari’s storied past—a fast GT that supplies style, panache, plenty of performance, and thanks to its folding hardtop and “two-plus” interior layout, an unusually high level of all-around usefulness.

At the core of this concept is the hope that the California will attract buyers new to the brand, a notion that raises our eyebrows a degree or two since (a) the waiting list for a new Ferrari averages about 16 months, (b) U.S. Ferrari dealers have habitually given precedence to previous owners, (c) this car has no cup holders, and (d) its pricing will start at “about $200,000” in this country, according to the carmaker.

But never mind. These are issues for prospective owners. So let’s take a look at what Ferrari, Pininfarina (design), and Scaglietti (assembly) hath wrought.

Fabulous Ferrari Firsts

The California embodies a number of Ferrari firsts. For example, it’s the first Ferrari with a V-8 engine mounted ahead of the cockpit. Previous V-8s have been bolted in amidships, behind the seats. The V-8 is a development of the 4.3-liter eight that propels the superb (and soon to be replaced) F430 series, distinguished by new cylinder heads with a direct-injection fuel system, also a Ferrari first. The engine’s mass rides behind the front axle center line and sends its substantial thrust (453 horsepower, 358 pound-feet of torque) to the rear wheels via a rear-mounted dual-clutch automated-manual transmission, another first for Ferrari. This layout, on a 105.1-inch wheelbase, yields a 47/53-percent front-to-rear weight distribution, contributing to excellent balance, and handling that’s both exhilarating and benign.

The two-piece folding hard top, of course, is yet another element new to a car from Maranello, giving the California a fresh-air dimension in the tradition of its distinguished spider ancestors, plus the quiet comfort of a coupe. Beyond that, there’s a space behind the front seats that can serve as a parcel shelf or, if the owner checks the option box, plus-two seating for one or two limber passengers, preferably of diminutive dimensions. Ferrari presented this element of the new car as “2+,” refraining from referring to it as a classic two-plus-two, since the space, smaller than the rear seat in a Porsche 911, seemed a little too claustrophobic for human beings.

But that was before Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo showed up, fresh from riding in the rear seat of a new California for “almost an hour,” and pronounced the space habitable. “I think it’s okay,” he said. “Probably not so good for three hours or so, but for short trips. It was a nice surprise.” How this will affect U.S. marketing communications remains to be seen—the California won’t be in North American showrooms until June—but after guiding Ferrari’s continuing success for 17 years, when Signor Montezemolo speaks, his staff takes heed.

The “2+” versus “two-plus-two” issue notwithstanding, the interior of this Ferrari is subdued but gorgeous, with handsome leather, supportive seats with a broad range of adjustability, and superb craftsmanship. It’s also surprisingly quiet in coupe mode. The V-8 raises its voice in a staccato tenor when stirred by the driver’s right foot, but wind noise is conspicuous by its absence, even at very high speed. (Ferrari forecasts over 192 mph; we have no reason to question this.)

With the top down—a configuration achieved in 14 seconds—the factory wind blocker, although somewhat flimsy, reduces cockpit turbulence to modest levels, and it’s possible to carry on a conversation at 100 mph. (To be fair, though, the decibels required for such a dialogue would get you kicked out of your local library in about two minutes.) When the top is stowed, there’s still room in the trunk for a little luggage, something Ferrari made a priority in the car’s development, and a key element in the design that emerged from Pininfarina. More on this later.

In addition to fast, the California promises to be quick. Ferrari forecasts 0 to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds, and this too seems wholly plausible, despite the car’s size—bigger in every dimension than the F430—and hefty curb weight: 3850 pounds minimum. Testing the stoplight-getaway aspect of the car’s performance requires minimizing shift times in the seven-speed Getrag dual-clutch transmission, a pastime that is seriously habit-forming. In its most aggressive setting—there are three steering-wheel-mounted presets (comfort, sport, and CST) that also affect handling—the paddle shifters (in fixed position on the steering column) achieve down- or upshifts in milliseconds—whap, whap, whap. It’s hard to imagine anyone preferring a manual transmission to this brilliant gearbox (not an issue here since the Getrag dual-clutch is the only transmission offered at launch), and it’s just flat impossible for anyone to match the speed of those shifts with a standard stick and clutch. And as a bonus, the transmission is a very smooth operator in full automatic mode.

We mentioned handling. The California rides a traditional Ferrari unequal-length control-arm suspension setup in front, but there’s a new multilink arrangement at the rear. More significant, the new car offers the option of Delphi’s magnetorheological shock absorbers that provide instant damping reaction to changes in dynamic input. What this yields, in brief, are responses that should satisfy all but the most extreme demands.

In comfort mode, the California’s ride quality is creamy, even on rough pavement. In sport mode, the car is agile, with a reserve of compliance reminiscent of BMW’s ride-and-handling philosophy. And in CST mode, which disables the traction and stability control system, the driver can induce a little judicious sliding without the threat of snap oversteer and consequent excursion into the roadside scenery.

Thanks to the Bridgestone Potenza tires, 245/40-19 up front and 285/40-19 in the rear, grip is prodigious and the transition to slip is gradual. However, pretty much all of that information is delivered via the driver’s backside. The variable-assist power rack-and-pinion steering, though quick, is essentially numb.

Like the electromagnetic damping, the California’s brakes are high-tech, with carbon ceramic rotors at all four corners. Unlike the shocks, the system is standard, and its formidable performance is beyond fade and/or reproach.

[Source: Thecarsworld]

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