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By EWAN
KENNEDY
8 June 2009
Nowhere on this planet do people come closer to the Californian
way of thinking than on the Gold Coast of Australia. So it made a
lot of sense for Ferrari to choose Brisbane as a launch site for
its new open-top cruiser – the Ferrari California.
Ferrari is in the midst of expansion plans. Not expansion in a
vertical direction as it has been mistakenly described by some
commentators, but by broadening the lineup. A broadening that sees
Ferraris being built for specific customer needs – at least cars
specifically designed for customers who have sums starting at
around half a million dollars to put their new toys on the road.
The latest Ferrari California is less hard-edged than others in
the sporting Italian marque’s range, being aimed more at the
grand touring driver than the full-on weekend racer. Not that it's
soft in absolute terms (heaven forbid, this is a Ferrari after
all) the California is there for the driver who wants to cruise
comfortably with that special someone, perhaps even with a pair of
junior Ferrari fanatics in the back seat.
Or maybe the owner is keen to head down to the golf course to trim
a shot off that elusive handicap. In which case they can fold down
the ‘ski’ hatch in the back seats and thread their golf bag
through. That's practical!
To enable this practicality, Ferrari's engineers have come up with
what could be described as a front-engined variant of the
hard-edged, mid-engined F430. But in true Ferrari fashion the
layout of the new California is technically mid-engined. That's
because the engine has been squeezed right back to the firewall
and sits completely behind the front axle line. Thus is
‘mid-front’ layout instead of ‘mid-rear’ as in the Ferrari
F430. Weight balance is close to perfect, with 47 per cent on the
front wheels and 53 at the rear. That's clever!
The latest Ferrari 4.3-litre V8 engine is an all-new design and
now features direct fuel injection. The result is a production of
some 460 horsepower (338 kW in Australian terms) and a magnificent
485 Nm of torque. There's a good spread of torque as befits the
grand touring nature of the engine.
The V8 engine is mated to a seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox which
is even faster than the ‘old’ six-speed unit designed for the
Ferrari F430.
On the road this comfortable two-plus-two Ferrari convertible can
be wound up to a top speed of 310 km/h, having passed the 100 km/h
mark less than four seconds after leaving the line when using the
electronic launch control. That's fast!
Ferrari has opted for a new-style folding hardtop for the latest
California. In aluminium to keep weight down, as indeed is the
complete body, the roof can retract in just 14 seconds and can be
done with the car moving at very slow speeds should you desire to
make an impression when cruising away from your favourite cafe.
The Ferrari California has a recommended price in Australia of
$472,000 to which, statutory and dealer delivery charges have to
be added.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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