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Ferrari has revealed its much anticipated fourth model – the California – delivering relative affordability in a four-seat, V8 package aimed at ‘more mature’ buyers.
The four-seat Ferrari California convertible has a V8 engine and is aimed at attracting new buyers to the exclusive sports car marque.
With four seats, the Ferrari California is aimed at those who want the looks and performance of a Ferrari but don’t want to stretch to one of the two V12 models – the 599 GTB and the 612 Scaglietti – which are priced at closer to $600,000.
“The California is aimed at a different market – more mature buyer who would have otherwise had to get a V12,” says Ferrari Australia public relations manager Edward Rowe. “The F430 is more in your face, more aggressive whereas this is more of a grand tourer.”
According to a Ferrari press release: “The Ferrari California is aimed at owners who desire a car which embodies everything the Prancing Horse represents in terms of sporty design and innovation, but also seek a car with greater versatility than ever.”
In keeping with the different target market, the Ferrari California is fitted with a folding hard-top roof, making it exclusively a convertible. Between the convertible layout and the name it’s clear the Ferrari California will be heavily targeted at the US market; some have even suggested it’s targeted at cashed up American baby boomers.
The California’s body is aluminium in an effort to keep weight down, a prime focus for Ferrari moving forward as it thrives for fuel economy improvements and better performance potentially from smaller engines.
Another big difference between the Ferrari F430 and the Ferrari California is the location of the engine; in the F430 it sits behind the occupants while in the California it is in the more common location under the bonnet.
Both cars have a 4.3-litre V8, but the California’s is said to be “all-new V8 engine mounted for the first time in the marque’s history in the mid-front position”, referring to its placement back in the engine bay behind the front axle.
Ferrari hasn’t released exact details of the engine, other than to say it will deliver 460hp, or around 343kW, at 7500rpm. The engine has a deeper V8 sound than the more visceral scream of the F430, again aimed at a more mature buyer.
More potent carbon-ceramic brakes will be fitted to the California as standard.
The Ferrari California also gets a new seven-speed twin clutch gearbox, which uses two clutches for almost instantaneous gear changes, providing faster acceleration and a slight reduction in fuel economy. The clutch is computer controlled so there is no clutch pedal.
Like the Volkswagen DSG system that pioneered the twin-clutch technology while one clutch is engaged the other preselects the next gear up. When a gear change is required the second clutch is engaged and the original clutch then selects the next upward gear.
The new V8 and seven-speed twin-clutch are enough to launch the Ferrari California to 100km/h in “less than 4.0 seconds”.
Keeping the power to the ground is a version of Ferrari’s F1-Trac stability and traction control system, which first debuted on the 599 GTB and, later, on the 430 Scuderia. As the name suggests, F1-Trac uses technology gleaned from Ferrari’s Formula One involvement, giving the driver various settings for different conditions and abilities.
According to Ferrari the California will be a true Ferrari when it comes to driving dynamics.
“The new Ferrari California will satisfy even the most demanding of owners in terms of its superb vehicle dynamics and driving pleasure,” the press release said.
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