62 auto italia
Super Cali,
Fragile Is It?
Ferrari’s first-ever front-engined V8 car was its new
entry-level model at launch over 10 years ago.
With prices now falling down to around
£70,000, should you take the plunge?
Story by Richard Dredge
Images by Michael WardA
lthough it may not go down in history as
the greatest Ferrari of all time, the
California was certainly a game changer for
the marque. Not only was this the
company's first ever car with a V8 engine in
the nose, but it was also its first ever coupe-cabriolet.
As such, it was designed to provide year-round
usability, and because it was also Ferrari's cheapest
model (priced at £143,320 when it was launched), it
was also relatively attainable. This latter point is crucial
because it was the California that enabled Ferrari to
appeal to younger buyers, who were more likely to use
their cars frequently, instead of just for the odd dry-
weather run. Well, that was the theory, anyway.
The world got its first glimpse of the California at the
September 2008 Paris Salon, and while Ferrari was
predictably upbeat about how this was a new type of
car for the company, for some Prancing Horse fans,
things didn't quite add up. The California was more of a
grand tourer than a true sports car, and it was powered
by a V8 rather than a V12. No wonder rumours have
persisted that the California was originally intended to
wear Trident badges rather than Prancing Horse ones –
rumours that Ferrari has consistently denied.
The V8 was a new 4.3-litre unit with a flat-plane
crank and direct fuel injection, giving it 460hp at
7500rpm, with the power sent to the rear wheels via a
seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. There was a
new multi-link rear suspension system, F1-Trac traction
control and carbon-ceramic brake discs were standard.
At the 2012 Geneva Salon, Ferrari unveiled an
updated car tagged California 30, with an extra 30hp
(now up to 490hp) and its kerb weight cut by 30kg. At
the same time, a Handling Speciale package was
introduced, which improved agility without wrecking
the ride comfort; the key was the fitment of
magnetorheological dampers along with more direct
steering (10 per cent quicker ratio). This factory-fit
package proved popular with buyers, and such cars are
now easy to find on the used market.
The big change came in 2014, though, when the
California T was revealed at that year's Geneva Salon in
March. Out went the 4.3-litre naturally aspirated V8
and in came a 560hp turbocharged 3855cc unit, still
mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and
now capable of 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds. This new
powerplant was claimed to use 15 per cent less fuel
despite offering an impressive 70hp boost.
While the focus of the California T is usually on the
powerplant, the changes were much more wide-
ranging. New Magnaride dampers reacted 50 per cent
faster than before, a more direct steering box was
installed, the F1-Trac system was updated and the
carbon-ceramic brakes were fettled too. But for many,
perhaps the biggest improvement was to the body
design, with the front and rear completely overhauled;
only the roof was carried over unchanged.
Although this revised California T was far better to
drive than its predecessor, Ferrari is all about evolution
and in spring 2016 a Handling Speciale option was
introduced. This was perhaps now less necessary than
before, but it still sharpened things up for those who
wanted to drive their California hard. For £5568 you got
stiffer springs (16 per cent at the front, 19 per cent at
the rear), recalibrated dampers, traction control and
gearbox software to give upshifts that were 30 per
cent faster and downshifts that were 40 per cent
quicker. There was also a redesigned exhaust that
provided a more raucous soundtrack.
Production of the California T came to an end in 2017