California T review - from a SL drivers perspective !!! | FerrariChat

California T review - from a SL drivers perspective !!!

Discussion in 'California/Portofino/Roma' started by jling77, Sep 20, 2014.

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  1. jling77

    jling77 Rookie

    Aug 23, 2012
    2
    #1 jling77, Sep 20, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Hello and thank you for allowing me to post in this forum. I'm not a sport car / driver enthusiast so please excuse my use of simple lay man terms.

    Today I had an excellent opportunity to test drive the new California T around my town and I really wanted to test it out from the daily driver point of view. Being a SL driver for 10 years , the car served me incredible well - nice comfy ride and not intrusively loud in the cabin. Would the new California T be able to draw me away from getting another SL to replace my current car ?

    Six month prior to this, I test drove the 2012 California. I found the ride a bit too firm for my daily commute and the exhaust noise a bit too boomie even with the roof up ( sorry to offend any existing owners ). The car had carbon race seats hence coming from my SL seat - it was way too hard after seating in it for a long duration. Also the gear change was not as smooth as I expected. Yes the looks of the car was great - but something was missing / not quite right which I could not put my finger on it.

    Well all that change when I saw this California T beauty !!! The front of the car looks so good and reminded me of the F12. The head lights looked better. As for the boot - yes !!! Reducing the height of it has made the car look in better proportion. I like the vertically aligned twin pipes on the original California cause it looked unique , the side of side looked plain pedestrian. The car had 20 inch wheels which I agree is a real must for this car. At the original launch event of this car ( a few months back ) they had the standard 19 inch wheels which does not do any real justice to the look of this car.

    Then we started the car , yippee it didn't blow my eardrums out ( sorry again to you all Ferrari owners ). Must nicer softer sound without the harsh crackle / metallic sound. I knew then this could be a winner for someone who is not accustomed to loud exhaust noise. Once on the road , both with roof up or down , while cruising the car exhaust sound was real pleasant and soft. When we floored it temporarily , the lovely crackle came on to remind you that you are in a Ferrari.

    As for the ride, the car had diamond stitching seats and we never ventured outside the comfort setting on the manettino. Some of our road here are rather bumpy ( I'm being kind here ) and I found the ride quite satisfactory. Definitely not harsh at all and the steering was light with good turning circle. Leaving the gears in automatic the change was also smoother from what I can remember from my last test drive of the original California.

    So far so good, right ? Well nearly there. This is where the non sport car driver in me come out. The steering wheel. Yes it is good to have all the controls on the steering wheel, gear change , suspension setting and turn light indicator. But how do you change the volume, music source on the entertainment system , or answer the phone without taking your hands off the wheel. How are we going to use the new Apple CarPlay without first taking our hands off the steering wheel and touching the screen / button on the info-taiment system. I would gladly swap a few of the switches and knobs on the current steering wheel in exchange for the above system. Commonly used features should be within easy reach without taking our hands off the steering wheel. Most other car company have already caught on to this point. Oh by the way, I got totally confused while going around a round about and then trying to work out the proper turn indicator to press in the middle of the circle.

    So yes at the end of the day, I can safely say from my short observation, if Ferrari is marketing this car as a grand tourer to be used as everyday driver , it has succeeded for me. The noise and ride comfort was just right for what we expect from a company famous for making high perform exotic cars.

    Now I just have to work out how to get the bloody thing up my steep driveway !!!!
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  2. MARMIST

    MARMIST Formula 3

    Jul 1, 2014
    1,338
    #2 MARMIST, Sep 20, 2014
    I guess you're the answer to all those here who asked "BUT WHO ASKED FERRARI TO MAKE LESS NOISY CARS" ?
     
  3. Ron4pro

    Ron4pro Karting

    Oct 21, 2013
    180
    Arizona
    #3 Ron4pro, Sep 20, 2014
    Thanks for posting your experience. I have also come from a Merc SL background. I purchased a Cali 30 with the special handling package. The Merc was agree at car too but a Ferrari is just a rare classic in any car of the lineup.

    In Ferarris case, they were trying to tone down its race DNA to fit into a GT car and the Merc is trying expand from its creature comfort DNA into a sports car. I have found the Cali to be way more sporty and fun to drive than my old SL. It took a few months to get acclimated to driving in sport manual versus automatic shifting like I had in the SL. My advice to u is keep driving it, read a lot of the posts from the fine people in this forum and history of Ferrari, and make a trip out Maranello and see how the people put dedication and focus into building these works of art and technology that we enjoy.

    Welcome to Ferrari
     
  4. SVCalifornia

    SVCalifornia Formula 3
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    Mar 28, 2011
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    Silicon Valley
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    Keith
    #4 SVCalifornia, Sep 20, 2014

    You didn't notice the volume and source switches in the back of the steering wheel? Have been there since the first Cali. They offer a lift for those that need more road height...

    SV
     
  5. Noblesse Oblige

    Noblesse Oblige F1 Veteran

    Nov 7, 2011
    6,114
    Three Places
    #5 Noblesse Oblige, Sep 20, 2014
    Ferrari knows what it is doing. They want the California to appeal to SL drivers so don;t want to make it too "uncivilized." It has been successful and will be even more so now with the T. As for noise, it is often a gradual thing. Pretty soon the OP will be adding sport cats, test pipes, and straight through mufflers. :)
     
  6. qwertstnbir

    qwertstnbir Formula 3

    Jul 14, 2013
    1,620
    #6 qwertstnbir, Sep 20, 2014
    what sl do you drive? 63?
     
  7. jumpinjohn

    jumpinjohn F1 Veteran
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    #7 jumpinjohn, Sep 20, 2014
    Haha, I didn't notice that for about six weeks after I bought mine... /D
     
  8. MisterMaranello

    MisterMaranello F1 Rookie

    Apr 5, 2011
    3,237
    Europe
    #8 MisterMaranello, Sep 20, 2014
    Haha, the first thing I did the first time a drove a 458 was sit outside the dealership feeling my way around every button and knob on the steering wheel to make sure I would do anything stupid whilst in traffic. Must have been a bit of an odd sight; indicators, high beams, wipers, radio volume etc. all going on/off! :p :D
     
  9. mik458spider

    mik458spider Formula 3

    Jan 13, 2013
    1,386
    #9 mik458spider, Sep 20, 2014
    Jling77, you should test the 458. Once you have gotten into 458, you won't want a Cali T anymore, forget about the SL, that one is not yet in the league.
    It also has that comfort suspension button, and it has something that Cali T doesn't have : Xgasm-mode (some people call it Race Mode). In this mode, the valve is always opened, and the sound of 458 (screams to 9,000rpm) is by far better than non Turbo California, which is by far better than Cali T. So it's kind of F1-like all the way. And when you want the car to be silent, just switch to Sad-mode (some people call it Wet Mode, for raining use). A used 458 is about the same price with new Cali T.
    Btw, when you are really testing one, don't switch the Manettino over the Xgasm Mode. Those two are Broken Rubber Mode and Bareback Mode, it's not good for health.
     
  10. mtarvydas

    mtarvydas Formula Junior

    Oct 26, 2011
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    On the Mountain
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    #10 mtarvydas, Sep 20, 2014
    Volume, phone and channels are controlled by the buttons on the back side of the steering wheel. Many don't realize those buttons exist on the steering wheel
     
  11. Need4Spd

    Need4Spd F1 Veteran

    Feb 24, 2007
    6,646
    Silicon Valley
    #11 Need4Spd, Sep 21, 2014

    There is also voice recognition, but at least with the prior models, it wasn't all that good.
     
  12. keithos27

    keithos27 Formula 3

    Oct 26, 2012
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    Keith
    #12 keithos27, Sep 21, 2014
    Hopefully Siri fixes that.
     
  13. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

    Apr 10, 2009
    6,323
    UK
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    Tim
    #13 Traveller, Sep 21, 2014
    Whilst the Spider is a great car, it is not comparable to an SL and if coming from an SL, the Cali is the logical alternative. Having owned both, whilst I loved the Spider when it came time to push, the Cali would get my vote next time, most especially as the Spider does not feel like a full convertible.
     
  14. abiazis

    abiazis Rookie

    Jun 3, 2005
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    atlanta
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    Andrew Dennis Biazis
    #14 abiazis, Oct 9, 2014
    After test-driving the Cali T, I can say it compares to my SL 65 as far as overall utility, but did not seem as seamlessly fast from 50-80mph, but does move pretty good and handles much sharper......it definitely is sportier with the way it rides and Ferrari probably will steal some share from the AMG SL crowd.......I am thinking about it myself......saw a white pearl with blue interior at Paris AutoShow that was just plain beautiful........
     
  15. Cigarzman

    Cigarzman F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 7, 2014
    7,675
    Sarasota , Florida
    #15 Cigarzman, Oct 13, 2014
    While the SL may not be in the same league as the Cali it is my DD (63 with chip) . I decided to buy a 430 spider too. It's nothing like the SL but it's a blast to drive . So keep the SL and get a 430 or 458 . There my 2 cents.
     
  16. Royalpar1

    Royalpar1 Formula 3

    Oct 18, 2013
    1,767
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    Mitchell Lombard
    #16 Royalpar1, Oct 13, 2014
    I drive a SLK which i had prior to ordering the Cali T, however, the part i do not understand from this board, is why have a SL63 and a Cali ? The SL depreciates even more quickly than a Cali, so why have both as they seem duplicious. I can understand the DD as a 4 seater, but to have a DD with 2 seats why not just drive the Cali ? Just asking as i just dont understand.
     
  17. PhilNotHill

    PhilNotHill Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 3, 2006
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    FelipeNotMassa
    #17 PhilNotHill, Oct 13, 2014
    I wonder how long it took for me to find and figure out how to use the buttons on the BACK of the steering wheel on the 458 Spider? It's been 18k+ miles ago and a year and a half. I do not remember.

    The buttons work great. Had to play around and see what they did in different Modes (nav, radio, media and phone). Now it's just second nature. and the voice recognition system works so well...it's the only way to go. She has no problem understanding me...but then I do not have an English accent! ;)

    SLs are really cars for old men. I am 69 but want something more fun to drive. there are so many mercs around here they do not have the wow factor that the Ferrari has. If you want little or no attention, live in a nursing home and wear Depends, the SL is for you. :D
     
  18. Cigarzman

    Cigarzman F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 7, 2014
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    #18 Cigarzman, Oct 13, 2014
    I should have mentioned my wife has a 4 seater Benz . My bad . My feeling was just that I love my SL but wanted a Ferrari so as someone else suggested maybe try a 430 or a 458. I went for the 430spider and will probably trade next for a 458 spider .Both wonderful drives however I'm gonna loose my a** on the Benz that's just a given . Ps I've never driven an SLK . Good luck with the Cali and post pics . Also I'm not old 56 and have driven SLs since I was in my 30 s and lastly I don't live in a nursing home LOL !
     

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