Cali Rear Seat Comfort?

I have been recently tossing around the idea of consolidating my now aging Bentley and my 360 spider into a brand new 2013 Cali under the idea that I would get an uberperforming luxury GT 4 seater coupe like the Bentley and the top down Ferrari experience of the 360 (kind of) in one package with 7 yr free maintenance for the same price and current trade in cost of my two aging gems that I have now had for many rewarding years.

But the big question is, are those rear seats really useable?

 

Depends on who would be using them!

 

For midgets... or little kids - not like the GT - I can shoehorn 2 people in my GT if I need to - not so w the Cali

 

They are NOT useable..
Good for storage though

 

+1

 

Great car. Outstanding performance. Great modern amenities such useable Bluetooth, satellite radio, fantastic magnaride suspension, etc.
Make no mistake, the rear seats are not useable except for small children (toddler seats do not fit well) for very brief periods and only if the front seat driver/passenger is rather short and can slide the front seats way up. With a reasonable height adult in the front, there is no space at all between the back of the seat and the rear seat.

 

I take my 2 kids pretty often in it and they are just sitting on a booster with no back.

You should be ok up to 5ft tall back there as long as you don't push the front seat all the way back.

I am 6ft3 by the way...and it works ;-)

 

Get the CF racing seats if you want to use the back. The seats are incredibly thin and sort of taper to the sides allowing one to put their knees around the seat.

 

Hmm, does not look good. I need rear seats and the Bentley's are tight, but usable by adults just fine. I would be having pre-teens and teens back there the most, but an adult needs to fit as well.

I may end up with a new Bentley then and a 430 or just keep my 360. Going to a Cali driving event next week so I will check for myself.

 

A 612 has usable rear seats but of course it's larger and isn't a convertible.

 

This might give you an idea.
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Take a look at my avitar (spelling?) (the picture to the left of my name above). Three adults in a California. Now, the driver's seat was WAY TOO FAR FORWARD to drive with any comfort but we spent the better part of two days in this Cali flying a R/C sailplane (pictured) on a 6.5 mile cross country course. It is useable but way uncomfortable and I do not recommend it. Small kids behind the driver's seat still mean moving the seat too far forward for my 6' frame.

Although, this summer we are likely to do the event again, and possibly with my 2012 Cali. By the way, we won the event that this photo comes from two years ago, a national championship.

Rick

 

Thanks for the pics. Definately tighter than my Bentley, but possible? I am 5'6" with short legs on top (long torso) so don't have the 6' frame problem and can be quite forward.

 

Try it out when you go to your driving event. Let's just say in my 4 months of ownership, I having had one passenger in the rear seats yet. It's good for storage and if you had to squeeze someone in a pinch but I would stick with the CGT for extended travel. The new V8 CGT should be dropping soon or maybe Maser GT.

 

I've been in the back. It was very tight and my shoulder was touching the roof practically. It was raining and I had to lean my head a lot. It was fine for the few minutes I was in the back but it would have been bad if we went any longer. The person in front of me was pretty far up.
They advertise it as a 2+ not a 2+2. It depends on how big your kids are

 

You coulees always try maserati convertible

 

Only a small child could sit in the back with the roof closed. Otherwise, the rear seat is basically useless - unless your wife is a contortionist.

 

Still looks bad. 4 of my 5 personal cars are 2 seaters so I need a 4 seater to take teenagers to cheer twice a week and the occasional 3 adult jaunt. A car seat also needs to fit back there, the Ferrari Recaro carbon car seat I use in my 360 now.

 

Take these cars for a test-drive:

Bentley Conti GT
Maserati QP
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
Aston Martin Rapide
Porsche Panamera 4S

 

The Jag XFR is more fun to drive than any of these except the 612 and Panamera. It's also less money and would be worry-free with a new car warranty and maintenance. Try it.

 

Bentley Conti GT (already own one and if I keep it, I will replace it with the same thing)
Maserati QP (beautiful but everybody who owns one has problems with it and it AINT a Ferrari or a Bentley. I would rather keep what I have as that would not be an upgrade)
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti (to combine 2 cars, I need a convertable)
Aston Martin Rapide (Same issue as the 612 and I already have an Aston. Although a gorgeous car, a Bentley GT is a much better GT choice)
Porsche Panamera 4S (same issue as 612, this would be a step down and it is FUGLY as hell and performance not that impressive unless in turbo form)

 

I just did a charity drive today for Cannon Beach library and adults easily fit in the back, even comfortably. Husband 6' and the wife in the back was probably 5'5 and both had good leg room. Again that is with the CF seats, can't see how that would work with the Daytona's or other seats.

 

Being realistic, these are NOT usable seats for other than small children or a short run.
If you need to functionally carry 4 people ... the Cali doesn't work.

 

Correct

 

Not sure if your question has been answered. The Cali will not work for you if you wish to accommodate four American adults. If you need a high performance 4-seater that looks beautiful I can tell you with some authority that you should get either the CL550, Bentley GT, or of course the FF. Avoid the QP as I have owned two and was not happy (sounds great but is outdated and poorly assembled and depreciates approx 55k from moment it is driven off lot). I would also avoid the Panamera as I have owned two and never liked the looks (and am unclear as to why in the world I went for the second one) and a new Panamera is around the corner. The Rapide was ho-hum after having owned a Ferrari. Really the finest 2+2's beside the Cali (which is 2+ small kid or dog or grocery bag) that I have driven is the CL550 and the Bentley GT.