That would be awesome if they brought the manual here to the U.S. A G.T. tends to be more about relaxed cruising and not out and out performance. So shifting the car yourself will be fun. Like driving a manual Aston Martin top down on a nice road. The 458 is about maximum hardcore performance. So Paddles make more sense there. But I still wish they at least offered the manual.
It's a GT car. It's not a full out sports car. A manual transmission is very fitting. I don't see what's wrong with it. MOST people aren't going to be tracking a GT covertible. So losing half a second and gaining the joy of shifting (if you life manuals) seems like a good tradeoff. Cars are so fast nowadays that they aren't even usable on the street if you don't want to go to jail.
+10000 Praise God My respect for the company just bounded forward. Ferrari listens to even the tiny minority. The reason they have made this available is because they finally got the clue that a small percentage of enthusiasts actually care about driver involvement and a full-body experience, without being victimized by the insistence that "top performance" and "progress," in the form of ghey paddles, is the ultimate answer to everyone's expectations. Nobody is going to shatter Nurburgring GT records in an F149, nor do they ever want to. But they want to travel in the style of their choosing, in old gated-shifter tradition. 1 sec faster capability at 9 or 10/10ths, with paddles, is a silly and weak rationale to entirely delete the gated shifter as an option. Likewise, this proves that everyone doesn't like paddles nor needs 1 or even 2 seconds more top-performance at 9 or 10/10ths that will almost never be seen anyway by anyone driving their car. Alas, there will be buyers for a gate-shifted California. Not many, but they will be there. And, particularly when a buyer at this level can afford it, that buyer should be given the OPTION OF CHOICE to have whatever transmission they want. That is all that has been asked of Ferrari: To allow the buyer the option of choice. Good job, Ferrari! You "get it." PS... insofar as the 458, that is Ferrari's poster child for new performance and a benchmark for technological grandstanding. I don't expect nor care if that car ever has the gated shifter. It'd be nice, but it's not necessary.
I would agree that the choice is good for the potential buyers even though it will be probably 1% getting it ... but to call paddles ghey ... what are you smokin? I am in full control of mine with the paddles, and have never missed a shift. Did you ever miss a shift with your gates? Sorry, but I probably should follow my own advice (missed it here), if you don't have something good to say, think twice about saying anything.
Not everyone is enamored with paddles. The gated shifter has a magic and an intimacy of experience that paddles remove. The availability of a gated shifter on the Cali is a victory of principle. Hail Ferrari.
+1...Its hard to say that the point of these cars is to have the greatest technology/performance when its impossible to use even 80% of the cars potential on the roads, and if your looking to take a car to the track more than once or twice a year, the california will probably not be your car of choice.
is confirmed by Ferrari in their press release. This is an interesting issue because it uncovers layers of other issues. At what point does innovation no longer matter? Apparently this is the definitive line in the sand because Ferrari has heard it's customer base and now offers a manual transmission, with a gated shifter, in the Calfornia, a step "backwards." The press release from Ferrari maintains this position. Really it is irrelevant if you take the car to the track, drive it on long trips, use it to go the the grocery store. Enjoyment is enjoyment, passion is passion. It is about *the option of choice*, not being confined by a primacy of technological innovation over enjoyment of the driving experience. Not all advancements in automotive technology instantly translate into enjoyment for the driver. Some of the advancements remove the driving experience for some people.
I like the fact that Ferrari did live up to it's word and offer the California with the manual. Hopefully, it will eventually be available here in North America too. When I test drove a California last November, I was thoroughly impressed with the dual-clutch, but I would still go for a manual as I am still not a fan of the paddles. And if it is the same in feel/effort as a 360 6-speed (which I drove for all-too brief a period several years ago), I'd consider that to be as user-friendly as a paddle-shift! I was absolutely amazed at how effortless that 360's clutch pedal and gear shift lever was to use as compared to my 308. It truly showed the 30+ years of advancement Ferrari has made with their cars.
i disagree... both are wants... and when its a want... people will always "want" different things... LED TV vs plasma vs DLP vs LCD F1 vs auto vs 3 pedals... pick your flavor... everyone wins...
I don't think you know that to which you are disagreeing. Re-read the post(s). Buying a three pedal car is a personal preference. A personal preference is a want. It's an emotional decision. That's the point.
I'm glad they provide the option, I like manual transmissions but I have to tell you, if you've ever been to Best Buy (or here in Canada, Future Shop) buying a TV is about 1,000,000 times more complicated than buying a car. At least I understand what all the stuff in the car does.
before you role your eyes at me... Re-read what I was disagreeing too... which was the comment that buying a ferrari is not like buying a TV. That was wear my disagreement is/was
Justin, you were not specific as to where you disagreed. You simply wrote "I disagree" under my entire post. What I wrote, specifically with respect to the TV analogy, is that buying a TV is a "little different" than buying a Ferrari. I think you and I agree. That's the point. While personal preference goes into most buying decisions (which is what I wrote) whether buying a TV, skim milk, or a car, it is self evident that buying and owning a Ferrari is a unique experience in itself; and slightly different from buying and owning a TV. Ferrari ownership is about the emotion, the fun and that which is often intangible. A Ferrari, unlike a TV, is art. It is beautiful to look at whether sitting in your garage or parked in public as people who don't even know what it is still go "Look at that car!" Don't you think? Thus, a 50 year old Ferrari GTO or California is coveted, and goes up in value, while a LED TV gets thrown in the trash in five years.
I disagree...Yes the dual clutch is technically a much better transmission however some people (like me) also like the feel of a stick. I'm a fan of both F1 and Manual; don't get me wrong, however it's always nice to have that clutch pedal, IMO.
So you imply that only the people who buy 3 pedals are true enthusiasts and those who buy F1/DCT aren't?
Cannot quote enough. Emotions. These are the only things that a Ferrari is supposed to give to the owner.
