California Review: Controversial

Well there is a proviso, usually feel fairly nervous posting these type of reviews, do ignore any small spelling and grammar errors, I typed this up pretty quickly and it still needs to be cleaned up a bit but I think think its nearly there. Writting is something I do to relax after after day at the office playing with numbers!

I am sure some parts of this review may raise some eyebrows....

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN

California. The mere mention of the word conjures up images of sun, surf and the exquisite Pacific Coastal Highway. Of course for Ferrari enthusiasts it conjures up images of what many regard as the most beautiful convertible ever made, the 250 California in either its short wheel base or the equally elegant long wheel base form.

Fast forward to the present and we have a new California, a car which the die hard Ferrari enthusiasts have taken time to warm to, the reason perhaps being the name and heritage attached to it but before I get into the ins and out of the new model lets have a look back at the 250 California and the type of car it was at the time.

The first version of the California that being the long wheel base model was launched in 1959, a strikingly elegant car but its place in the Ferrari range needed to be seen in context. At the time the car to have was the 250 SWB, it was the quintessential GT car, the idea being to drive to the track, race and drive home. In this role the SWB excelled but its dual role did mean it was compromised and to some it would have been a bit too race orientated for everyday use. If you wanted to cause a stir on Rodeo Drive the only Ferrari you would want would be the California, either the long wheelbase or the later short wheelbase would have done the trick. Underneath that curvaceous body was the same 3 liter V12, shared with another great GT car, the 250 Tour De France, outputs ranged from around 240 bhp to 280bhp for the later SWB cars.

The intention of the California was important, its doubtful Ferrari put much thought into product planning but clearly the California was intended with a different type of customer, one who didn’t put a premium on track performance but they still wanted the full Ferrari experience, screaming V12 engine and lovely looks.

Fast forward to the present and thousands of words have been written about the new California, some about how it’s not a true Ferrari, others saying it’s too soft to be called a Ferrari. All of these people are wrong.

Let’s start with the looks, sure they are subjective but spend some time looking at the California and there are some classic Ferrari design elements, whether the whole is model like I will leave up to you but its certainly a shape that looks better with each passing day.

Open the door and those that were expecting a saloon will be disappointed as clambering into a California is still very much a sports car event, one having to drop down into the seat. In other words the experience is still special, as is the cabin, this example having lots of carbon fiber everywhere but even without it the cabin looks good, the ambience is very Ferrari.

On the move car is quiet but there is enough V8 music lest one ever forget you are in an Italian stallion, raw figures cant convey how fast the California feels, in the days of massive power 450bhp may not sound like a lot but thanks to the excellent gearbox one feels locked into the experience, the horizon rushing towards one at an ever increasing rate, of course while this is going one is being pinned back in ones seat. Then there is the sound, at low revs the motor growls like an impatient lion about to pounce on its prey but as the revs increase the sound is pure Ferrari, a loud roar, totally different to that of the 430.

Corners, here the skeptics will tell you the car is too soft to be any good but the reality is rather different, sure the car doesn’t have the focus of something like a 599 or 430 but when asked to corner it does so with grace and plenty of pace, in fact it seems to stick like glue to its chosen path, the only evidence of how hard the car is working being a slight bit of body roll. The experience is that of a sports car and nothing like the boulevard cruiser some expected.

Focus, some people say the California doesn’t have focus, perhaps its brilliance is the fact it can be all things to many people, cruising around town its quiet, the ride is comfortable but that passion is still there to remind you that you are driving a Ferrari, when it’s a nice summers day you can drop the top and much like its predecessor you can wow the crowds or you can get up at 6am head out to your favorite mountain pass and attack the road like a demon and end the drive with a big smile on your face.

Its this multiple personality that defines the brilliance of the California, its every bit a Ferrari but its not a Ferrari we have seen for many decades, people will criticize me for saying this but I think it deserves to sit alongside its illustrious namesake, not because its beautiful but because it’s a Ferrari that changed the way the world saw Ferrari, the California keeps the passion of the brand and yes its not a hardcore car but it was never meant to be one, just like the 1959 model wasn’t meant to be either. Today just like in 1959 if you want a truly hardcore Ferrari there are other models in the range but to say the new California is a lesser Ferrari is doing it an injustice. Spend some time in one and you may, like me be very surprised to find it a special car in its own right.

JR
CapeTown
South Africa.