2nd guessing myself

Lonnie,

I owned a Cali for over 2.5 years and have driven my 458 Spider for 4 months. They are totally different cars. You need to determine what kind of experience you are seeking. If you are looking for raw power and the thrill of running the rpm's close to 9000 then the 458 is the way to go. If on the other hand you need the extra space or want a better touring ride then stick with the Cali.

Frankly, unless you know some cops that will look the other way or plan to track the car the Cali has plenty of pop and you will enjoy the ride.

 

Agreed the 458 is totally different car have driven my friends a fair amount it is very fast and great looking not really for me though . THe 430 is a very nice car and will give you a lot of the same feel but the californias transmission is noticeably faster . From my standpoint I bought a 550 for a little extra pop with the v12 it really has a difference in low end torque and throttle response . At the end of the day the california is faster though. Thats the great thing about performance cars there is ALWAYS one better that is faster and etc...
Best of luck in your choice.
LarryH

 

I actually have a Scuderia also and I couldnt bring myself to trading it in on the California...it has such a different personality compared to the California and I think that PA Wolfpacker has it right...depending on what you are looking for in the car will determine which model is best suited for you.

We use the California for going out to dinner, Sunday drives and trips throughout the state with my wife and daughter.

The Scuderia is my "Hooligan" car in which I pretty much take it out by myself or meetup with friends.

Picking up a 430 or 360, or even diving deeper into it with a Scuderia or Challenge Stradale, will give you the "Race Car" Ferrari feel and satisfy those basic urges of wanting something different.

 

That sounds like a perfect combination ..

 

For a little motivation...
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Lonnie, I think your experience boils down to expectations. The Ferrari 348 and 360 you've owned were direct predecessors of the F430 and 458 and not the California. The Cali is the first of new class of Ferraris. Since you know the 348 and 360 your expectations of the F430 and 458 should be much easier to meet.

Part of the issue may also lie with the dealer. Ferrari dealers don't discuss their full line of new cars to a new buyer and usually don't even have all the models on display. there are no brochures unless you ask for them. If your salesman had discussed your previous FCars I think he would have offered you more choices.

My original interest was actually the Maserati GranCabrio. Drove it, loved it but didn't like the soft top. Drove the F430 next, loved it but felt it was way too loud and raw for a DD - an attention magnet. Looked at the Cali next, loved the hardtop and full convertible feature. Loved how quick it was and appreciated the toned-down look. Saw the 458 but knew it was another attention magnet and that they wouldn't have a convertible anyway. So the Cali was the best fit for me.

My new Cali 30 actually exceeded expectations as the 2 Calis I drove were both pre-2013 models. I'm considering an extra FCar when I have time to enjoy one but for now, I can't imagine being without the Cali 30. None of the other FCars does everything that the Cali does.

 

You da man!

SV

 

This is what I ended up in Hong Kong... Cali for DD snd SL for those days when you want it raw.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Well said. I've been daily driving my Cali for the past 18 months, have an October build for my Spider with early 2014 delivery. Cali is a great GT. However, I'm a bachelor, don't have kids and have a 2011 BMW F10.

I liked the dual nature of my Carrera S, equally invigorating weekend driving and Sam's Club or Home Depot runs.

From my experience driving the 458 Spider, I think this car will meet the dual purpose nature of the 911 while exceeding it performance and exclusivity wise.

There's more 911s in my parking garage than 458s in the whole state!

 

Dare I say that the new Cali, the 2015?, will give us a GT 458 experience? Dare to dream.

 

Nice parking spots …your cars are pretty nice too. Very well-chosen colour schemes.

 

I think I understand your sentiments but I also believe the current Cali *is* the GT 458 experience. Here is what I mean.

Both cars already use essentially the same engine; the 458 engine has 0.2 litre more capacity for a higher top end and a boost in acceleration. But IMO, this difference is mainly cosmetic which Ferrari uses to maintain a performance distance between the 2 cars. A 9000 rpm redline, slightly bigger engine, lighter car, gear ratios together deliver the 458's higher performance specs. But you cannot really tap those specs in daily driving.

The Cali actually stops faster than the 458 from 60 and 80 mph, and matches the 458 at acceleration times up to 30mph in spite of its weight and being lower in max HP and max torque.

Ferrari cannot make a Cali with the same specs as a concurrent mid-engine sport model. Instead, they position the 458 between the Cali and the F12, to eliminate confusion and maintain your interest. If you want a GT 458, you wait a generation or you buy the F12.

 

Lonnie looking at your prior cars it seems you've always had a looker...something that you drove that others probably fawned over. Now you have two cars that essentially fly under the radar. I might get one thumbs-up each time I take the Cali out. But when I took out my 458 or my Bentley SSport I got a thumbs up every block. It sounds to me like this is you missing the sexy car.

Here's what I would do...dump the panamera its ugly as hell anyway and the Cali will suffice as a pseudo 4 seater. Get yourself a real 4 seater that is fast, comfortable and good looking. I would suggest a BMW M5, the not yet arrived Mercedes E63S or an Audi RS7 and finally a new looker which should definitely not be the 430. The difference in performance and handling and beauty between the 430 and 458 is so startling that I could never recommend going back to a 430. Of course this is only my opinion so before all the 430 and Panamera owners go bonkers I will throw myself on the sword and say that the one area in my life that I have strong opinions is in cars. Maybe not always a good thing on a forum.

 

Interesting observation . THe reaction I get on my rosso california is far different. There is never a day that I do not have thumbs up virtually every time I look over .. I catch people filming the car everyday sometimes to a dangerous point.. I also have a 550 and a 246 DINO GT ,and a Maserati Gt, and the response to the California is greater. I live in an area with few Ferraris by the way all 3 Ferraris are RED... I think that the color may have something to do with it..
LarryH

 

I think so too.
Red, Yellow, White (the standart colors, not to talk about orange or pink) brings the attention to the car if you are driving.
If you are parking the car, the color is not that important in most cases. You just get the attention, if the car is nice or new or whatever interessting...

I think for me the color bianco avus (white) would be a great deal. It's not red, but it's still not standart black/ grey. (which, of course, are great colors too)

 

I would opt for S8 rather than S7 if you're looking to replace a Panamera. It is an amazing drive!

 

I'll sell as long as I get right of first refusal to buy it back. My Audi R8 with the Stasis challenge extreme package. Matte black with 709 hp! Nothing comes close to beating me or getting more attention than this young lady. 0 to 60 is rated at 3.1 but I'm sure its faster. And a convertible to boot. Ahh but no electronic trans here. Its a classic 6 speed with metal gated shifter.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I observe (including myself) that if one has little use for the back seats in the Cali, there will be some dissatisfaction in that, just like the OP has said, it does lack a little wow factor for a car costing this much. However, I need those back seats for the little ones which makes all the difference to me in that I can share the Ferrari experience with them and that is priceless.

 

THis thread got me thinking today I was at the ferrari dealer, FOW and they had 2 430 scuds and a 16m along with 2 599 gtos for sale ..... sure had a beautiful black with silver stripe 430scud.... just saying......or maybe a red 16m really liked the black car ...bad to the bone...
sure am glad I live 200 miles away.....
LarryH