Has anyone gone from an F430 to a California?

I have had a 360, a 430 and now a 2016 California T, and the Cali is superior for everyday driving and more practical for me. I don't like soft-tops, so the folding hardtop is a great compromise, especially as where I live in Florida it is often too hot to have the top down. The Cali T is certainly faster than the 430 too, but the main difference is the great double-clutch gearbox. My 360 had problems with the F1, the 430 was much better, but again no comparison to the newer DCTs.

I have driven the 458 and 488, but for me the Cali T is the best option. I have also driven the Portofino, but the changes from the Cali T are minimal, and not worth the big delta to pay. Maybe I will just wait for the next version to appear.

As to the comments about the wife driving the cars, I insist my wife drives them on occasion, because who knows one day she may have to. She did not like the 430 driving, it was too aggressive for her, but she's happy in the Cali T and just leaves it in auto shift mode.

 

Thank you all. This is some excellent feedback. I'm leaning towards the F430 just because, with it being my first Ferrari, I want to know I'm getting at least one time the kind of aggressive exotic sports car I always wanted as a kid. I don't mind driving my SUV most days which is my current situation.

But you all bring up an interesting point -- perception. I want one for the engine and how the steering wheel feels in my hands. I love the smile it puts on my face, but I do hate the perception like it's a car only show-offs would own. I'm going to track it, but in the wrong company just saying the name ("What do you drive?" "Ferrari XXX") could conjure an unfortunate connotation. How do you handle that?

 

Btw, this is a great quote. My wife has seen how big my smile is every time I drive one, so this is very true for me.

 

I own a gated 430 and reviewed the Calis at their launches (I’m a journalist). They are so different that they could come from different manufacturers. The 430 is as you describe an exotic midengined sports car, and its probably the ultimate combination of raw x performance before things got more refined with the 458. I don’t like the F1 transmission though. The Cali 30 HS (for example) is a great all round car, but it’s not raw or that exotic. If I had the Cali rather than the 430 I would certainly drive it more. But each journey in the 430 is memorable for all the right reasons.

As to handling the crap that comes with owning a Ferrari, you just do.

 

I have a Cali30 HS with performance modifications.

I've been out on tours and drives with other Ferraris and my car is much louder, sounds better than any of the other cars. People cannot believe how good my car sounds. It's also almost as fast as my 675LT and most of that difference is in the way power builds in the LT and the LT has 675 PS, weighs less than 1300kg. My Cali30 HS is raw, will crackle, pop and bang on its own, sounds like an F1 car, downshift very loud, engine will "shrug" the suspension on its own just driving peacefully down the road. The car behaves as if it has a mind of its own, in a good and surprising manner, keeping you guessing, entertained. Cold starts will hurt your ears if you stand too close.

While a factory-spec Cali is meant to appeal to a broad audience, you can mod the Cali to also be very raw and use driving modes and exhaust valve control to vary the character of the car. You simply cannot do that in older Ferraris. They are what they are and that's it.

I was once interested in an F430 gated Spider but after testing an F1 F430 Spider, I felt the car was simply too single-dimension. I would never use it very much or put in long drives with it. The newer cars like the Cali are faster, can incorporate the temperament of 2, 3 or more different types of cars under one package, especially if you use aftermarket upgrades.

I estimate there were less than 2,500 Cali30 built and maybe about 20% of those are HS.

 

Nailed it...

 

What do you want to know? I have had 2 430's (gearshift and F1), and a T. Of course my T has over 650hp, but if you want some advise from someone who has pretty much been there done that when it comes to cars, I will be glad to offer some advise. The 430 is a great car (if we are talking 20 years ago), but it has been surpassed in every way but the little horsey, by cars like the 4C, Cayman 718 GTS, Evora 400, and soon the Corvette C8. The T is not really supposed to be a sports car, and for all of you in your mind F1 team members it is not as sharp as any of the cars I mentioned, but for 99.5% of what you will do on the street legally, it is far more capable than its owners. I don't know what Porsche you drive, but other than my winter 911 (modified 991 C4S with Alpin winter tires the only tires), my Porsches are a lot sharper and more sports car like than my T. You will drive the T more because it is more modern, more comfortable, not as loud, and easier to live with. I realize not everyone sees things as I do, but I base my words not on emotional but in capability of a machine and what it can and cannot do well.

 

My experience. I traded my 360 Spider in on a Cali T. Two entirely different cars. But for what I want, the Cali T is perfect, it is fast, nice sound at low RPM's, it is comfortable, and its a Ferrari. It does not scream like my 360 with a Capristo exhaust did, but I am very happy with it. I had purchased a new 911 last August for my DD and dumped it in May, just did not work for me. Ordered a new C8 for my DD. I smile every time I start up the Cali T.
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Morrie, to bring this discussion back into perspective, I think Vic was originally just looking to compare an F430 with a Cali30, as a second hand purchase, back in 2015. I also don't think any of us conjure up mental images of qualifying for F1 team membership. I only mentioned the F1 car sound of my car because most car purchasers in this market highly value that attribute. The sound is incredible as the fellow in the F430 Spider following my car on a Ferrari drive event emphatically told me when we stopped for a break.

FWIW, I think the 4C is a fantastic track car and my sales guy said he would love to have me track one after I took him out on one of my favourite routes. I have also taken a Cayman 718 GTS on a couple of Porsche track events and sat in an Evora 400 at the local showroom. These are all great cars. I didn't buy a 4C as I was underwhelmed by the sound as well as a couple of cosmetic issues but the car was wonderful to drive. The Cayman was very capable and well-built but the 911 GTS felt more solid, engine sounded better and was faster. Unfortunately, both felt much less engaging (fun) than my Cali30. I never got to drive the Evora as I wasn't that taken with the overall package. As for the upcoming C8, I think GM should be congratulated for this promising and daring new design but Corvettes are not Ferraris, even if the mid-engine C8 will likely be mistaken by many uninformed observers for an F8 or 488.

As for the NA Cali vs the CaliT, having driven and heard both, as well as own an upgraded Cali30, IMO there is no question my car is much better and is much better than an F430 or a CaliT. You must remember a regular unmodified CaliT is only able to develop full torque (or 560PS) in 7th gear. So at city speeds, it will not have access to full torque or HP and will not be any faster than a Cali30. Everyone who witnessed my modified car has been impressed by what it does, including my mechanic at the dealership. If you are not mostly after a mid-engine sports car look, a properly modified Cali30 is unique, exotic and unbeatable in overall performance that can be enjoyed at any time and for any duration. What prospective buyers should also keep in mind is that the high pitch sound of the NA Ferrari flat-plane V8 is no longer there in the later turbocharged iterations.

Finally 2 more points: A) the truth about Supercar and Hypercar ownership is that, the more focused, the more exotic and/or the more expensive that car is, THE LESS YOU ARE ABLE TO DRIVE IT and that's not a good thing and B) some Ferrari owners will only buy and drive factory-spec cars. My comments on the Cali30 only applies to modified Cali30s.

 

I know I may come off harsh, my girlfriend tells me I need to learn to filter (she reads these posts when I don't understand some of your meanings, I don't get humor or sarcasm or a lot of other stuff), which I guess I may never figure out. I can only see things in actual terms, in other words I know why I buy all these cars, and then change them. It is not because I can use them on the streets, they are far to powerful to even use them in stock form. I do it because it is what I really like about cars. Putting a 6cyl in a 4C is not really as crazy as taking a brand new Gallardo apart because it was a piece of crap the way Lamborghini built it. It really was. Or taking apart a brand new 997S, just to see what I could do with it. I belong to many car forums (my only social media outlet), and I see people want to tune their cars just so they can say mine is faster, even though most of them don't have the skills to handle a Miata without traction controls. I usually read and reread my posts over and over and when my girlfriend is awake (which she is not at this time of day), I read them to her, and she tells me whether I sound insulting or nasty. I never mean to be either, and the fact that my experiences are not those of most people can mean that I can sound as if I am taking down to people (my attorneys, doctors, accountants and the group that studied me said I talk down to them all the time), and if I have done that here I offer my apologies. I read that someone on here wants to trade his Calf for a 458, which I was interested in too, that is until the C8 was introduced. I will not be buying a 458, quite honestly who would now that the C8 is coming. I have come to understand that Ferrari's make some of you feel some strange thing that the car is somehow not just a machine. Maybe it is good that none of you do what I do because once you start taking these things apart you do realize they are just machines, some better machines than others, but that is all they are, and they all can be made better.

 

Well I’ve not owned either but have rented them many many times on vacations. I think the California is a better car for the type of driving I prefer and is vastly more comfortable in both the seat department and interior space then the f430, and really all the modern Ferrari’s appear to be vastly more comfortable overall then the f430. I felt claustrophobic in the f430. But it did perform well but again the type of driving I prefer I’d have a long ways to go before I’d see the handling limits the car has same with the California. But the seat of the pants indicator told me the f430 feels faster and more nimble even though technically the California has as much or more power depending on trim and year.

I had the opportunity to test drive a Cali 30 with the handling speciale package and it did in my mind appear to handle better then the non handing epuipped versions but not as good as a standard Cali T. I have no experience with a Cali T equipped with a handling package. For the money the Cali 30 is still probably the best bang for your buck, and it appears that California’s in general are baked far less then the f430.

I’m kinda wondering if a 458 or 458 spider might be a better fit in your situation. If your wife is just uncomfortable with how the car looks, like mine is, the California might be the answer if you can live without the manual. I guess the question is what can you personally live with.

My personal opinion is I prefer the California over most modern Ferrari’s because I prefer its overall package. I want a car to drive longer distances for longer periods of time and feel comfortable driving it. I really enjoyed the 488 spider, and think it’s a sexy car, but did find myself more then once wishing I was in a California while driving it. Talk about first world problems.

 

+1 your self awareness and uniqueness. Makes fchat a better place. Cheers.