California v California T

I have a 2013, so I am biased. It's hard to beat a naturally aspirated Ferrari V8. It's tone is one of the things that make the car. And, the price jump to the turbos is not insignificant. Both versions seem to have the same big gremlins (DCT and kinematics of the roof). But, the earlier versions do seem to be more prone. I'd go with the '13 or '14 to get the extra 30 hp and lose 30 kg of weight. They also seem to not be as prone to the DCT issue as the earlier versions.

 

I still have a 2011. I think the DCT issues are over reported. I've got 40k+ miles on my car. Other than a roof failure - car had been pretty reliable. Top issues will be the same risk on a Cali, Cali-T, & Porto. As above - if you can find a Cali-30 by all means get it. Great car.

 

I have a T, and I do like the looks better than the original. But I have my T because it was the best deal that dropped into my lap.

The only compelling reason to get a T is that they are newer, and thus more likely to be in better condition. But the gremlins are the same, mostly. The Ts have the oil leak/turbo problem, and the original has the problem with the LED buttons falling out in the headlights.

 

I recently bought a 2015 T. My first Ferrari. It was the newest, least expensive Ferrari on the lot. 40K+ miles. Wasn't pristine, but not abused. Already been back to the dealer twice for right paddle not engaging first. The infotainment system is being upgraded. I haven't seen an earlier Cali, so can't compare. Still coming to grips with the Ferrariness vs my Porsches. Overall, I like the car. But, that's me

 

FWIW,
I have a '10 that is my first Ferrari and I use it as a daily driver. Just passed 63K on it and, so far, nothing to report regarding the DCT or roof. I spoke with a master technician and when I asked about the trans, he asked the mileage. When I told him, he was taken aback and said "you won't have any issues...".

 

I loved my 2013 California 30 (and would never have sold if it hadn't been necessary at the time). It sounded great, felt measurably faster (midrange) than the 2012 I compared it to, and was a beautiful car.

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A couple years later, I bought a 2015 Cali T and it was everything the 30 was plus a lot more torque and power. It didn't sound quite as good, but I put the HS Speciale exhaust on it which improved it a lot, it had a deep throated bark to it. I missed the rifle report shifts from the 30 but other than that it would have been very difficult for me to go "backwards" into another Cali 30 after owning the T, just because the T felt that much more powerful and responsive and you get used to that in a hurry. Objectively I liked the looks of the front and rear of the Cali T better, as well.

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I really don't think there's a wrong answer here, but I would not buy a 2009-2012 before sampling a 2013-2014, it's a really nice upgrade.

Now I have a black 458 Spider which is sensational but I do miss the under-the-radar aspects of the California, as well as the more comfortable ingress and egress at my advanced age, so I may wind up going backwards anyway

 

Sorry to digress, but the paddle issue is likely a small fragile plastic actuator in the mechanism which hits the microswitch to activate the shifts that has cracked or broken ... do not let the dealer replace the whole assembly for $4k ... you can glue it back together, buy an aftermarket replacement piece or have one cast or 3D printed and fix the whole issue in an hour. Ferrari, of course, does not sell that little piece separately.

 

I chose a 2014 Cali 30HS due to upgraded transmission cooling and I didn’t want to deal with turbo or oil leak issues that are potential issues with the T. No regrets.

 

The car has a warranty and was fixed twice by replacing the plastic actuator.