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California 30

Discussion in 'California(Portofino)/Roma(Amalfi)' started by supernovae, Apr 11, 2013.

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  1. supernovae

    supernovae Rookie

    Jul 29, 2010
    13
    #1 supernovae, Apr 11, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  2. 4th_gear

    4th_gear F1 Rookie

    Jan 18, 2013
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    Michael
    #2 4th_gear, Apr 11, 2013
    I agree. I chose the same car, albeit we don't exactly have SoCal weather here in the GTA. Actually snowed today but I'm still doing OK distracting myself so far.

    Is that Blu Maribeau? I really like the combination. The Crema interior is cheerful and fun, very SoCal. Did you include the HS package or the Magneride suspension with it?
     
  3. 09Scuderia

    09Scuderia F1 Rookie

    Nov 20, 2011
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    Max
    #3 09Scuderia, Apr 11, 2013
    congrats!

    Mind comparing the car to the 458.....would love to hear how close and how far they are from a real user vs car rag etc.
     
  4. mjc_123

    mjc_123 Formula Junior

    Oct 16, 2010
    512
    NYC - Long Island
    #4 mjc_123, Apr 11, 2013

    +1. please share your impressions on the differences between the two!
     
  5. MalibuGuy

    MalibuGuy F1 Veteran

    Sep 18, 2007
    5,890
    #5 MalibuGuy, Apr 11, 2013
    I think I saw you leaving the FBH showroom as I was parking my red Cali yesterday afternoon.

    James was riding in the back seat!

    Enjoy your Cali!
     
  6. supernovae

    supernovae Rookie

    Jul 29, 2010
    13
    #6 supernovae, Apr 12, 2013
    The color is Azzurro California. I did not go for the HS package because I didn't want make the ride too harsh. I chose 19 inch wheel for that same reason. I did get Magneride.
     
  7. CC 10

    CC 10 Rookie

    Oct 20, 2012
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    St Louis
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    Jackie
    #7 CC 10, Apr 12, 2013
    Absolutely gorgeous choices! But what car would be bad in So Cal---except some beater of course!!!!!
     
  8. Sir_Ferrari

    Sir_Ferrari F1 Rookie
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    Adrian B.
    #8 Sir_Ferrari, Apr 12, 2013
    Congratulation! That's a very beautiful and stunning color combination!
     
  9. supernovae

    supernovae Rookie

    Jul 29, 2010
    13
    #9 supernovae, Apr 12, 2013
    I only have some first impression so far. Need to drive it more over the weekend.

    The California is comfortable. But the 458 is not anything less. They are both better than the 911s I'd say. I didn't do back to back comparison as my cars are not in the same city. But I do feel the difference in the sitting position. you don't have to sit that far inside the seat in the cali as in the 458. That's a plus for long time driving.(Speaking of which, I did one time spend more than 2hours in the 458 continuously without any pain occurring )
    The steering is not as sharp as the Italia. The Italia's wheel can be hard to manipulate in tight parking spot. The normal wheel in the cali is more suitable for that job. However I do miss those little turning signal buttons in the 458. They do work once you get use to them. The stalk in the cali feels very weird for me.
    The Engine. I think this is the biggest difference between the two. The 458's throtle is more sensitive to the input. One small pressure on the foot will make the car dash forward. You have the feeling like the car wants to push you to go faster and faster. It can be intimate and scary sometimes in city driving . On the other hand the california is more compliant and relax to drive. You can just sit back and cruse along with one hand. This is good because it's what I wanted in this car.
    The gearbox. It's hard to believe but the 458 feels smother in auto mode. I felt a little bit of jerkiness when the cali change gear itself in lower gears sometime. Never experienced that in the 458 before. It might be the car is still breaking in I don't know. Need more time to investigate this.
    The interior. The door handle inside the cali is not very good. It lacks of some sort of distinct pressure point IMO. It's not clear if you opened the door or not. I like the center tunnel in the cali because I finally have place to put my iphone and card holder without them flying around at higher driving speed. The screen to the left of rev counter is missing some functions from the 458 but not vital. However the central touch screen is so much better for the navigation and rear view camera compare to that tiny little thing in Italia.
    Dynamic. The 458 is very well balanced and its an amazing feeling how the weight of the car shift when you charing into a corner and turning out. It's so much fun to do that. I haven't had a chance to do any dynamic driving in the cali yet. I look forward to see how it behave in the corners.
    Practicality. The ground clearance of the cali is amazing. I scape my M5 on my drive way from time to time if im not careful. But the cali cleared it without problem. That really surprised me. I was actually ready to install skid plate on the front bumper before the delivery.
    Overall the cali is well justified. Its not a compromised F-car or anything. Its just a different approach. Now I can drive this car more often and enjoy it more. Needless to say its a convertible! I am really happy with it.

    And sorry for this messy write up. English is not my first language. I will try to update when I have more experience with the car.
     
  10. supernovae

    supernovae Rookie

    Jul 29, 2010
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    #10 supernovae, Apr 12, 2013
    Yes! That was me! LOL!

    I remember seeing a red cali but didn't expect a F-chater. What a coincidence!
     
  11. Surfah

    Surfah F1 Rookie

    Dec 20, 2011
    3,144
    #11 Surfah, Apr 12, 2013
    Thanks for your first impressions and comparison with the 458. Please keep us updated as you gain more experience with the Cali. I love the versatility of my Cali, she is an excellent daily driver.
     
  12. 4th_gear

    4th_gear F1 Rookie

    Jan 18, 2013
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    Michael
    #12 4th_gear, Apr 12, 2013
    Ah yes, that's the colour, a classic combination with crema interior. I also skipped the HS package and included the Magneride, something that my Ferrari salesman also preferred for the same reason that you pointed out. I did however, pick the 20" diamond rims as I would like to see just how well the California can handle.

    I'll pick up my new car in about a week, weather-permitting. It will be interesting to see how you compare the California's overall utility vs. that of the 458 Italia.
     
  13. MalibuGuy

    MalibuGuy F1 Veteran

    Sep 18, 2007
    5,890
    #13 MalibuGuy, Apr 13, 2013
    I have the same wheels. I love the design of these wheels plus they are lighter and stronger too.

    Plus better ride and less chance of bent rims which is a good thing in So Cal
     
  14. supernovae

    supernovae Rookie

    Jul 29, 2010
    13
    #14 supernovae, Apr 13, 2013
    I am sure you gonna enjoy it!

    Those are EXACTLY my points! These wheels were actually discontinued in 2013.
    I like them so much so I special ordered them. Luckily the factory still have some in stock.
     
  15. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    39,166
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    Terry H Phillips
    #15 tazandjan, Apr 13, 2013
    Do the California 30s say that on the owners manual or is it a kind of shorthand by Ferrari? Also, the engine in the California is the Type F136 IB. Did that change for the new higher powered California. Should say in the OM.
     
  16. not4one

    not4one Formula Junior

    May 23, 2010
    887
    CT, FL
    #16 not4one, Apr 13, 2013
    As a former Cali owner, and now 458 spider, I too was very surprised at this. For whatever reason the supposedly 458 (which is a much more aggressive car) has a much, much more refined gearbox than my Cali. I loved my Cali, but found the gearbox quite jerky at low speed...I actually find the 458 much better in city traffic for this reason. Also, totally agree your comments on the nav and camera in the TFT sreen of 458...much better configuration in Cali.
     
  17. supernovae

    supernovae Rookie

    Jul 29, 2010
    13
    #17 supernovae, Apr 14, 2013
    No "30"s I have noticed so far. But the engine is F136IH now.

    The gearbox seems to be a common issue then. These DCTs in the Cali are earlier units than those in 458 after all. But it's weird that Ferrari didn't fix this so many years even after the 458 was introduced.
     
  18. 09Scuderia

    09Scuderia F1 Rookie

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    #18 09Scuderia, Apr 14, 2013
    I was told (and shown) that the DCTs are the same. Software might be different...

    If I recall the DCT is also the same trans used in the MB SLS and other applications.
     
  19. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
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    Terry H Phillips
    #19 tazandjan, Apr 15, 2013
    SN- Thanks.
     
  20. MalibuGuy

    MalibuGuy F1 Veteran

    Sep 18, 2007
    5,890
    #20 MalibuGuy, Apr 16, 2013
    The Cali was the first Ferrari with the DCT. I heard that there was a concern that the shifts were too smooth compared to the F1 boxes. Ferrari was concerned that prospective buyers might find the shifts unexciting and so tried to program some jerkiness. Of course that is not the way these boxes were designed to work and so there could be some weird behavior at times.

    Anyway this is what I heard/read.
     

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