For those that dislike the California...

Have you actually seen one in person?


I previously had my doubts about the California, but actually saw one today, and wow... it blew me away, it really is an awesome looking car...

Sorry for the bad pic but here is the car I saw today, also saw a few others around London, red ones too looked amazing.
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I was so-so about the California when I first saw pics of the car on Ferrari's website. Then it grew on me some more. Last month I saw one in person in NYC, and wow was I impressed. Just a couple of hours ago I was driving to a job interview in Tempe, AZ and I saw one on the road. Again, I was impressed. I think Ferrari did a great job with this car. Personally, I would take a 599 over one if I had the money, but my girlfriend wants a California really bad, lol.

 

I believe that your girlfriend is exactly the type of buyer that ferrari was looking for when they decided to build it. Sadly, I'm also quite sure that many others will follow.

 

I saw it at my local dealer yesterday and think that it is pretty consistent with the photos I saw on the web beforehand. The front is pretty nice, but the rear decklid is awfully high and the rear bulbous. Just no way around that.

They also had a 250 California there and it was the most beautiful car I have ever seen. Both cars were red and tan.

The other thing about the new California is the gaps around the side vent. I just don't understand why the made it like that, but it detracts.

All that said they will sell as many as they make as they are pursuing a new demographic, many of whom are women, and they will like it a lot.

 

I saw a red/tan California at my dealer this weekend sat in it, heard the exhaust, saw the top work, did not have time for a test drive. It is a nice car but definitely a "girls" car, I don' think Iwould personally order one for myself. My wife as soon as she saw it, said it was a "girls" car and was interested till she found out it was over $200K. LOL, she said she would rather have a Audi convertible!!

 

So this is that ugly car you dont like?
I'm amused...


Observe those guys, preparing the camera to take a shot...and running towards the car?The must say....hey let's take a picture with that ugly car!!!!!!!
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Not an ugly car at all!

It is just a different look than the F430 and Scud.

Is it fast? It is actually a little faster than the F430 spider.

 

This car was made for metallic paint. It really brings out the curves in the rear 3/4 area and the details around the headlights. Top down, it's very, very sexy.

 

+1 i was photographing one at a car show today and the rear 3/4 angle came out perfect in the pictures..

 

I finally saw one today at the Boardwalk meet in Dallas. I had my hopes that I'd be more impressed with it in person but I was dead wrong. The car looks too bloated & generic like a Honda S2000 on a Maserati Gransport chassis. I'm sure it a fantastic driving car but the lack of the manual shift gate style gearbox
that we all know & love has me perplexed. That is the one thing I've always loved about Ferraris. Should sell great with the hairdresser crowd though.
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That last pic alone explains why the car will succeed; sheer accessability. Do you want a garage bunny like the Lambo, or (relatively speaking), a real car which you can drive every day as a real proposition? The answer is obvious. I love all the hairy chested real man quotes, reminding me of the Dino: " EHHHH it's just not FERRARI enough for me". Please, you know you'd probably buy one if you had the price.

 

I for one just saw one in person and must say that if I could afford it would be my third or fourth exotic. A good niche for Ferrari to try and get into IMO. I am curious to see how far they drop with some miles on them. That car for around $120-$150k would be a hell of DD

 

I have to agree. After seeing one in person, it does not look any better. The side mirrors, big butt, and weird nose are not going to have this car winning any beauty contests anytime soon. The performance and interior is awesome but don't think it will be enough to compensate for the volume of cars, the current market and the styling outside. I just can't see this car holding it's value, it will fall like a rock. If it fell around a $100k or lower it might be worth it for a daily driver. It will be just like the 612. Right now on Dupont the newest car they have is an 08 for $349k and there is a mint 05 with 5900 miles on it for $169k. That's a 50% depreciation in 3 years for a car they made what, around 800 of. Recent estimates I've seen on the California are for as many as 4000 units. It's a tough market. We'll see what happens.

 

Contemptuous branding, 100+kg of cyber-nanny systems, disegno di Stevie Wonder, that ridiculous top, disastrous market timing.

...What's not to like?

 

I've seen dozens of Californias around where I live.

It looks pretty good from some angles, and not so good from others. It isn't inspiring in the same way that other Ferraris are IMO.

 

has anyone else noticed the common theme among all the California threads is they always have some amount of explaining to do about the car, ie "it looks better in person", "its my wifes car", etc etc. Personally I would find that annoying. Either you love it or hate it, but always having to justify your reasoning would make me hate it even more. A Ferrari should not be like that.

 

Has anyone noticed in the California threads that haters just can't stop telling others who like the car that they are somehow less enlightened?

Tell us you don't like it and move on. We can deal with that. Personal attacks don't cut it.

By the way, the "love it or hate it" comment could be applied to almost every Ferrari ever made at one point or another. If you had listened to all the negative comments over the years, they should have gone out of business decades ago.

Oh, to put a little annoying fuel on the fire -- "my dog likes it".

 

+1. We have a thousand "you have to imagine it as a daily driver and see it from this angle in this color at dusk by the coast in France" posts.

FWIW, the body seam line from the tail light to the rear wheel arch looks like amateur work, and is especially bad when the car is painted a lighter color. Black would help disguise some of these gaffes. I don't understand why BMW were able to do such a fine job on the tail of the new retractable hardtop Z4 while Pininfarina botched this one.

 

I think the thread title was an invitation to those of us who aren't keen on the car.

 

I think that if someone likes the car, they shouldn't be told that they are somehow less of a Ferrari enthusiast because of it. That goes for every car Ferrari has made, not just the California. Otherwise we are going to have some pretty spirited debates between the various model sections. I can tell you there are several that don't do it for me. Some I like a lot less than the California. I don't think I should be telling others that because they own "car X", I think they are somehow just making it up in their own heads to justify it.

I think it's fine for people to criticize the California if they don't like it. Just state the issue and we may agree or disagree. What I don't think is justifiable is for those that don't like it to attack personally those that do.

 

I think the best attribute to the car is in a color other than red or yellow and at a much lower price people could drive it everyday. It seems that it isn't the foundation car for Ferrari ownership. Everyone seems to mention it as a second or third car or one for their wife. It's a niche market like the 612. It's performance is amazing and the inside is stunning. It's just the looks and the market that will keep people from running out and buying one. Glen

 

I agree.

I was criticizing the car. Frankly, if I had endless car cash on hand and it came down to the California or the Merc SL, I'd take the California. It's just not very inspired, IMO, compared to most of Pininfarina's other work.

 

I agree with you. You're not the culprit(s) I was referring to.

But, it's difficult to design a good looking Daily Driver convertible with a hard top. If there was one compromise that the original design team must have wrestled with, it was the hard top. That certainly effected the cost and look of the car greatly. But, people expect these kinds of things on DD's now. It was damned if you do and damned if you don't.

I think the Granturismo convertible will be interesting but it's bigger, not as fast, not as sporty, won't handle as well, won't have the new gearbox, won't have as powerful an engine, and I am sure won't have a hard top. And, we don't know how attractive it will be with the roof up yet (have you seen the Soltice with the top up? YUK!) But, I bet it comes in at about 165K or so before options.

The other mistake I believe that was made was including CCB's standard. I would have had this an option and reduced the car another 20 grand. I doubt many would have bought them for a DD. I'd have saved these for some upcoming light weight sport version which we all know is coming.

 

Yes exactly. It is the AMG SL crowd they are going after... lots of opportunity there for them.

 

I agree about the price being a bit high. Ferrari could have offered the Cali at 180K with the CC brakes. Then Ferrari could have adjusted the price upwards with any one of a number of excuses later on.

I think that would have gotten them a thousand more orders and built up the waiting list. Everyone underestimated the effect of the economy on the sales curve. It is amazing to see the inventory collecting dust at dealer showrooms. The 16M, Scud, F430, Maserati GT S, and Alfa 8C are there waiting for someone to take them home.