Has anyone taken their California on a track? | FerrariChat
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Has anyone taken their California on a track?

Discussion in 'California(Portofino)/Roma(Amalfi)' started by Cavalier, Jan 19, 2011.

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  1. Cavalier

    Cavalier Karting

    Nov 9, 2010
    100
    Tiburon, Calif.
    #1 Cavalier, Jan 19, 2011
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2011
    I prefer the driving experience in terms of the noise and after two test drives (waiting for mine to be built) I think I might even prefer the acceleration and handling of the California to my 997S conv. So if people take their 911's to the track why not a California? I know it is a GT car, but has anyone done it? Were you derided or did the looks and noise and actual driving times convince all detractors?

    How was the thrill?

    I am considering to purchase a second Ferrari like a Challenge for the track, but in the meantime...
     
  2. Balsamina

    Balsamina Formula Junior

    May 19, 2010
    946
    San Francisco Area
    Full Name:
    S
    #2 Balsamina, Jan 19, 2011
    I have not taken my personal car to the track, but I test drove a California and rode hot laps with a Ferrari driving school instructor at Sears Point during the Challenge weekend last May. I have taken a few DE lessons in the past including 1 day of Skip Barber, but I have not raced competitively nor do I consider myself an expert. The California was plenty exciting for me, both as driver and passenger. Obviously the instructor was biased since he works for Ferrari, but he remarked that he felt the car performed excellently. The acceleration/deceleration and G-forces he pulled while I was passenger were pretty incredible to my butt accelerometer.
     
  3. RickLederman

    RickLederman F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Sep 18, 2007
    2,837
    Swanton Ohio
    Full Name:
    Rick Lederman
    #3 RickLederman, Jan 19, 2011
    I have taken mine to a DE at Mid Ohio this past fall. Five sessions of 30 minutes, what a ball!:D The Porsches with normal street tires could not keep up. I was hitting 144 mph at the end of the long straight. And the sound the California makes at 8,000 RPM is far better than a 6 cylinder Porsche engine at 6,500 RPM. It was a Toledo Porsche club event and I have been a PCA member for over 25 years. My friends said the sound was great and you could tell where I was almost anywhere on the track.

    Understeer is cured by lowering the front tire pressure to equal the rear's. I did not reduce air temp and had rubber chunk out of the center of the front tires. The fronts and rears were pretty well worn, down to 3/32 inch and at the end of five sessions they were down into the cord on the inside edge of both front tires. The rears were not as bad.

    Thrill? I never imagined the thrill could be this great. I will look for photos for an additional post.
     
  4. RickLederman

    RickLederman F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Sep 18, 2007
    2,837
    Swanton Ohio
    Full Name:
    Rick Lederman
    #4 RickLederman, Jan 19, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  5. MarkCollins

    MarkCollins F1 Rookie
    Owner

    Jul 2, 2002
    3,202
    South England
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    Mark Collins
    #5 MarkCollins, Jan 22, 2011
  6. DavidJames1

    DavidJames1 Formula 3

    Mar 6, 2010
    1,800
    Bangkok, Thailand
    #6 DavidJames1, Jan 22, 2011
    Have taken mine on the track a few times - great fun and the car drives well with a little under steer which I guess I could minimize by playing with tyre pressures. I also will look at getting a set of track tyres.

    David
     
  7. gk@kco.no

    [email protected] Rookie

    Mar 3, 2010
    46
    Norway
    Full Name:
    Geir Knutsen
    #7 [email protected], Mar 3, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I have been to Nürburgring in Germany several times, and I have also raced my Cali on some of the tracks back home in Norway. The thrill with the car is that it is a comfortable GT-car when I take my kids to school, and myself to the office, and when I take it to the track, it eats all the other cars for breakfast!

    Some of my friends are buying stiffer suspension, louder exhaust etc. In my opinon you shold not reduce the comfort of the Cali like this. 99 % of the time it is used for daily transport, and 1 % of the time only, it is on a race track.

    If you want a race car, buy a 458 or another Challenge or 430 Scuderia.
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  8. RightHandDrive

    RightHandDrive Rookie

    Mar 20, 2009
    36
    #8 RightHandDrive, May 21, 2011
    I had a blast on Fuji Speedway (in Japan) twice, once at a car magazine event, once at a Ferrari event last year. Hit a top speed of 256km before I chickened out and slammed the brakes for first corner.

    I checked on Grand Tourismo 5 (same track/car) before I went, and the car performed similarly in terms of braking points, etc. which was pretty amazing.

    On the second event, I found the Cali to be a lot more stable as it was a slightly rainy day. The 430's on the track were spinning out as the weight balance was actually harder to handle in the rain, although none of the drivers were pros.

    Regardless of what people say, it's a proper Ferrari.
     
  9. carlom001

    carlom001 Formula Junior

    Jul 9, 2010
    338
    #9 carlom001, May 24, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Just got these photos in from the Ferrari photographer from our Pilota day - what a blast! Cali is a great GT, but is unbelievable fun and highly capable with a terrific sound on the track. This was at Phillip Island GP track. The Cali never ceases to amaze me....
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  10. carlom001

    carlom001 Formula Junior

    Jul 9, 2010
    338
    #10 carlom001, May 24, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  11. fantasma

    fantasma Rookie

    Nov 2, 2007
    39
    #11 fantasma, May 24, 2011
    Really beautiful pictures! Is it TDF blue or darker?
     
  12. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    39,180
    Clarksville, Tennessee
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    Terry H Phillips
    #12 tazandjan, May 24, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  13. carlom001

    carlom001 Formula Junior

    Jul 9, 2010
    338
    #13 carlom001, May 24, 2011
    Yes TDF Blue - completely covered in xpel but that doesn't seem to have dulled the brilliance of the color in the sun.
    cheers
     

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