lower the height with stock coilovers?

There are reputable kits to do it, but as good as it looks I wouldn't do it. Even at regular ride height I find myself bottoming the front regularly on sharp steep hills and grade changes. Ok, I live in a relatively rocky area just northeast of NY city with lots of sharp grade changes, but I can't imagine lowering the car further. I guess if you were in a very flat place with straight roads (Great Lakes region/Plains/Florida/etc.) all you'd have to worry about would be curbs, and a lift kit might work for you.

I found that the car can be made to appear slightly lower (particularly from the rear and 3/4 view) by installing spacers on the wheels. Pushing the wheels out provides a wider stance, fills the wheel wells a little more and gives the perception that the car is lower. In my case I have not detected any change in handling, but I have not been out on a track pushing it to the limit.

Nothing can beat the look of spacers + lowering, but the trade offs in daily driving are pretty significant.

 

All late model Ferraris have the capability for lowering the suspension with a ride height adjustment and four wheel alignment. You should be able to lower the car 15-25 mm just by telling your local dealer to do so. Ride will suffer slightly and so, obviously, will ground clearance. I doubt you will feel much difference in handling unless you are a very, very good driver and in a really big hurry.

If you want to lower it more than that (why?), there are aftermarket springs you can buy. Novitec sells sets as do others.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Terry, can you explain how to adjust the ride height? I would be interested in lowering my California a bit. I thought the only way to lower a California was by replacing the springs.

 

Mike- The spring perch washers are adjustable for height to obtain the desired ride height. A 4 wheel suspension adjustment is actually a juggling act between getting camber and ride height adjusted. If you look at this parts catalog drawing from Ricambi's online catalog, you can see the spring perch and the lock washer below it. The lock washer is unlocked, the perch is raised or lowered to give the desired ride height, and the camber is adjusted to give the correct readings.

This is not something you want to play with unless you have a lot of experience, camber measuring instruments, and a stock of shims used to adjust camber. On the California, I am not even sure where they measure rear ride height. It is from the center of the flan bolts for most other modern Ferraris (rear of bolt for F, front of bolt for R), but I have no tech data on the multi-link California rear suspension.

Taz
Terry Phillips
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Lowering the car? I just scratched the bottom of my car on the weekend. Aren't you guys concerned about doing the same thing?

 

Terry - thank you for the great information. I'll talk to my mechanic to see what he thinks.

 

I pulled the trigger today on lowering my California. Went with the H&R springs through Vivid Racing.

I hope to have them installed by the end of the week. I'll be posting pics when complete.

 

Mike, please post pics of the final result. By the way, noticed you on the audi s4 forums and I have 2011 loaded s4 and dream to own a Cali one day. The s4 is quite powerful with very accurate steering. I can't imagine needing anything more for daily driving in NYC. Would love to hear your comments on how the two cars compare. Thanks!

 

Here is a California lowered and aligned using oem coilovers. Looks 100% better imo.
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I'm not Mike but I can chime in on this. My daily D is an Audi S6 with the V-10 and I also have the California. The S6 is powerful (435 HP) but heavier. I notice a hugh difference with the gearbox. Audi's tiptronic is good but is significantly less desirable to the DCT. CC Brakes are better on the Cali and cleaner too. Audi, however, is engineered to a very high level as it seems to touch all of the bases. I prefer the styling over Mercedes and others...sportier, fresher, and "younger" (admittedly subjective).

The California is my current "sports car". It kicks hard when I want it and looks good doing it. Since I am a little older I really prefer the subdued styling and actually picked the Cali over the 458.

Funniest thing about these cars is that in the last two years my only ticket, a speeding ticket, was actually earned in a rental car!

 

Very nice! How much lower is that? And done by factory?

 

Thanks omniman for your reply. The new S4 has dual clutch 7 speed and I wonder how it compares with the Cali's. I also prefer the more subdued, yet still sporting look compared to 458 but the more I read comments from dissenters (though probably mostly non owners), I become more hesitant to make that kind of financial commitment. Also, some tell me I should advance more gradually ie Porsche, Maser, etc, instead of leaping right from Audi to FerrAri. However, none of those other cars excite me in the same way...

 

Buy what excites you! I went from M3 to a 1995 Ferrari 355 for my first Ferrari 10 years ago. Buy the Ferrari that moves you and the own you can afford to purchase and maintain.

The Cali and new S4 transmissions are very similar, smooth with very fast shift when you're on the gas.

I purchased the California to hold me over for a new 458 I was ordering. I ended up liking the California so much that I called the dealer and told him to give my 458 order to the next in line.

The California didn't overwhelm me with it's looks, but everything else has made the California the best Ferrari I've owned. Once the car is lowered and with the wheels I've put on the car, I think it the look I feel it needs.

A big part of the California for me is the back seat. Prior to the California, I had a Gallardo and F430. Two seat cars and the family don't go too well. After the child came along my two seat cars collected dust.

 

That looks GOOD!

 

the lowered looks perfect. 20mm is less than 1 inch, more like 0.8 inch i doubt that would affect clearance that much?

my lambo had the lift system that 458 italia also has, but the cali did not have this option did it?

what is the cost from dealer to lower stock magnaride car 20mm?

 

My local dealer has strongly advised against lowering even just the stock coil overs as he has encountered customers who developed suspension problems. Tis goes especially true for Magnaride. Furthermore, Ferrari has the option of not honoring the warrantee if suspension related issue occurs. I was initially disappointed to hear this but have come to accept it...

 

How much is this lowered by?