Need Help Configuring a 2011 California

Hello Jason,

Out of a dozen owners you should get even more opinions on that one. Magnetic shocks my number one. I like my yellow tach, yellow calipers, full electric daytona seats. Cruise control very important! I thought the carbon steering wheel with LED's might have been a waste until I took the car on the track this weekend, then it was worth every penny. Shields if you want attention, which I love! The star wheels are beautiful. I have red stitching and red piping and the red straps in the seats (whatever they call that) and that all looks great. Auto dimming mirrors mandatory. I have the backup camera which I like but it is not mandatory, along with front and rear parking sensors. I also have the headlights that turn with the wheel. They help but are not mandatory. I do not have run flat tires and would not want them, they ride too rough.

Good luck with the choices and let us know your final decisions. Then be sure to post photos when you get it. Then drive the crap out of it. In eleven months mine now has 15,800 miles.

 

Wow Rick. You got almost every option!

I have very few - just the full electric seats, yellow calipers, red stitching, and shields. These were all must haves for me. In particular, I find the car looks really plain without the shields. There is really no other options that I really wish I had. Even after owning the car for 8 months. I'm actually happy with my Rosso Corsa body and stock wheels. I know most people upgrade the wheels, but I think the stock ones look great.

Everybody seems to say the magnetic shocks are great. I wouldn't know. Meanwhile, almost all people on the forum seem to say the upgraded stereo sounds the same as the stock stereo. A major waste of money.

And Rick is right - do NOT get run flats. I have them on my other sedan, and the ride sucks big time. After I swapped them for regular tires, the car was so much more comfortable.

 

That said, apparently Ferrari lent the non-magnaride cars to journalists when they were testing 0-60 times, etc.

+100!

Definitely electric seats. Many find the daytona seats less comfortable than the "standard" seats-- so sit in both before you decide.

 

Tom- R&T got a ringer with lower gearing than the production cars for their test. No telling what else was preproduction or "unusual".

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

I would ask if there is a huge difference in Comfort mode to Sport mode when driving down a slightly bumpy road in non-mag shocks. With the mag shocks the bumps just disappear altogether. Even fairly smooth roads make the car bounce around a bit in Sport ... and like I said comfort makes the road almost feel as good as in my Mercedes S550 ... seats could be softer though. In fact the plan for the next California (if business is still as good) will be to ask Ferrari if I can get seats similar to those in a 599. I drove a 599 HGTE and those seats seemed padded far better than the Cali.

Yep, I went option nuts when ordering it. No carbon though although I like the looks of the carbon between the tail lights a lot. Next one will have that and probably all options I already have, to include all the same colors.

 

Cali Daytona seats not comfortable. Maybe I am too fat. but if it doesn't fit you must omit.

 

It is simply because my butt has no padding, my padding is all in my gut. THey are fine for about three hours before I get tired of sitting in them. And I found the 599 seats to be a bit better.

 

My 2 cents.....Magnaride, yellow calipers and tach like Rick said. I also agree with his take on the carbon steering wheel. I really like it. Carbon backplate is a must..completes the look on the rear. I've had both Daytonas and now Diamond stitch seats. For me, the latter is best. I think shields are a must....only because my local dealer said it's hard selling a car without. In my view if you go with a light interior, get a dark dash to eliminate the reflection mirroring effect.

 

Interestingly, I've heard that doesn't seem to be proving true on Californias as on other cars. I think it might be aesthetic because that region of the fender is kind of crowded with the gills and side marker.

I mean, schields can't hurt. But if you don't like the look, don't get them. Your California will still sell well when you trade it.

 

Agree totally with the Magnaride. It works beautifully. IMO, back up camera is a must. I did not get the self dimming mirrors but wish I had. Full electric seats so I can keep warm with the top down on chilly days. Cruise control is important to me, especially to stay out of trouble! Skip the stereo upgrade. I pod connection is handy. Custom stitching in the headrests is a nice touch, which you don't see often.

 

Two things I forgot about ... the stitching in the headrests!!! And homelink neither was on the option list when I bought mine but are available.

Rick

 

That could very well be. Just relaying what i heard. Having said that, my local dealer has an interesting 599 in the showroom. Lots of carbon, NO SHIELDS, and instead of the yellow wheel caps they're silver looking. the whole package looks really, really good. Unfortunately the original sticker on that one was over $400k. Good news (relatively speaking) is that on listing for the high $200's? Relatively low miles i think.

 

well... whatever you do, do not do THIS to your Cali:

http://www.evo.co.uk/front_website/gallery.php?id=404464