Why Ferrari?

While I agree that 460hp is light for a current F-car I don't feel like it matters that much for the California. As stated on this forum many times, the Cali is a GT; tamer, more refined than the 458, 430, etc. It is still quick and most owners will likely never track it anyway. Still has more HP than many of the Ferrari's from the recent past and offers a superior driving experience with the fantastic drivetrain. Yes, I would like to see a 530hp Cali and would likely buy it - maybe some day.

 

I'd be just as happy with 350hp...it would still go 175mph and get to 60 in about 5sec, which is fine for a GT. To me the pleasure of the California is in its front/rear balance and the high revving nature of the engine...whether it makes 350, 450 or 550 hp at 8000 rpm is unimportant to me. Maybe a track car could use 500+hp, but on public roads I think 350+ is more than enough to enjoy.

 

Marketing...a lot of it has to do with marketing. It has already been announced that a more powerful version will be released (perhaps badged "M"). Some buyers are happy with the current power, some will trade up and some will wait for the more powerful version.

Plus, horsepower numbers - in a vaccum - are not as meaningful as when you take the whole package into consideration. Weight, torque distrubution across the power band, transmission, aerodynamics, configuration, electronics, among many other elements can easily factor in to make a lower horsepowered car actually faster in a straight-line sprint than a higher horsepowered car which has not been developed as well overall.

 

+1

And ...because it's a Ferrari. There are Porsches, Mercedes etc everywhere, but not so many Ferraris. It's special. It has a Prancing Horse on it. It's the passione!

 

I seem to recall reading in one mag back when the California was announced that this engine from Ferrari was signaling a shift to more responsible, earth friendly engines. A V8 with ample power, decent MPG, and emissions friendly.

 

Don't worry the Cali will get a bigger more powerful engine.

One reason I think they kept the power down was because they didn't want it to out perform the rest of the product line.

The Cali has been clocked by independents such as M/T doing 0-60 in 3.5 to 3.7 seconds.

While the F430 may be faster from a rolling start from 30-60, the Cali is probably faster from a standing start.

 

Did they detune it way too much ... yes and no ... yes from our point of view, there is almost never enough horsepower ... no from theirs as it will make me trade mine for a 2013 if that is when the new one comes out.

Rick

 

Lets say it had 560hp. Would you really shell out an extra 100K or so to go .3 of a second faster round a track (hypothetically) for a 458? Lets take looks out of the equation.

 

It's already the fastest GT in the world. Sure, it could be faster but that just means fuel economy suffers and costs go up. Not something normally appreciated in a daily driver GT (which is what this car is designed to be).

If you want that, just buy a 458.

 

+1

 

Depends on your definition of what is a GT.

 

Since the Cali is a new model, Ferrari marketing may not have gotten everything perfect to meet the demand of the entire market.

Can the Cali handle more power? Well the suspension might need some small tweeks. But the twin clutch box can handle the increase in power just fine.

What about lightening the car? I think you would get a better overall package with less weight. Use Carbon fiber for the bumpers which are massive and heavy, and the hood and trunk lid (heavy) would really make the car sing and dance.

There are plenty of Mercedes AMG with tons of power but they aren't much fun to drive or that fast on a track because they are not well dialed in and too heavy.

One of the reasons Porsche has been very fast at the tracks is that it is a small light package.

 

I could call it a saloon or a full sized car but I won't argue with you. You could call it a GT also.

However, I believe the zero to 60 time is the same as the CA. So, the argument that the CA is not the fastest "by a long shot" is really not the case.

To me, it's not really what a GT is in spirit --that being half sports car and half touring car. But, you have a point. At the weight this thing carries, it's hardly a "sporty" car. It is bloody fast though.

Imagine if the CA had twin turbos what it could do. But, also imagine the cost, the maintenance, the increased size of radiators and intakes, the strain on the gearbox and brakes, and the fuel economy.

You don't get speed and power for "nothing". There is always some sacrifice somewhere.

 

I am very satisfied with the power in my Cali. I had a 997TT which had insane power. For the road, it is plenty adequate. Would I complain if I had another 50hp? No. But I love the total package and that's just the way it is. Will I trade up for a more powerful model? Possibly.

 

Dude, this car can do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds! What more can one want in a GT?
612scag

 

That's like asking Steve from AAPL why would Apple release Iphone 4 with duo camera when they could have had duo camera on the first Iphone... it's also like asking why everyone lined up for an Iphone 4 when they know that Iphone 5,6,7,8,9 with way more capability and faster chip sets could have been put into the 4 or even first generation's iphone? Same with the iPad... being so sorted after, why did they miss out the duo cameras? and you and I know very well that they could have put it in easily as it is relatively low tech and we can be sure that the ipad 2 would have duo cameras and it is sitting right at AAPL's headquater's shelf and yet the iPad still outsold analysts' estimates... this is the exact same situation with a Cali. Would there be a M version in 2013/14 with 550 hp, highly likely... it's sitting right there maybe... but the cali is still sold out... why? Cos it has a prancing horse to just like iPhone has an apple on it... It's a rhetorical question. Iphone 4 with a 5 MP camera which was just rolled out this year is a bit outdated considering that the Koreans and Japanese had 10 MP phones maybe 2 years ago but it is still selling like hotcakes... why? Because it is APPLE. The brand says it all... this is like saying I would never buy a car when it is not being at the best of what it can be... butwhat is "BEST"? What's best to you may not be BEST to Ferrari and to Joe Blow and or myself... it's all marketing and personal isn't it? They always keep you on the hook and that's the success of the brand. Even when the antennagate rendered the iphone one which is defective (similar to 458 burning up), it is still being chased after and return rate is fairly low... the brand equity is always there just like there will be many people who follow Ferraris even if the 458 burns up... the line is still there... and not budging and the premium is not narrowing. I see many similarities in branding between the two.

They could have made the 458 650 hp as well but they didn't? Why? You n I know very well that the 458 replacement will have what the Murc has today... so does this mean no one should buy the 458? Absolutely not. I think it's all product positioning but that's just my 2 cents. If we keep waiting we will never buy any car... .4 I do wish the California have 600 hp but for a GT to have 600 hp? Sure maybe in another 5 years but how much of that is usable. I do agree that HP is never enough just like money and bandwidth. There were days when modems were offering 32 over phone lines and we thought 64 was fast... and now broadband and 3G don't seem to offer enough speed... so I do agree that Why Ferrari? Why California... and Why are we still buying one? Well, I guess it's the same as why am I still using Iphone 4 when there's an antennagate problem? Well, cos it has a prancing horse!

 

I have to admit that when I first heard about the latest Ferrari (at the time I first heard of the California), I was a bit surprised at the HP spec. 460 Hp seemed a bit low when one could find any number of other cars with at least that much power. However, given the chance to test ride the car, I was very pleasantly surprised at how fast this car is. With a 0-60 time of 3.5, that is plenty fast...

Now, one car that could certainly use a HP bump is the Maserati GT S convertible... With a 0-60 time of 5.15 seconds, that is one car that could certainly use more power. Ironically, it is only slightly less powerful (433 hp), but with the added weight and not as responsive of a transmission, it is a dog compared to the California...


Matt