Computers and Power of a Ferrari

When the Ferrari California appeared on the scene back in 2008, it had a lot of new features to show the world. The first retractible hardtop, the first front-engine V8, and a dual-clutch 7-speed transmission. It also retired one of Ferrari’s classic designs: the manual gearbox. It’s a car that moves ahead and manages to hold onto its past.

No one ever complains about being forced to spend time behind the wheel of a Ferrari, but as a “grand tourer,” the California adds its speed and handling to a desire for the cross-country roadtrip. Aiding in this venture is the “2+” design, a two-door four-seater. Now you, as driver, can show off for two more people than before.

The California inherited its name from another great Ferrari of yore, also one with a bit of a backseat. The 250 GT California appeared in the late 1950s, a sexy mid-century machine. This is the car that played a prominent role in the 1986 John Hughes movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” That car was a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California, one of about a hundred built. The car’s death in the climax upset many Ferrari fans, though it was in fact a replica.

But anyway the Ferrari folk liked the car, and the name, and so it was passed on. It could’ve been called the Des Moines, but the California seems way cooler. And in any event it’s definitely a 21st-century machine. This new California goes zero-to-60 in a bit under four seconds, tops out at 193 mph, and is Ferrari’s most aerodynamic car yet.

This is a big car, and a fast car, but it’s not one of the really mean Ferraris. The California has actually gotten a rep as a car that plays as nice as it rides. It looks good, sure, but not crazy. It has speed, but not that mind-numbing kind. And it has been said to have, by some, a large ass.

The Ferrari California lacks for nothing in the way of looks, performance and even backseat space (admittedly we’re stretching the notion of what a backseat is here a little bit). It’s really the car for the roadtrip. For taking the family on a high-speed trip across America. It’s the new station wagon. Okay, maybe not that, but the California really is the kind of car you’d want to spend some time in with the people you love — or lust after.

Science and Reputation of a Ferrari, find more at Charles Granere’s.

categories: ferrari california,ferrari,super cars,sports cars,cars

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