It has taken many years for Ferrari to build its magnificent reputation. Gifting the world some of its most memorable and desirable automobiles is a Ferrari legacy that will live forever. From this rich heritage comes the new Ferrari California T, a car that wants to be both an everyday sports tourer and a hyper performance car. In essence, a new Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde of the sports car world. **DRIVEN** recently discovered the true nature of the beast.
Ferrari broke cover with the now infamous 250 S Berlinetta prototype in 1952, and promptly went on to win the Mille Miglia with the car in that same year. With this success bagged, the 250 family soon produced several versions including, among others, a 250 GT car which inspired Italian coachbuilder, Carrozzeria Scaglietti, to create an open top version for the American market. The California Spyder was born.
Some iterations on the theme later, and the new California Spyder, now with a T-suffix, has joined other rare automobiles on the Scuderia South Africa showroom floor.
While it is a very specific letter of the alphabet, the T attached to the new California name is also a very rare suffix for any Ferrari. Turbocharging is not often applied to Ferrari road cars, and the California T is the first front-engined sports car from Maranello to receive it.
Some may see it as a subtle change, while Ferrari aficionados will likely agree that turbocharging goes against what Ferraris are supposed to represent – hard, purposeful, normally-aspirated acceleration.
Yet, the California T represents something of a new way of thinking for Ferrari. A way of thinking that recognises the motoring landscape has changed, and that drivers demand more refinement from their cars, especially so when that car comes at a substantial financial investment.
How does an iconic brand such as Ferrari, repackage what it represents, to be more in line with the changing needs and desires of those who want to drive, and enjoy, them? To answer that question we need to look at the previous generation California, and how it paved the way for the new, more refined car.
In its own right, the previous generation California was a ground-breaking car for Ferrari. It was the first Ferrari road car to have a front-mounted V8 engine, the first to have a dual-clutch gearbox and, although not the first to have a removable hardtop, was the first to follow the trend of having a fully retractable one that electrically folds into its boot. Technically speaking it had no antecedent, although it carried the California name from the 1957 Spyder.
Importantly though, it was a softer, more approachable Ferrari than any other before it, opening up a new market of buyers who could fall in love with Ferrari.
The T builds on that legacy, refining the approach of the previous generation even more, while endowing the new California with more power, better response, tighter handling and ultimately, more fun!
Maranello’s engineers deserve to be commended for their work on the all-new 3,855 cc, V8 powerplant that graces the California T. Not only is it as smooth as silk, it also boasts scorching pick-up with virtually no turbo lag, thanks to its low-inertia twin scroll turbos. Hoping to soften the blow for hard-core carburettor junkies, the Ferrari Variable Boost Management system guarantees increasing torque across the rev range, mimicking a normally-aspirated engine.
The on-road result is mind-bending. Shouldn’t a Ferrari be brash, noisy, and unpredictable? The California T is anything but that, underlining what is – in my mind at least – a successful transition to elegance for the Prancing Horse.
Not to put too fine a point on it, the California T retains as much primal urge as the Ferrari badges that adorn its flanks could hope to represent in a changing world. It remains a true sports car, heart and soul, and it has the figures to prove it. Charging from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, the California comfortably accepts its supercar status, and blasts beyond that to a claimed top speed of 316 km/h.
Need to accelerate hard out of a tight corner? No problem. To keep the California T’s 412 kW (yes, that is 107 kW per litre) and 755 Nm of torque in check, Ferrari has employed the latest F1-Trac traction control system to the car, meaning that the sportier side of the California T’s personality is never lost to the gods of grand touring. That said, dial down the urgency (and flick the steering-mounted drive selector back to ‘comfort’) and the California T fully regains its boulevard cruiser composure.
Despite being almost track-ready, the California T philosophy – to offer spirited driving fun tempered with high doses of elegance – is not lost inside the cabin. The human/machine interface is typically Ferrari, but it now resides firmly in the 21st century where tactile luxury reigns. From the high-quality infotainment system with touchscreen controls to the sumptuous leather-clad seats, this cabin was created by passionate craftsmen, for discerning individuals.
LAST WORD
Some cars are hard to summarise in a sentence or two. Yet others, near impossible. The Ferrari California T is such a surprisingly polished machine that it has evoked a passion for the Ferrari brand that I had not experienced before. Purists may not yet be ready for the intentional compromises that are built into the California T, but a new world beckons for the brand with this car. In that world, many new and very happy customers will love their Ferraris for a long time to come.
Report by BERNARD HELLBERG | Images © SCUDERIA SOUTH AFRICA
As published in Driven, May 2015
