Ferrari California - As Beautiful as they Come

Lately, we have been getting to see more and more of the latest bold and beautiful creation from Ferrari, as the California has gone from concept to reality. This baby boasts a 460 horsepower 4.3 Liter V8 and is the first production car from the factory at Maranello to utilize direct injection while still adhering to the racing tradition of using a flat-plane crankshaft to provide torque. The Ferrari California is also the first from Ferrari to debut the production application of a dual clutch gearbox. The seven speed unit is mounted in a rear trans-axle configuration and should definitely provide smoother shifting between gears and much improved performance over the existing hydraulic units that Ferrari currently uses in its other models. Expected 0 to 60 mph acceleration times for the Ferrari California should come in under 4.0 seconds.

The California, by Ferrari, is also the company’s first convertible to sport a retractable hardtop. From the flowing lines of the hood scoop and headlights to the dramatic sweep of the rear fenders, as well as the vents behind the front wheels, the California conspicuously draws on the heritage of the original 1960’s 250 GT California. At the same time, it’s design is decidedly modern Ferrari with current design elements drawn from the latest F430 and 599 models. This car has the capacity to be a crossover between the all-out racing inspired models such as the F430 and a more subtle, luxury touring vehicle - albeit one with enough bite under the hood to make any car owner envious of the driver behind the wheel of this baby!

Ferrari California - As Beautiful as they Come was written by Joe on Sunday, October 5th, 2008 at 5:01 pm. It was filed under Ferrari. You can follow any responses to this entry through the Comments RSS feed.