• Give A Gift

Flooring the throttle revs the flat-plane crank housed within this 453-bhp direct-injected 4.3-liter V-8 ahead of me to an unwavering 3000 rpm; over 75 percent of the available 358 lb.-ft. of torque standing ready to make the pavement scream. And if you remember to wait momentarily, as Torre advises, before releasing the brake, the California will simply rocket out of the hole with total computer-controlled precision. Forget to wait, as I did, and you'll light up the 285-mm wide rear Pirellis in a semi-sideways rolling burnout, which is fun but does you no favors in winning drag races. Compared to previous Ferraris I've been in, the California launches and shifts with little drama. But to call it subdued would be to call a 6-ft. 6-in. NBA player "average."

An upshift takes a mere 20 milliseconds for the California's 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox—40 milliseconds less than the single-clutch F1-Superfast 2 transmission in the 430 Scuderia. Because one clutch is engaging as the other releases, the shift action is smooth yet not seamless enough to be confused with an automatic, which is what Ferrari intended. Ask Torre what is the quickest possible shift time they can achieve with this new 7-speed box, and he'll tell you "zero." But Ferrari knows that 0.02 seconds—at least outside of Formula 1—are worth sacrificing for the spirit of driving.

My first successful launch rips out a 3.5-sec. 0–60-mph sprint, clocking the quarter mile in 11.9 sec. at 116.9 mph, which I gather is not half bad for an all-aluminum Gran Turismo that weighs over 4000 lb. with my added mass aboard. The California's uniquely styled visage—paying homage to the original 250 California of 1957—cuts through the air better than any of its kin, wind tunnel proven at a 0.32 drag coefficient. The vertically stacked exhausts are more than a design stunt to defy convention; they actually allow for proper air extraction coming off the forged 19-in. rear wheels, preventing lift. I keep my foot in much longer than needed, partially because there's room and partially because it's fun, but also to give the massive carbon-ceramic brakes (which are now standard on all Ferraris) an honest chance to show their mettle. Being fitted to a GT, the California's brake pedal has been tuned accordingly, not giving a whole lot of initial bite but still offering a moderately firm feel. Get into the brakes hard and the ABS surprises with sharp pulses but works sublimely, out-stopping almost every car we've ever tested from 60 mph (save for the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione) at 106 ft., and tying the venerable Ferrari Enzo from 80 mph at 188 ft.—wow.

This Is A Developing Story

Related Stories

2 of 200
200 images