Car of the week – February 19th – Ferrari California T

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  • The interior of the car has been improved with a higher grade leather, a better sat-nav, and cutting edge driver assist technology.

    Ferrari have never been overly keen on turbo charged engines, despite the fact that the magnificent F40 and various models before it were powered by them.

    They much prefer naturally aspirated engines because they are mega responsive, obviously don’t suffer from turbo lag, although you don’t get much of that these days, are high revving and they emit that astonishing screaming howl that is now synonymous with the Prancing Horse.

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    So, you can sort of understand why the red mist threatened to come down amongst the traditionalists when it was decided that the new California would have a twin-turbo engine. Ferrari haven’t gone this way because they necessarily wanted to, but because emission controls have forced them, for business reasons, to toe the line, like other performance car manufacturers. And having driven the California T, it is clear those chaps at Ferrari who thought this engine might damage the enigma of their cars, their desirability or reputation in any way, have done everything in their power to disguise the fact that this is a turbo and not one of their beloved naturally aspirated V8s.

    It took them a few years to perfect this twin-turbo 3.855-litre V8, using the same technology as F1 to cut fuel consumption, but they have done a great job. I was a bit concerned that it might not sound like a full-blooded Ferrari but, thanks to complex engineering involving the crankshaft, exhaust manifold and turbo housing, it has its own distinctively fruity engine note and it more than upholds the Italian marque’s tradition of aural magnificence whilst satisfying the emissions police.

    Ferrari claim this California reduces fuel consumption by 15 percent, compared with its predecessor, despite being more powerful. How powerful? Well, put pedal to metal and you will be blasted from 0-100kmh in just 3.6 wildly exhilarating seconds as 552 bhp is delivered to the rear wheels via a seven-speed F1 automatic gearbox. For maximum pleasure there are paddle-shifts.

    This engine has a mighty 755nm of torque which interestingly only peaks once you are in seventh gear. That’s because the engineers at Maranello have made it perform like a naturally aspirated engine where Variable Boost Management ensures the torque increases across the rev range.

    It encourages you to keep your foot in, hold a gear and watch the revs climb with the resulting power surge and rising crescendo of that all important engine note.

    It’s not only the engine which has changed in the California, which has been a hugely successful model for Ferrari. There is an upgraded suspension system to improve the ride and all the body panels are new. The single air intake on the bonnet has now been replaced with two neat mesh covered breath-holes and the front has also been refined. The back, which was perhaps a little bulky in the last generation California has been improved enormously. It now looks far more sleek and aerodynamic and the side view of this car is spectacular. They have also ditched the stacked double exhausts for a more traditional horizontal layout. Being a hard-top convertible it transforms from a stunning coupe to an even more impressive Spider in just 14 seconds with the roof folding very neatly into the boot area.

    The interior has also been improved with a higher grade leather, a better sat-nav and infotainment system with a high resolution 6.6-inch touch screen, and cutting edge driver assist technology, much of it straight out of Formula 1.

    Thankfully, it also retains the refined heritage of the early Californias which were first wheeled out of Maranello in the 1950s. The seats have also been improved and they are now more luxurious and supportive. There are back seats but they are unusable as this is strictly a two-seater GT.

    The instrument cluster is typical Ferrari but there is now something called a Turbo Performance Engineer display which sits between the two air vents in the centre of the dash and has a touch sensitive dial control which enables you to scroll through information on the new engine’s performance. Interesting I guess, but I never felt the urge to use it. There may have been some angst over using a turbo engine but make no mistake this is a stunning Ferrari the Italian marque can be proud of and California fans will adore. It is a sophisticated, fast and refined GT and although the engine note is slightly different it remains deliciously and distinctively Ferrari.

    Verdict: 9/10

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