Ferrari California Model History

Inspired by the prized 1957 250 GT California Spyder designed for the North American market, Ferrari instituted a number the classic vehicles traits into a retractable hardtop sports car introduced in 2010. The Ferrari California could transform from coupe to convertible in 14 seconds thanks to a power-operated aluminum roof section. When the top is deployed, the 2010 California achieved a drag coefficient number of 0.32, the best posted by a Ferrari road car upon the time of its release.

As a two-seat sports car, the Californias interior was finished with high-grade materials. Bluetooth connectivity, eight-way power seats and dual-zone climate control came standard on the California. The 2010 Ferrari Californias power was sourced from a direct-injected, 4.3-liter V-8 engine that generated 453 horsepower mounted ahead of the passenger cabin. The powerplant was connected exclusively to Ferraris first dual-clutch transmission. A seven-speed gearbox able to be shifted manually, power for the 2010 California could also be applied automatically through the transmission. A six-speed manual transmission was briefly offered on the California in 2012. Worldwide, only two examples of the Ferrari California exist with the manual gearbox. For 2013, the Ferrari California received a host of technical advancements.

New pistons, manifold and a reprogrammed ECU coaxed an additional 30 horsepower from the 4.3-liter engine. The 2014 California also offered a Handling Speciale package that rode on magnetorheological dampers. In 2014, the redesigned Ferrari California T emerged as a substantially more potent version of the retractable hardtop sports car. With an all-new turbocharged 3.9-liter V-8 powerplant that produced 560 horsepower and 557 pound-feet of torque, the Ferrari California T surged from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds.