There's no point in writing about a Ferrari if you can't get excited and think up new ways to exaggerate its performance and coolness. Unfortunately, the California is probably the least exciting Ferrari ever made. No, wait, it is the least exciting Ferrari ever made! Even though we're affected by years of dealing with the drab California, something about the new turbo model got our attention. Could it be an engine that sounds really good indoors?
Geneva marks the return of Prancing Horse to turbocharging, as this is where Ferrari chose to debut the significantly updated/upgraded California T model. As the biggest event in the European calendar winds down to a complete stop, the cars that excited us weeks ago are being taken off their stands and packed away. While the new Ferrari leaves, one last glimpse of it is captured with the V8 burbling away nicely.
The first of many force-induced models coming our way, the T is powered by a 3.9-liter, direct-injected V8 that delivers 560 HP at 7,500 rpm and 557 lb-ft (755 Nm) at 4,750 rpm. That's an increase of 70 hp over the old model.
For now, we're not able to tell you how closely this 3.9-liter matches the Maserati 3.8-liter. But we can tell you the engine swap has made the car a lot faster. The 0 to 62 mph sprint time has gone from “under 4s” to 3.6 seconds, instantly makes this a very desirable sportscar. Now if only somebody could convince Paris Hilton to get rid of hers, the California could be cool again!
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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