Let's face it ladies and gentleman, emissions regulations dictate the pace of the automotive world. They are the reason Aston Martin makes the Cygnet and why Ferrari was to become greener as well.
For their latest hypercar, Maranello went hybrid. The 6,262cc engine in the LaFerrari is also helped by an electric motor. However, for the cheapest car they sell, that wasn't the right solution.
Supercar spotter Marchettino has recently captured a next-gen California test mule undergoing testing at the Fiorano test track. Don't be confused by the camouflaged front end, as Ferrari plans to completely change the styling and is only testing the running gear at the moment.
The California is based on the Maserati GranTurismo and as a result is likely to adopt the new twin-turbo V8 developed for the 2014 Quattroporte. The 3.8-liter V8 makes 523 hp (530 PS) and up to 710Nm (524 lb-ft) of torque for a 0-100km/h (62mph) time of 4.7 seconds in the 2 ton sedan. By comparison, the current California needs only 490 PS to reach the same speed in 3.8 seconds, so it will become brutally fast.
Ferrari has had turbocharged cars before. The failure of the F40 immediately pop to mind. However, that was created to imitative F1 cars, while the California will be turbocharged for comfort.
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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