Ferrari California T, even better handling

With a retractable hard top and a 580-hp V8 engine beneath the hood, the 2+2 launched in 2009 continues to meet new targets for the brand with the Prancing Horse logo, this time treating itself to a Special Handling (SH) option.

In 2009, this model styled itself as the most affordable coupé cabriolet from the firm in Maranello, bringing it two-thirds of its new clients. Five years later, the California has set its sights on other attributes. Starting with a T, which now completes its very dreamy name. T for Turbo (actually Twin Turbo), for the 3.8-litre V8 with its characteristic roar. Yet sportiness has not been achieved by sacrificing comfort : far from it. Whatever the terrain, track, motorway or country road, the California T in fact offers the perfect balance between performance and versatility. With the Special Handling (SH) option, it provides a made-to-measure solution, new damper settings and modified springs for a more rigid car. “Slightly less comfortable,” comment detractors. “Sportier,” respond the purists. And engine sound which rises to keep pace with the revs. In Sport mode, gear changes are faster in both up and down shifts. And the magneto-rheological dampers respond more efficiently. Acceleration has also been improved, particularly when exiting bends and on bumpier roads. The SH package includes a new exhaust system, immediately recognizable for its “fuller, richer and more involving timbre”, says Ferrari, “at all speeds and in all driving situations”.

Certain details in the design of the elegant and sophisticated California T echo the sporty character of the Special Handling option. The new front grille in matte “Grigio Ferro” complements the rear diffuser with matte black fences and matte black tailpipes. The Geneva Motor Show, from March 3rd to 13th 2016, should definitively lift the veil from the California T and its Special Handling option, more rigid, more efficient, more edgy.

The SH option delivers the promise of springs that are 16 % stiffer at the front, 19 % at the rear.

Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster. A V8 engine, 571 hp, and design which almost makes one forget the absence of the butterfly door… The Mercedes is still capable of eliciting the interest of potential fans of the California T. 209,000 €.

Engine : direct injection V8 at 90°
Power : 560 hp
Top speed : 316 km/h
0-100 km/h : 3.6 secs
Consumption : 10.5 l/100 hm
CO2 emissions : 250 g/km
Price : from 190.000 €

Ferrari California T, even better hand­ling

Ferrari California T, even better handling