Through a fluke in timing or just plain luck, I'm fortunate enough to have now been behind the wheel of every single current Ferrari currently on sale. That's a rarity even for automotive journalists, and it's an honor I don't take lightly. Today's drive of the California marked a special occasion, since this was not just the only Ferrari I haven't driven, it's also an all-new kind of Ferrari.

The California is full of firsts: it's the first-ever front-mounted V-8-engined Ferrari, it's the first use of direct injection in a Ferrari, and it's Ferrari's first dual-clutch automated manual transmission. It's also the first Ferrari built on a modular architecture, and the first built on a new production line that is downright spooky in its modernity. I was able to tour the facility last month, and the California's production line is spotlessly clean, eerily quiet, and freakishly automated. On the one hand, computerized, precise mass production makes the California seem somehow less special; on the other, it ensures the highest level of quality. I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff, especially for a Ferrari that's inherently less special than some others.

Screeeetch -- less special? I mean the California no insult by that. It's the least expensive offering in Ferrari's stable, but that's only part of the reason why. The other reason is that I equate "special" with "insane." I, a certified automotive nutcase, adore the F430 for its insanity. I love the way it crackles and barks and screams. I love how it scares small children and grown men alike with its acoustic assault; how it accelerates and shifts with such violence that it renders its passengers hysterical. I love how its occupants are assaulted with the feel of every pebble on the road after luring them in with the sight and aroma of the world's finest materials.

Some, however, might find the F430 a bit much. For these people, Ferrari makes the California. The California is a softer, milder, less insane Ferrari. Ergo, it's less special to crazy people like me, but it's no less special in the real world. A grand tourer in the traditional sense of the word, Ferrari's hard-top convertible is smooth and luxurious. Its sound level and ride are sedate by Ferrari standards, and its cabin elegant and luxurious .From the driver's seat, the experience is typical of today's Ferraris, which means a big red start button, a Mannetino controller on the steering wheel, and a paddle-shifted transmission. Upon first driving off, you notice that the suspension is supple, the gearchanges are smooth, and, like all modern Ferraris, the steering is Cadillac-overboosted and lacking in feel.

I drove the California in traffic for almost a hundred miles before I finally flung it into a corner-and became quickly aware that, like the 599 GTB and the 612 Scaglietti, it has two very distinct personalities. The California turns in with amazing immediacy-likely a result of having most of its weight between the axles. To that end, the V-8 is mounted completely aft of the front axle and the dual-clutch transmission is a transaxle mounted in the rear. Not much feedback comes through the steering wheel, and the brakes are somewhat wooden, but this is a car that knows how to dance. Chassis balance is spot-on perfect, serving up high-speed drifts that are easily controlled with the throttle.

The dual-clutch transmission shifts with no interruption in power; it's nothing like the old F1's brutal, neck-snapping full-throttle shifts. But I actually prefer the single-clutch transmission, at least until Ferrari's software engineers get around to a Version 2.0. Even though the dual-clutch box provides mostly seamless shifts, making for more comfortable driving, it's not quite as well programmed as the old F1 box, and a few glitches are apparent. (Read my blog on Transmissions for more detailed information about the Ferrari dual-clutch transmissions.)

Like all modern Ferraris, the California's suspension is able to filter out small road surface irregularities without compromising body control. Lateral body control (lean in corners) feels, from the cockpit, to be nonexistent, but the suspension does allow a lot of brake dive.

 

Le 453-hp, 4,3-litre V-8 est plus profonde dans la justesse et moins sonore dans la note que le moteur de la F430. La Californie V-8 utilise toujours la marque d'un plat de Ferrari (180 degrés) de vilebrequin, de sorte qu'il ressemble deux maniaques de quatre cylindres au lieu de l'abîme, gargouillis distinctive que vous obtenez à partir de 90 degrés V-8. La note d'échappement de la Californie sont certes impressionnantes, mais il réalise que plus en raison de son volume que sa hauteur, en particulier à l'intérieur de la voiture. Cela a exacerbé lorsque la transmission est en mode automatique de l'absence de coupure de courant pendant les quarts de fait du bruit du moteur noter le changement comme une boîte automatique conventionnelle. Je pense que Ferrari a besoin de programmer dans un raté très rapide pendant les quarts d'interrompre momentanément la note d'échappement. D'autres fabricants de voitures de sport ce faire.

Parlant de l'interruption de livraison de carburant, un autre domaine qui pourrait bénéficier d'une programmation supplémentaire est à régime très léger. Toutes les voitures modernes coupure de carburant sur le moteur lorsque vous décrochez complètement à côté de la manette des gaz et la transition entre la charge très légère de croisière et de carburant-de coupure est assez grossière, en Californie. Il est particulièrement visible lorsque vous essayez de la côte vers le bas d'une colline ou lorsque vous êtes en stop-and-go de trafic, car il permet de saccades considérable. D'autre part, Ferrari a fait un travail fantastique de masquer les sons retardement qui injecteurs haute pression font au ralenti. Les injecteurs sont situés sous un plénum d'admission gros, rouge, et magnifique, et le dessous de la hotte est garni d'un matériau d'insonorisation qui rend le tic-tac presque complètement inaudible. Et n'oublions surtout pas l'important partiel de la Californie est grand, large, courbe de couple plate. Il s'agit d'un V-8 qui ne se sent doux, il tire fort du ralenti à la zone rouge 8000 tr / min.

Le système de navigation de la Californie est le même Harman / Becker unité utilisée par Chrysler. C'est une unité de décent à écran tactile avec grande facilité d'utilisation, mais la résolution de l'écran est d'une génération ou deux derrière les meilleurs, de sorte que la carte elle-même est d'une utilité limitée. La qualité sonore est juste (elle ne vient pas à proximité du système de sonorisation JBL dans la Scuderia Spider 16M, par exemple), mais le système propose des services faciles à utiliser intégration d'un téléphone Bluetooth, un disque dur pour le stockage de la musique, aux- IN, et l'intégration d'iPod complet.

La Californie est également livré avec contrôle du climat à deux zones et de la climatisation qui a maintenu la cabine cool même dans le soleil du désert 105-degré. Les sièges sont favorables, et sans exception tous les matériaux intérieur est de premier ordre. Le toit rigide rétractable refuse de hochet ou grincer, et même si il fallait un peu plus longtemps que les tiques Ferrari est temps cité de quinze secondes pour ouvrir ou fermer, il est assez rapide à utiliser si vous êtes les premiers à arriver à un feu rouge. La structure en aluminium pour la plupart est incroyablement robuste qui n'a à aucun moment je remarque tout saborder secouer ou châssis flex.

 

The California looks best in darker colors, which help hide its homely rear end. The stacked exhaust pipes supposedly made more room for underbody airflow management, but they're not pretty. I also don't care for the frowning horizontal opening that contains the supplemental rear lights. Fortunately, the front of the California is far better resolved, although the car appears tall and narrow, rather than having the wide and low stance that one expects from a sports car. The long front overhang is very reminiscent of the Maserati GranTurismo, a more elegantly styled piece of automotive jewelry. As always, styling is subjective-you might look at the photos and love it.

Visibility to the rear is acceptable, and what can't be seen is detected by standard parking sensors. The trunk is easily large enough, at least with the roof up, to accommodate a large suitcase. The California's rear seats are 911-sized (meaning two things: the same size as the back seats in a Porsche 911, and that you'd have to dial 9-1-1 to have emergency personnel extract any adult who tries to squeeze into the back.) The rear seats can be replaced with a beautifully finished cargo shelf at no cost, but in either configuration, the space can be used for additional storage, and the California even offers a trunk pass-through for long items.

All of the usability means the California can easily be driven daily, and for long distances. That is, of course, the very purpose of a Gran Turismo. This Ferrari is a few programming issues short of true perfection-but the important stuff is all there. The California hits 60 mph in about four seconds, tears up back roads with impeccable balance, and cruises quietly, smoothly, and comfortably. It's an F430 with a Vulgarity Reduction Program, which is exactly what Ferrari set out to achieve and exactly what its buyers will expect. People like me will still prefer an F430, but those of sound mind, body, and pocketbook needn't look past the California in their search for a Maranello masterpiece.

Driven: 2010 Ferrari California