Ferrari California, 2009

Ferrari California, 2009

The Ferrari California is an exceptionally innovative car whose philosophy takes its inspiration from the spirit and emotions of one of the great Ferraris of the past, the 1957 250 California, a superbly elegant open top car designed for the track, which has, over the years, come to symbolise not only superior sportiness and performance but also exclusivity, craftsmanship and faultless sophistication.
This new car joins Ferrari's 8-cylinder range which is made up mostly of very high performance models. It also flanks the 12-cylinder flagship Ferrari 612 Scaglietti in the Grand Tourer category. The Ferrari California is a car with the track in its DNA. It is enormously innovative and will more than fulfil the expectations of even our most discerning clients, offering breathtaking driving pleasure and fun behind the wheel as well as extreme versatility of use and in-car comfort. It is available exclusively as a convertible with retractable folding hard top in either a two-seater version with a traditional rear bench or in the 2+ version which sees the rear bench equipped with seating for one to two passengers.

The Chassis and suspensions

The Ferrari California's chassis and bodyshell are both made entirely from aluminium. Thanks to the use of different aluminium technologies (extrusions and shell casts), the car's exceptional versatility, onboard comfort and driveability has not added to chassis weight or to the dimensions of the structural sections - something that simply would not be the case had traditional steel architecture and technologies been used. Furthermore, static rigidity (torsional and flexional) has been improved with respect to average figures for a Spider to ensure exceptional handling in any kind of road conditions and to guarantee GT-standard comfort both with the top up and down.

The GT Manettino and F1-Trac
The manettino has now become one of the classic features of our entire range as has its position on the steering wheel which is clearly derived from our Formula 1 experience. The manettino integrates the gearbox, stability and traction control systems (CST and F1-Trac) and the SCM suspension system.

The settings are as follows:
* COMFORT: maximum safety in all conditions, particularly ideal for low grip situations (wet or slippery road surface). Best everyday driving setting.
* SPORT: maximum performance and stability in perfect grip situations. Recommended for sporty, high performance driving.
* CST-OFF: this setting gives the driver complete freedom and control of the car. There is no electronic intervention whatsoever apart from ABS.

The Ferrari California also sports the F1-Trac traction control system which can very accurately read grip, assuring the very best can be made of the car's potential at any time.

The F1-Trac system guarantees:
* Maximum grip coming out of corners
* Stability in all driving conditions
* Superb driveability and handling in extreme situations
* Consistent performance
* Exceptional ride comfort.

Safety equipment
The Ferrari California boasts an ejectable roll-bar to ensure that its occupants are protected should the car overturn. The system is installed behind the backrests of the rear seats and is hidden by the trim of the same. Ejection time is under 190ms. The onboard safety equipment is completed by front retractable airbags (driver and passenger sides), side retractable air bags in door panels, bi-xenon headlights and LED rear lights. New generation adaptive headlights, known as AFS (Advanced Frontlighting System), are also available on request, and offer improved visibility on the road. The headlamp beam angles are automatically adjusted in line with steering, angle, speed and lateral acceleration, offering a wider area of illumination when cornering.

Interior and standard equipment
Particular attention has been lavished on the design and in-car comfort standard of the California's cabin. The new Ferrari is available in a choice of two configurations:
1. Two-seater plus rear bench equipped to take two roller suitcases or two golf bags.
2. 2+ configuration that sees the rear bench sporting two seats, Isofix attachment points, and two seat belts.

FERRARI CALIFORNIA TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
* DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHTS
o Length: 4563 mm
o Width: 1902 mm
o Height: 1308 mm
o Wheelbase: 2670 mm
o Front track: 1630 mm
o Rear track: 1605 mm
o Dry weight: 1630 kg
o Kerb weight: 1735 kg
o Weight distribution: 47% Front - 53% Rear
o Fuel tank capacity: 78 l
o Boot capacity: 340 l, 240 l (with roof retracted)
* TYRES
o Front: 245/40 ZR19"
o Rear: 285/40 ZR19"
o Front (optional): 245/35 ZR20"
o Rear (optional): 285/35 ZR20""
* CARBON-CERAMIC BRAKES
o Front: 390 x 34 mm
o Rear: 360 x 32 mm
* ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
o CST with F1-TRAC Stability and Traction Control System
o TPTMS Tyre Pressure and Temperature Monitoring System
* ENGINE
o 90° V8 Direct Injection
o Bore and stroke: 94 x 77.37 cc
o Overall displacement: 4297 cc
o Compression ratio: 12.2:1
o Maximum power output: 338 kW (460 CV) @ 7750 rpm
o Maximum torque: 485 Nm (49 kgm) @ 5000 rpm
* PERFORMANCE
o Maximum speed: 310 km/h
o 0-100 km/h: under 4.0 sec
o 0-400 m: 12.2 sec
o 0-1.000 m: 22.1 sec
* GEARBOX
o F1, dual-clutch, 7-speed plus reverse
o Manual 6-speed + REV
* SUSPENSION
o Front: Double wishbone
o Rear: Multilink
* FUEL CONSUMPTION
o ECE Combined: 13.1 l/100 km
* CO2 EMISSIONS
o ECE Combined: 305.6 g/km