California is known for many things: the Governor, UCLA, and Hollywood, but among its many connotations, California’s name is rarely bestowed on anything of beauty, magnificence, and sheer power. Until 2008, when Ferrari made the decision to build a 2+2 front engine, the Grand Tourer coupé cabriolet known as the California. Revived from the Ferrari 250 GT name of the 1950s, Ferrari announced the California at the 2008 Paris Motor Show as an entirely new model line for Ferrari. Although often mistaken as the successor to the 575 Maranello, or as the similar Grand Tourer, the 599 GTB Fiorano, the California differs primarily as a front-engine V8 Grand Tourer versus the Maranello and 599 GTB Fiorano which house V12 engines.

The introduction of the Ferrari California ushered in a number of firsts for Ferrari. It would be the first Ferrari to feature a front V8 engine, a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, a folding metal convertible top, multi-link rear suspension, and direct fuel injection. These combinations of firsts make the California a very interesting car, especially once you start to get familiar with the specs and begin to understand that the California is more than just a Grand Tourer.

So, without further ado, let’s get into the details. The California is powered by a 4.3-liter V8 that generates 453 horsepower at 7,750 RPM and 357 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 RPM, producing 108 horsepower per liter, one of the highest ratios for a V8 in natural aspiration. The 2012 Ford Mustang GT features a 5.0-liter V8 that produces 412 horsepower, producing 82 horsepower per liter, and the 2006 Corvette Z06 7.0-liter LS3 engine produces 505 horsepower, producing 82 horsepower per liter. 72 horsepower per liter. Not even a supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 engine from the Corvette ZR1 beats the California’s horsepower per liter, at 638 horsepower, the ZR1 makes 103 horsepower per liter.

Although the power per liter is extremely high, the overall output would be considered quite low compared to other performance vehicles, so it would be assumed that it cannot be much faster. But it is. Thanks to being the first Ferrari with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, the California can go from 0 to 60 in 3.4 seconds.[validate], the same time as a Ferrari F430, despite weighing 180 kilograms (400 pounds) more and having 30 fewer horses. Then the Ferrari California can be taken to a top speed of 193 MPH, thanks to more than 1,000 hours of wind tunnel testing to help hone the aerodynamics into a beautifully drag-efficient car, which no doubt is an understatement.

The car’s design must have first been dreamed up by a child with a boundless imagination, and then taken over by an artist who knows how to portray power with legs, where ultimately Ferrari’s engineers spent countless hours perfecting the unique blend of V8 performance. , with Grand Tourer sailing with the delicacy of an exotic Italian.

In 2008, Ferrari announced plans to produce nearly 5,000 Californias in the first two years of production, raising Ferrari’s total output by 50%. Despite Ferrari’s unusually high production numbers, all Californias have sold through 2011 for a refreshing $192,000. In 2011, Ferrari announced an update for the 2012 California, with lighter aluminum alloys producing a lower weight of 3758 and a higher power output of an additional 30 horsepower due to a remapped ECU.