MANILA, Philippines – Ferrari’s sublime California T officially made its debut in Manila over the weekend, with an exclusive test drive offered to select motoring journalists. This car epitomizes the elegance, sportiness, versatility, and exclusivity that have distinguished every California model since the 1950s.
The Ferrari California T is a car for owners whom fun behind the wheel is a priority, but who also demand a sumptuously comfortable Grand Tourer they can use every day.
The California T is a brilliant expression of Ferrari’s sporty DNA, while its retractable hard top and 2+2 seating configuration make it uniquely versatile in the world of supercars.
Like all Ferraris, the California T boasts cutting-edge technologies that make it absolutely unique—most notably the new turbocharged V8 engine. Turbo technology has an honorable place in the Prancing Horse’s engineering tradition, thanks to iconic models of the likes of the GTO of 1984 and the F40 of 1987. It is now also, of course, back at the heart of the Scuderia’s latest F1 car.
Maranello’s engineers have managed to design a remarkable power unit that combines classic Ferrari engine qualities, such as razor-sharp responsiveness, blistering performance, superbly powerful acceleration at all speeds and an exhilarating soundtrack, with the advantages turbo technology, such as drastically reduced emissions and fuel consumption, a high specific power output and compact dimensions—a genuinely unprecedented achievement that sets a new benchmark for the industry.
A seamless blend of sportiness and elegance, the California T is powered by a direct-injection 3.8-liter V8 turbo engine that punches out a massive 560 hp at 7,500 rpm, yielding a specific power output of 145 hp/l, the highest in its category, as well as maximum torque of 755 Nm—figures that allow the California T to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 3.6 seconds and deliver extraordinary acceleration—even in higher gears (0 to 200 km/h in just 11.2 seconds)—and excellent fuel efficiency. It has a top speed of 316 km/h.
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For the first time on an engine using this technology, turbo lag has been virtually eliminated by reducing inertia and adopting an F1-derived flat-plane crankshaft in addition to innovative twin-scroll turbines. Increasingly powerful pick-up is guaranteed by proprietary Variable Boost Management software which adjusts torque delivery to suit the gear selected, thereby also cutting fuel consumption.
As was the case in Formula 1, turbocharging was adopted out of a need to boost efficiency. Compared to the previous California, in fact, fuel consumption has been cut by 15 percent despite an increase of 70 hp in power output and a jump of 49 percent in maximum torque in seventh gear. As a direct consequence, the car’s range has been extended by 15 percent.
Thanks to meticulous design and sophisticated production techniques adopted for essential components such as the flat-plane crankshaft and the three-piece cast exhaust manifold and turbo housing, the California T’s engine produces an enthrallingly powerful sound that becomes even more impressive as revs increase. This is a completely unprecedented achievement for a turbo engine.
The California T boasts true sports car dynamics too, thanks to reduced steering wheel activity and improved steering wheel response courtesy of a new steering box and new suspension setup. New springs and latest-generation Magnaride dampers (now more than 50 percent faster) combined with body motion accelerometers reduce roll and pitch to deliver more precise handling whilst still guaranteeing an incredibly comfortable ride.
The car also sports the latest evolution of F1-Trac, which guarantees maximum acceleration out of corners, and CCM3 carbon-ceramic brakes—with new composite discs and pads—integrated with the ESP 8.0 Premium system, which controls the high-performance ABS to deliver extremely short stopping distances (100 to 0 km/h in just 34 meters).
The combination of the California T’s uncompromising architecture, dynamic controls and new engine guarantees consistent fun behind the wheel both in challenging and more relaxed driving conditions, in perfect Grand Tourer style.
The Ferrari Styling Centre, in collaboration with Pininfarina, radically reworked the California T’s design to endow it with a completely new personality while retaining its original dimensions. Its flanks are an homage to the 250 TestaRossa’s famous pontoon-fender styling, with the front wing line stretching back towards the compact, muscular rear and bringing an aerodynamic sleekness and movement to the sides. The rear benefits from meticulous aerodynamic research resulting in a new triple-fence diffuser.
The air vents in the hood boost the efficiency of the front radiator, helping reduce its overall dimensions, while the lower section of the front bumper has been profiled to channel air to the intercoolers.
The warm, sumptuously hand-finished cabin is trimmed in luxury semi-aniline leather. The space onboard is flexible too, and owners can make the most efficient use of its generous trunk capacity even with the top down, thanks to the communication between the luggage compartment and rear seats.
Ferrari’s unparalleled quality standards and increasing focus on client service underpin the extended seven-year maintenance program offered with the California T. Available across the entire range, it covers all regular maintenance for the first seven years of the car’s life.
This scheduled maintenance program for Ferraris is an exclusive service that allows clients the certainty that their car is being kept at peak performance and safety over the years. This very special service is also available to owners of pre-owned Ferraris.
Regular maintenance (at intervals of either 20,000 km or once a year with no mileage restrictions), original spares and meticulous checks by staff trained directly at the Ferrari Training Centre in Maranello using the most modern diagnostic tools are just some of the advantages of the Genuine Maintenance Program.
The service is available on all markets worldwide and from all Dealerships on the Official Dealership Network.
The Genuine Maintenance Program further broadens the range of after-sales services offered by Ferrari to satisfy clients wishing to preserve the performance and excellence that are the signatures of all cars built in Maranello which itself has long been synonymous with leading-edge technology and sportiness.
