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.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment