Astonishing 2+ Seater
The Ferrari California offered a number of firsts upon its debut in 2008. The Ferrari California, premiering in 2008, takes its name from a 50-year-old classic while introducing some modern-day developments. A front-engine V8. A dual-clutch 7-speed transmission, for those seamless gear changes. And as a result of this transmission it presents at least one last: The last Ferrari to offer a manual gearbox. Anyway who wants to deal with complaints from the backseat?
The California is a “2+,” a two-door with what we’ll all agree to call two ass-holders in what we’ll all agree to call the “backseat.” Which puts it in the class of “grand tourer,” a fine distinction for a car that really does look like it just wants to get on the road and stay there. The eight cylinders get you to 60 from a standstill in just under four seconds, well on its way to 193 mph, an impressive speed that is the result of long hours in a wind tunnel.
Speaking of flying, you probably remember the California’s ancestors from a movie called “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” The mythic car in that film was a (say it with me now) 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder. You’ll remember the most famous dignitary of the 250 series as the car in the 1986 John Hughes classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” That was a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California, one of few than a hundred cars (as noted by Cameron). (The car in the movie was a replica, not an actual 250, because if it had been, Ferrari enthusiasts would have burned down Hollywood had Hughes actually destroyed one of the rare beauties.)
To give you an idea just how valuable: In 2008 a 250GT sold at auction for more than $10.8 million. Million. Dollars. So, yeah. Replica. Performance is turn-of-the-century, too: zero to 60 in a shade under four seconds, a top speed of 193 mph, and due to long hours in a wind tunnel, the most aerodynamic car Ferrari’s ever built.
Pretty but not exotic, and with a rear end that offends some, it’s clear that the new California has a mellow side that its cousins do not. And this is partly in the design — a car that can do many things well, and most of them better than almost every other car on the road. So while it’s a bit peculiar for a Ferrari, it’s still a breathtaking machine when compared to gosh, anything with a backseat. Just make sure you call shotgun at least once. And while the front end brings to mind, say, a dignified Aston-Martin, the rear gets a lot of grief for being a bit too big.
But Ferrari was serious when it decided to build a car that could perform but could also fit a small child (say, the child of your mistress) in the back seat. A little something for everyone, it seems. Everyone who has $230,000 and a wish to take your best normal-sized friend and your best small friends for an exhilarating trip.
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