Ferrari California Fast Drivers Only!

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. It’s also got something called backseats, which seems like a cute concept for a Ferrari — a “2+” is the technical term. The $230,000 auto is called a “grand tourer” I suppose for this reason, though you’d better find some small friends or very young children if you want to do any grand touring without major leg circulation issues. It’s a natural classic, all good looks and serious performance, and it’s got a foot in the present and the past.

This is a Ferrari after all, and it makes no apologies for conceding a few extra seats. Oh, and you’re of course invited to come along.

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. It ended its life by sailing out a window, a scene which horrified the Ferrari cognoscenti in audiences across America — who may still have unnecessary nightmares, as the car in that film was a replica. There were fewer than a hundred 250GTs made, and as a result they were valuable cars.

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.

But in the canon of Ferrari’s aggressively powerful cars, the California has already gotten a bit of a rep for being nice. 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.

Get over to Charles Granere‘s site: www.Granere.com and take in some Charles Granere interests.

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