California Dreaming

Your Pap thought he would close out the work week with a little day-dreaming and something to look forward to next summer…it’s the 2010 Ferrari California, a $200k hardtop convertible in the price range of an Aston Martin DB9 and Bentley Continental GTC. What do The Fans think?

Scheduled release is Spring 2009. About 4,000 will be produced. Your Pap likes the playful lines and fun shapes inside and out. This is a fun Ferrari with everyday usability – it’s not as hard edged as other Ferraris, which makes it a great (dare we say) daily commuter-car as well. It looks great top up or down. That thick rear end and stacked exhaust isn’t the way your Pap would have penned this car, but it’s not terrible.

Performance will be around 4-seconds from 0 to 60. The engine is Ferrari’s 4.3L V-8 pumping out 460 hp. For most other cars, these numbers are definatley sports-car worthy even if not mind-blowing. For a Ferrari, it’s a bit of a cruiser…and that’s perfectly okay with your Pap. In truth, that's still pretty damn fast!

This car isn’t about ferocity – it’s about leisurely drives up PCH or an afternoon of shopping on Robertson ending with some dessert at Cuvee. The California is easy-breezy, so go ahead, have your double scoop on a cone, get some sand in the car and let’s get over to the Carbon Beach summer rental for a nice mojito at sunset.