Ferrari California

Ferrari Confirms AWD Hatchback Ferrari

Ferrari has unveiled its first-ever four-wheel drive car -- a four-seat, V-12 hatchback styled by Pininfarina called the FF (for Ferrari Four).

The FF replaces Ferrari's flagship 612 Scaglietti, and will make its official debut at the Geneva show in March.

The 6.3 V12 (6262cc) develops 651 horsepower and 504 lb ft of torque. The powerplant is good for 335kph and a swift 0-100kph time of 3.7 seconds.

The exotic car drives the four wheels via the dual-clutch F1 gearbox already seen in the California and the 458 Italia models.

The Pininfarina-designed shape seems an evolution of the company's 599 and 612 designs [see gallery]. The bold lines of the 458 Italia can also be seen.

The "shooting brake"style body marries a long nose to a small estate style cabin, which has an elongated roof that extends back down to meet a scalloped rear with round tail lamps embedded in the rear flanks. Twin-exhausts poke out each side of the rear.

Pricing not announced yet.

Gallery: Ferrari FF and Influences

Tags: ferrari 458 italia, ferrari 599, ferrari california, ferrari ff

Hugh Grant Has a Breakdown in His Ferrari California

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Hugh Grant had an embarrassing incident on the way to a posh golf club in Kent, UK the other day when his $220,000 Ferrari California broke down leaving him stranded on the roadside. Grant purchased the flashy car for his 50th birthday in August but seems to have ended up with an expensive lemon. The actor was on his way to play golf at the nearby Royal St. George's club when the Italian stallion stalled out, the London Daily Mail reports. He tried to rev the engine back to life, leaving the fast lane blocked and forcing passing cars to swerve out of the way. Unable to get it started again he eventually managed to pull off to the side of the road, where he then called a tow truck. After a long wait during which the actor answered a call of nature in the bushes as drivers gawked at the spectacle, he eventually he had to beg a ride from a passing VW van in order to make his tee time. Grant later took the car in to a Ferrari dealership in London where he read them the riot act.

Tags: car crash, celebrity, Ferrari, Ferrari California, golf, Hugh Grant, London, UK

Ferrari California Limited Edition by Cornes & Co.

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

With their high taxation on imported vehicles and a prolific domestic market, you're not likely to see a lot of Ferraris in Japan, but it is an important market for the Italian automaker. For the past 30 years, Cornes & Co. have been largely responsibly for importing and selling Ferraris in the Pacific island nation, and have been known to occasionally offer some special editions of their own.

The latest is based on the Ferrari California. Limited to just ten examples – three in red, three in black and four in white – the special Ferrari features carbon fiber rocker panels, door handles and fuel cap, as well as special wheels and brake calipers.

Pricing comes in at a princely ￥26,500,000 – equivalent to about $320k, or about ￥3 million ($36k) over the standard model.

Gallery: Ferrari California Limited Edition by Cornes & Co

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Tags: cornes, cornes and co, cornes and company, ferrari, ferrari california

Ferrari California HELE Prototype Unveiled at Paris Auto Salon

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

An exotic automaker like Ferrari may be more about performance than environmental friendliness, but that doesn't mean the famed Prancing Horse marque is immune to the tides. In order to preserve its "way of life" – in other words, continue to produce the kind of physics-defying performance machines for which they've become known – Ferrari has been working on a number of ways to reduce its environmental impact. The latest is the HELE system incorporated into this California roadster which it unveiled (alongside the limited-production SA Aperta) at the Paris Auto Salon.

Standing for High Emotion Low Emissions, the HELE system incorporates a new generation of start/stop engine management, an intelligent engine fan, advanced fuel pump control, electronically variable climate-control system and precisely timed adaptive gear shift algorithms to reduce emissions by 23 percent without sacrificing performance. Although the system has yet to be announced for production, it points the way forward for a company trying to balance its environmental responsibilities with its own performance benchmarks.

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Tags: 2010 paris, 2010 paris auto salon, 2010 paris auto show, 2010 paris motor show, Ferrari, Ferrari California, Ferrari California HELE, Ferrari California HELE Prototype, high emotion low emissions, paris, paris auto salon, paris auto show, paris motor show

Ferrari California by Anderson Germany

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Sacrilegious as it may seem to some, there are those who feel that their Ferrari just isn't fast enough. Fortunately for such individuals there is an aftermarket full of companies like Anderson Germany that are glad to fill the void with creations like this one.

Starting with the Ferrari California, Anderson has tweaked out an extra 55 horsepower with a simple readjustment of the car's integrated electronics and a new tri-mode variable exhaust system. The result is a whopping 515 horsepower, with a variety of visual modifications available to complement.

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Tags: anderson, anderson germany, Anderson Germany Ferrari California, california, ferrari, ferrari california

Ferris Bueller Ferrari Sells Above Estimate

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

The replica 1961 Ferrari 250GT California Spyder that was created for the movie 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' sold at auction this past Monday for much more than was expected -- the final bid was more than twice the pre-sale estimates. The sale took place at Bonhams in London and top bidding was competitive despite volcano-related travel restrictions that limited many buyers to participate by phone. It seems not even Ferris himself could dampen interest as the $45,000 - 65,000 initial estimate was blown out of the water by a whopping $122,000 closing bid.

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Tags: auction, bonhams, ferrari, ferrari california, ferris bueller, ferris buellers day off, matthew broderick, movie cars

Ferris has a Thing or Two to say about his Ferrari California

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping

If you were thinking about picking up the Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder replica used in the filming of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, you may want to think again. None other than Ferris himself – Matthew Broderick, that is, the actor who played the title role – has a thing or two to say about to car that catapulted him into stardom.

The movie prop replicar, reportedly built atop an old MG, is heading shortly for the auction block. Quoted in New York magazine from the red carpet, however, at the debut of longtime friend and former co-star Nathan Lane at the opening of The Addams Family, Broderick recalled that the car was "unreliable" and "often didn't start". So to paraphrase his famous line form the movie, even if you have the means, he would not highly recommend picking one up.

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Tags: ferrari, ferrari 250 gt california spyder, ferrari california, Ferris Bueller, ferris buellers day off

End of an Era: Ferrari California Now Available with Manual Transmission

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

The overwhelming majority of Ferraris ordered these days are not equipped with manual transmissions. Oh, you shift the gears yourself: the last time Ferrari had a fully automatic, torque-converter transmission like those found in most family sedans and SUVs was the 456 GTA that ceased production seven years ago. But the clutch pedal in Maranello's finest is going the way of the Dodo, replaced by high-tech sequential and dual-clutch transmissions.

The last stand for those still intent on stirring the gears on their Ferraris themselves comes in the form of the California, a model which enthusiasts deride as too heavy and awkward. Still, Ferrari has just made a six-speed manual an option on the California, but it comes at the cost of both performance and fuel efficiency: compared to the less than four seconds the dual-clutch California takes to get to sixty, the manual version takes 4.2, while fuel economy drops from 17.8 to 15.8 miles per gallon. So you can have your cake, but don't expect to be eating it too.

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Tags: california, ferrari, ferrari california, manual transmission, stick shift, transmission

Ferrari California by Novitec Rosso

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Some look at a Ferrari and see the be-all-and-end-all of automotive perfection. Others see room for improvement. For the latter group, there's a variety of aftermarket tuners happy to oblige, and one of them is called Novitec Rosso.

The Dutch tuning garage recently graced us with its own take on the 599 GTB Fiorano, and has now turned its attention to its kid brother, the Ferrari California. Starting with the stock V8 convertible, Novitec has revised the engine management module to boost power up to an even 500hp, fitted a carbon-fiber aerodynamic kit, 22-inch modular wheels with Pirelli tires, an adjustable suspension system and a wide array of interior customization options. Pricing depends entirely on the buyer, but when you're talking about a Ferrari – a convertible one, no less – the sky really is the limit.

Gallery: Novitec Rosso Ferrari California

Tags: ferrari, ferrari california, FerrariCalifornia, novitec, novitec ferrari, novitec ferrari california, novitec rosso, novitec rosso ferrari, novitec rosso ferrari california, NovitecFerrari, NovitecFerrariCalifornia, NovitecRosso, NovitecRossoFerrari, NovitecRossoFerrariCalifornia

Usain Bolt Shops for a Ferrari

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Celebrity Shopping

Fast men need fast cars. Take Usain Bolt, for example. In terms of runners, he's the fastest man in the world. He holds multiple Olympic gold medals, along with the records for the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and the 400-meter relay. Unfortunately his speed doesn't seem to translate to driving skills, and the "Lightning Bolt" reportedly flipped his BMW M3 right off the highway. So what is he looking for now? A Ferrari California. The Jamaican sprinter was seen shopping for the Italian roadster recently. If he decides to buy, we're sure he's got the cash on hand, but he might want to take some driving lessons first.

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Tags: bolt, ferrari, ferrari california, FerrariCalifornia, spas-awards, usain, usain bolt, usain bolt ferrari california, UsainBolt, UsainBoltFerrariCalifornia

George Michael Celebrates Getting His License Back In Style

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Celebrity Shopping

Singer George Michael is back behind the wheel after a two-year driving ban and he's celebrating in grand style. WENN caught him taking delivery of his new baby, a $200,000 Ferrari California. Michael lost his license in 2007 after being found slumped behind the wheel of his car. He pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence of marijuana. Although there is a three-year waiting list for these cars since they were announced, George Michael may have jumped the list a bit to get his new toy.

The first example of the Ferrari California was sold during its American unveiling in Santa Monica in 2008 for a top bid of $520,000.

The California takes inspiration from classic Ferrari designs from the 1950s but with a modern Pininfarina spin. Under the hood there is a direct-inject, 460-hp version of the company's 4.3L V8. It is a performance machine but with a little more room and a more street-friendly style than some other Ferraris. The car goes from 0-60 miles per hour in under four seconds.

Gallery: Ferrari California

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Tags: ferrari california, FerrariCalifornia, george michael, GeorgeMichael

Big Auto Auction Has Disappointing Results

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

For a while now, classic cars, like other auction markets have been going up, up, up. But has an end been reached. A 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder was expected to be a big seller at the Automobiles of London event held by RM Auctions and comprehensively delineated by my colleague Jared Paul Stern earlier this month.

After all the red beauty is one of the last three short-wheel-base examples of the 250 GT California Spyder built and is was driven by Cameron Diaz in a ``Charlie's Angels'' movie. It had a presale estimate of 3 million pounds ($5 million) and as Bloomberg reports it didn't sell. The sale, which was held in association with Sotheby's, raised 14.7 million pounds way short of the low estimate of 20 million and also off of the 18 million pounds the sale earned last year.

Right after the ``Charlie's Angels'' Spyder failed to sell a silver 1997 McLaren F1 sports car sold for 2.5 million pounds, more than double its 1.1 million-pound low estimate. Overall though the news wasn't promising and 30 percent of the 129 lots were unsold. The auction house had asked some consignors before the sale to cut the reserve prices on their lots, predicting a poor sale to the economy. Some agreed to make an adjustment. Another item in the sale, a blue 1955 Ford Thunderbird, once owned by Hollywood actor John Travolta, who starred in the 1950s-inspired movie ``Grease,'' sold for 18,700 pounds against expectations of 20,000 pounds-to-30,000 pounds.

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Tags: ferrari, ferrari california, FerrariCalifornia, rm auctions, RmAuctions

The Ferrari California Wows Them In Paris

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Our sister site Autoblog is at the Paris Motor Show checking out the newest models. One of the most anticipated is the Ferrari California. The California is a new design that takes inspiration from classic Ferrari designs from the 1950s but with a modern Pininfarina spin. Under the hood there is a direct-inject, 460-hp version of the company's 4.3L V8. It is a performance machine but with a little more room and a more street-friendly style than some other Ferraris. So far the public seems to approve, the retractable-hardtop GT is already sold out until 2011.

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Tags: ferrari, ferrari california, FerrariCalifornia, sports car, SportsCar