2009 Ferrari California

• Overall
• Prices
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
• Safety
• Reliability

Exterior - What the Auto Press Says

Reviewer opinion on the California's exterior design varies from not-so-impressed to total admiration. None, however, find it unattractive. The California features a retractable hardtop.

• "Pulled out of its secret workshop and displayed on the grounds of the Ferrari factory just for us, the 2009 Ferrari California stops us all in our tracks. We all just stand there. Mouths open. Like high-schoolers in the presence of bare breasts for the first time. This is a gorgeous car." -- Edmunds
• "The car appears more rounded off and flowing than recent Ferraris. The most noticeable feature up front is the air intake designed into the hood, a heritage cue no doubt sourced from the classic Ferrari 250GT California." -- Motor Trend
• "Behold the new Ferrari California. To the jaundiced eye, the rakish Pininfarina lines culminate in haunches that are just a little too big to be called graceful. You might argue that, in some cultures, an ample booty is seen as sexy, and that some haunch-heavy designs work very well, e.g., the Porsche Cayman. But the Cayman's haunches are wide, suggesting power." -- Car and Driver
• "Initial public reaction focused primarily on the rear end, which had to rise to the challenge of accommodating the complex folding roof mechanism while retaining a usable trunk. But like its stable-mates, the California's is a design that grows on you." -- Autoblog
• "Some folks are torn on the design. They say it doesn't look special enough or unique enough to be a Ferrari. We found that the photographs don't do this car justice. To this writer, the California is one of the best-looking Ferraris in a long time." -- Popular Mechanics
• "While this economy may leave many of us driving 200,000-mile beaters, at least we'll enjoy the view of this stunning convertible-only specimen as it blasts by." -- New York Times