2009 Ferrari California

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

Performance - What the Auto Press Says

Reviewers find that the Ferrari California is a fast, capable sports car that handles comfortably enough to drive on a daily basis.

• "The California is milder [than the F430], a car that's certainly capable of stimulating adrenal glands but is also sufficiently docile -- dare we say practical? -- to serve as an everyday driver." -- Car and Driver
• "All told, the Ferrari California is fast and satisfying to drive, thanks to its unique combination of grip, flexible power and that one-of-a-kind engine sound." -- Road and Track

Acceleration and Power

Auto critics praise Ferrari for the California's powerful V8 engine and smooth-operating seven-speed transmission.

The '09 Ferrari California features a 4.3-liter V8 engine that produces 453 horsepower at 7,750 rpm and 358 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. It comes mated to a F1 dual clutch seven-gear transmission with both manual and automatic modes. According to Ferrari, the California has a top speed of 193 mph and can blast from 0 to 62 mph in less than four seconds.

• "The engine comes alive with the sweetest rasp that only grows more vivacious under way. Feathering the throttle hints at how much power lies under the command of your right foot, and summoning up even just half demonstrates vividly and instantly that the California has earned its Prancing Horse as much as any that have come before." -- Autoblog
• "The California lacks the gut-tugging thrust of a Corvette because it doesn't make that kind of torque. Still, it gets out of the blocks in a hurry, and there's an effective launch-control system for real haste. What really makes this powertrain compelling, though, is the new transmission. Up or down, a touch of the paddles provides race-quick shifts, and there's the bonus of very smooth operation in full automatic mode." -- Car and Driver
• "The Getrag-supplied dual-clutch seven-speed transmission, located just behind the rear axle to optimize packaging and weight distribution, is a thing of remarkable mechanical finesse. In automatic mode, it shifts smoothly and unobtrusively. Switched into manual mode, it keeps the engine on an express schedule to the redline and the driver amused by hearty, if not quite breakneck, acceleration." -- Automobile Magazine
• "The key to this performance is the way the dual-clutch transmission allows you to access that power instantly, with simply a pull on the steering-column paddle (left for up, right for down). It really is an engineering masterpiece." -- Popular Mechanics

Handling and Braking

Test drivers find that the Ferrari California isn't as sporty as its high-performance siblings, but it is exhilarating to drive nonetheless.

• This layout, on a 105.1-inch wheelbase, yields a 47/53-percent front-to-rear weight distribution, contributing to excellent balance, and handling that's both exhilarating and benign. " -- Car and Driver
• "Push on into the hills and the California shows itself to be a very fast and expertly tuned car with prodigious mile-munching abilities. The turn in to corners is not as lightning fast as the F430, but the steering is light and direct. And the chassis is well balanced with the capability of hanging its tail out in lurid, oversteering power slides should you be brave enough to try it. At very high speeds the California is stable and predictable, and the standard ceramic-rotor disc brakes are supremely powerful." -- Popular Mechanics
• "After showing its more playful side, the California is happy to oblige more relaxed cruising, dismissing highway miles with authority. Our minds soon wandered to epic cross-continental journeys, leaving us with little doubt that the California would be a rewarding choice for such an adventure." -- Autoblog
• "Even at warp speed, the California has a surefooted feel, although the three-piece retractable hardtop has some slight wind-noise issues. The steering is nicely weighted, with a smooth linear action. When the car's settings are switched from comfort to sport via a steering wheel-mounted switch, steering effort increases and the suspension is firmed." -- Road and Track
• "With the manettino controller set on Comfort, the ride is poised and rarely perturbed by uncouth pavement.  ... In the more aggressive Sport and CST-off manettino modes, the magnetic dampers have their work cut out managing nearly two tons of mass. Turn-in is quick and crisp, there's no midbend understeer, and the tail swings obligingly wide when the throttle is toed exiting the corner. However, there are subtle hints that haring around is not the California's favorite activity. Steering feel is notably absent until the front tires crowd the edges of adhesion. The lean and bob of the body during aggressive steering, braking, and throttle applications reveal compromises baked into the spring and damper calibrations." -- Automobile Magazine