2018 Ferrari California T
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Representing an important milestone in the form of the addition of a fourth model line to the Ferrari lineup, the California represented a significant departure for Ferrari...or did it? For most of the 1980s, buyers could opt for an open/closed four seat 8-cylinder Ferrari, the Mondial. That was mid-engined however, Ferrari enthusiasts will note, but so too were the flagship BBi and Testarossa. In any case, Ferrari made do with only three models for over 15 years between the demise of the Mondial after 1992 and the California’s 2008 arrival.
While the California being a front-engined 8-cylinder Ferrari causes some Ferrari to pause, the reality is that the car contains a great deal of innovative technology (such as the first appearance of a dual-clutch transmission and direct injection in a Ferrari) and is properly high performance: 0-60 in 4.0 seconds and a top speed in excess of 190 mph. And this is before a twin turbocharged version arrived for the 2015 model year, which had an additional 100 hp for a total of 553 hp.
Another noteworthy characteristic of the California is that it was among the first Ferraris to be available through Ferrari’s Tailor Made customization program, the full extent of whose capabilities were displayed for Ferrari’s 70th anniversary in 2017. The team designed 70 different liveries, each of which recalled a significant Ferrari from over the decades, and then applied each livery to one example of Ferrari’s five models.
This California T is one such car, with livery to evoke the stunning 1951 212 Inter Cabriolet bodied by Vignale, serial number 0159E, and is finished in Rosso Mugello. The car is a one-owner example that has spent its entire life in Northern California and has covered 1,600 miles from new. It is complete with wind deflector, books set, and window sticker.
