From the Archives: The 2011 Ferrari California, More Than You Can Afford, Pal
Some cars intimidate you. This one, though, just wanted to drop its top and go for a cruise. This story comes from the GT: Garage Talk® archives, from a sun-soaked Texas summer day. The keys to a 2011 Ferrari California landed in my hand with one instruction: enjoy it.
Living the Dream in a Prancing Horse
I am not going to pretend to be cool about this. Truthfully, I was living in a dream the day I got behind the wheel of this 2011 Ferrari California. This really is the perfect Ferrari for cruising down the California coast. Still, while I was nowhere near a beach, I was more than happy to take it around town here in Tyler, Texas. A beautiful V8 up front, a drop-top hardtop overhead, and a clear blue sky above. So who could ask for anything more?
That Beautiful Redhead V8, and Where Ferrari Hid It
Before I even popped the hood, I had to stop and take in the styling. I have always thought the California was a beautiful car from the Prancing Horse. In fact, the famed Italian design house Pininfarina penned it. The nose echoes some of the classic Ferraris of the 1960s, and to my eye it just works.
Under that hood sits a glorious 4.3-liter V8 that cranks out 460 horsepower and 357 lb-ft of torque. It pairs with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Yes, I called it a redhead, because everybody loves a redhead, and this Ferrari V8 wears the color proudly. Here is the twist. Ferrari V8s almost always live in the middle or the back. This time, though, the California moved its engine up front, which made it a genuine rarity in the lineup.
The Ferrari California Hardtop That Started a Fight
The California took a lot of heat when it launched, mostly because it traded some Ferrari-level sharpness for a folding metal roof. Still, the trick up top is a good one. Push a button in the center console and that hardtop drops away. Then the trunk lid lifts to swallow it, and you get nothing but open sky.
There is a clever detail back there. When you raise the trunk, the tail lights rise with it. That is because US regulations do not allow the stop lamps to sit on a movable panel. So Ferrari mounted them on a section that stays put. Even with the top stowed, there is still a usable trunk under the parcel shelf. You just want to mind the rear glass sitting right above it. That is exactly why Ferrari tucked a handy grab handle inside.
Flappy Paddles, No Third Pedal
Here is the other sacrifice that had the purists grumbling. Ferrari built this one back when it still offered a proper three-pedal car. This California, though, came only with that seven-speed dual-clutch. Along with it you get a row of console buttons and a set of real metal paddles that sit on the column rather than the wheel, so up and down never move on you. Then you just press a button for reverse, pull the right paddle for drive, and off you go.
I understand why enthusiasts wanted to row their own. I really do. Still, this dual clutch is genuinely excellent. In all my time creeping around town, it never sputtered. It also skipped the low-speed jitter that plagues some of these gearboxes. In fact, it found the right gear every time and shifted beautifully.
A Sumptuous Backside, and Yes, I Said It
I love the side profile of this car. It starts as a tapered wedge up front and swells into a full, voluptuous rear. From that angle, it is genuinely stunning. The back end, though, is where a lot of people took issue, calling it bulbous or hunchbacked, a byproduct of packaging that folding hardtop. Me, I happen to like a large and sumptuous backside on a vehicle. So I am firmly on the California’s side here. With the top up, you also get a lovely slope from the rear glass down into the decklid.
The Ferrari California Is a Grand Tourer, Not a Track Toy
The California is a GT car through and through, which means comfort comes first. Even with all that heavy folding metal up top, it carries close to a 50/50 weight distribution. That balance clearly shows. This is not an all-out track weapon. Instead, it is a cruiser that will carry you up the coast or clear across the country in comfort. Better still, a real trunk makes a long weekend away entirely doable.
I put the ride to the test on the historic brick streets of downtown Tyler and over a set of old railroad tracks. Cars with far less performance intent have beaten me to death. Still, this one never did. The California is firmer than some, sure, but it never rattled my fillings loose.
Inside the Ferrari California: Caramel Leather and a Hidden Horn
Inside is where the California really got its hooks in me. The quilted caramel leather is gorgeous, and it pairs with a two-tone black and caramel treatment across the dash. Real metal matches the real metal paddle shifters. Then there is a bright Ferrari yellow tachometer front and center, so you always know where you are, plus a leather and carbon-fiber-wrapped wheel with shift lights across the top. Ferrari even hid the horn under my thumb, a detail I may or may not have discovered entirely by accident.
A GT Car Meets GT: Garage Talk
Of course, I could not ignore the coincidence. I was filming a grand tourer, a GT car, for a channel called GT: Garage Talk. That is a pairing that writes itself. I will admit the thought crossed my mind to buy this one and wrap it in some logos.
Big thanks go to our friends at House of Cars right here in Tyler, Texas. They handed me the keys to this California for the day of filming. If you are ever in the market for something special, go see Logan and Jaron and the team. Wherever this particular car has landed since, whether on a coast or under Texas sun, I hope it is still getting the clear-sky drives it deserves.
Watch the Full Drive
If a front-engine, drop-top Ferrari cruising small-town Texas is your kind of thing, subscribe to GT: Garage Talk on YouTube so you never miss the next one. While you are here, dig into more of our archive drives.