Driving the new Ferrari California T gran turismo

Still in charge of the Prancing Horse in the Philippines: Wellington Soong launches the new California T gran turismo.

MANILA, Philippines–Any day that you can drive a Ferrari is bound to be a good one. And when that Ferrari is the latest from Maranello, it is a special day indeed. So it was on Saturday morning, when Wellington and Marc Soong—yes, they are firmly in charge of Ferrari Philippines—unveiled the new California T convertible.

The new California T looks more aggressive, with headlamps and flanks shaped like the flagship F12berlinetta’s. At the rear, four exhaust pipes flank the deep Venturi tunnel with its Wolverine-like streaks. The tunnel’s aerodynamic effect pulls the car to the ground, negating the need for large spoilers up top.

Ferrari road cars have two wheels still on the Formula One racetrack—that is the heart of the brand, after all—but the California will happily point its hood towards the countryside, the mall, or anywhere you would care to play. In contrast to the hardcore mid-engined Ferraris, the front-engined cars are oriented towards everyday civility and ease of use.

Interior: Hand-trimmed with an Italian atelier’s worth of supple leather, the California’s cabin exudes luxury.

The California is the most leisurely of the current range, with a roomy cabin and every conceivable creature comfort. (The name stretches back to a variant of the legendary 250 circa 1959.) For this utterly modern car, getting in and out is relatively easy. The seat isn’t so low that you would strain your back or neck getting in, or resort to spilling out of the car after stopping dramatically at the hotel driveway.

The California V8 engine packs more horsepower than the legendary F40.

Even with all of the potent high technology hidden under the car’s aluminum skin, the cabin remains friendly and approachable. The front bucket is heavily bolstered at bum and sides, hinting at the sideways action the car is capable of. Even the front passenger gets his own grab handle and foot plate. The tan leather on the seats and doors contrasts neatly with the black leather on the dash.

The flat-bottom steering has all the driver controls covered. There are no stalks behind it. Lights and turn signals are activated by push buttons on the wheel. The red starter button is also on the wheel. Push it and the new V8 turbo engine grumbles to life.

Where the prefacelift California used a naturally-aspirated unit, this one uses twin turbos. The last time Ferrari used a turbo engine in a road car was in the F40 supercar, a thinly-disguised race car that came to be known as the Beast of Maranello.

California T badge: Ferrari’s most relaxed nameplate

With 3.9 liters versus the F40’s 2.9 liters, plus all the advancement in engine and computer design, the California’s engine delivers 552.33 HP, 82 more than the F40’s powerplant. Top speed is an unimaginable (in Manila anyway) 315 kph.

This is no Beast, though—the California is as smooth as whipped butter when taking off. Apart from that pleasant V8 burble from the exhaust, it’s as docile as a Labrador. The transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, another first for a Ferrari road car. Unlike the semiautomatic in previous cars, it engages and disengages with no drama, even at crawling speed.

McKInley West’s casino-like villa was ground zero for the first Ferrari launch of 2015.

Exercise your right foot and the huge center mounted tachometer reacts instantly. The twin turbo configuration and direct fuel injection practically eliminates any lag, and as all 755 Nm come online, the California shows why it deserves that prancing horse badge—100 kph arrives in 3.6 seconds, with a mighty snarl.

Ferrari paid obsessive attention to the engine noise, decreeing that the turbos should not dampen the classic V8 sound. If only the latest Formula One engines sounded this good.

DASH AND INTERIOR The round gauge in between the air vents displays boost level of the turbocharger.

The quickness of the transmission and level of traction control assist is dictated by the manettino, a small knob on the lower right of the steering wheel. The Comfort mode programs less brutal shifts and a higher level of traction control than the Sport mode. Sport worked quite well even in simulated city driving situations.

Then there’s the “ESC off” that switches off the stability control, should you find yourself in any suitable track this side of Fiorano. Two large paddles activate the transmission. A large number on the tach indicates the gear. As the V8 spools up, LEDs light up on the top rim of the steering wheel to prompt an upshift, just like in Alonso, er, Vettel’s Sunday car.

Even with a large V8 mounted in front, the California was engineered with the stability of the mid-engined cars as a target. The engine is mounted well back near the firewall, and sits lower than the previous car’s, contributing to a lower center of gravity. Weight distribution is rear-biased, 47 percent-53 percent.

All of this translates to a car that is supremely stable at speed, with hardly any roll when cornering. As the driver, you feel the car’s mass closer to where you are sitting, instead of rotating around in front.

The California T is also the company’s first car with a retractable metal roof. As a “Knight Rider” fan, we can’t get enough of hardtops that fold into the trunk. The California changes from just enough to infinite headroom rather quickly. With the fully automatic top, rear glass and trunklid moving nearly simultaneously, the car switches mode in just 14 seconds.

Even with the roof down, there’s a generous amount of trunk space. The rear seats are tiny and upright, but with surprisingly sufficient legroom, whether the occupant is a 6-year-old or 26-year-old kid.

Puttering at a relaxed pace on an empty road as the sunlight pulses pleasantly, it’s easy to think that the California is just another luxury car. Then your right foot presses down just a bit, then a lot. The turbocharged V8 and aluminum chassis come alive, and then you’re reminded that this car was created by a company with an F1 racetrack in its backyard.

The California happens to be the first Philippine car launch of 2015. Should be an interesting eleven months ahead.