At Bathurst: A quick spin in the Ferrari California T

I took a little road-trip up to the best motor racing circuit on the planet last week, Mt Panorama Bathurst.  The Bathurst 12 hour was on that weekend and I wanted my little man Harri to see race cars for the first time.  The good people at Ferrari were kind enough to invite us into their suite – and, to place a smile on my (and Harri’s) little dial for a day, we got to take the brand new California T out for a spin with my good mate Greg Rust in the passenger seat.

Make: Ferrari

Model: California

Variant: T

Engine / Transmission: 90° V8 with fuel direct injection /  F1, dual clutch 7 gears + Reverse

Vital Stats: 412kW/755 Nm

Ferrari Claimed Fuel Economy: 10.5 l/100 km

EFTM Claimed Fuel Economy: We didn’t drive it for long, and fuel wasn’t on our mind:)

Price: From $409,888 ($493,317 as driven)

Wow Factor: It’s a Ferrari – is there more Wow required?

Most Impressive: This may sound strange, but frankly the ease of the drive was the most impressive thing.  While it carries the weight of the Ferrari badge in every stitch and panel, inside and once you get behind the wheel it’s simply glorious to drive.  The power is there, the sound is there, but it’s not slapping you in the face at every twitch and turn.

Least Impressive: Look, Harri would suggest the leg room wasn’t the greatest, but let’s be honest, if you’re after a family car from the prancing horse stable, you’ll get an FF (or the newly announced GTC4Lusso) which actually has rear seats.  Despite the space, there was a child restraint hook and things were a joy back there for my 4 year old Ferrari nut.

The Sweeping Statement: I’ve driven a California before with some vigour and the new one is every bit the same – the refinement oozes out of every element you look at, and the drive is just what you’d want from a cruising beast like this.  This is not a track day car, this is for someone keen to drop the top down and take a beautiful drive through the countryside, the beach or just around town.  It’s versatile enough for that and you’ll enjoy every moment. But you knew that already didn’t you?