Ferrari Reviews

In the natural order of evolution the latest version of any new car has to be better, safer, grander and in today's world even greener than the one it replaces. That's a given.  But sometimes that natural order gets out of step.There are newcomers who don't just take one evolutionary step forward, but to borrow a line from the bloke who walked on the moon, they take a giant leap forward.Such is the F458 Italia, Ferrari's quickest road-going model and the stunning replacement for the F430, which followed the 360 which itself was a remarkable car.PricingThe 458 arrives in June with more than 100 deposit-paid "expressions of interest" being signed on the $580,000 car that's an order bank almost larger than the number of cars Ferrari sold in total last year.  So what's been happening? Has Ferrari, after a few hit and misses in its line-up, finally built a car of desire? It looks like it.Buyers have been handing over five-figure deposits to secure their place in the queue — those at the top of the pecking order will be getting their new Ferrari before Christmas; latecomers may have to wait for up to 18 months.The majority of Ferrari buyers are traditionally also big spenders: adding between $120,000 and $180,000 to tailor their cars before they leave the factory, and if they really insist on an odd colour trim combo then the amount of deposit rises substantially. Understandable, because the distributor, European Automotive Imports, doesn't want to get stuck with an expensive car with little market appeal.DrivetrainSo how good is the first all new mid-engined V8 Ferrari for in a decade? The 458 isn't just a step ahead of the 430, it's in another time zone.  The two-seater has more finesse, is more powerful, more responsive and resets Ferrari's bar on ride and handling perfection. It also has a green tinge, using less fuel and producing less harmful CO2 emissions than its predecessor.The raw figures are staggering: with 419kW peaking at incredible 9000rpm, the direct injection V8 delivers 93kW per litre which Ferrari says is a record for such a naturally-aspirated motor.And this is the first Ferrari not to offer a manual transmission and that's the rub with aficionados. Not only that, all future Ferraris will be without the traditional open-gated manual shifter as well.The diehards may weep, but there's no denying the 458's dual clutch seven-speed auto gearbox (developed for the Ferrari California with the technology now sold to Mercedes-Benz) is a gem, making the car easy as the family wagon to drive sedately in the city. If your feel the need for self shifting, there are Formula One style paddles behind the steering wheel.Ferrari counters the criticism, saying the techno-smart auto, a spinoff from Formula One, can complete gear changing far faster than any human hand and the shifting actually boosts power and doesn't momentarily lose it as you do when using a conventional clutch.EquipmentBut the 458 has other direct F1 links as well. The most obvious is the steering wheel which is crowded with all of the car's main controls including switching for lights, wipers, indicators, ignition and settings for the traction control system. Ferrari's effort to centralise controls sort of works, but you have to remember just where those buttons are when you have turned the wheel full lock, in tight turns.DrivingWhile Australia baked, here in Maranello, the home of Ferrari, the temperature didn't budge from 2 deg, fog blanketed the valley and it was snowing, meaning the fantastic hill roads above the town were out of the question for this beast shod in summer tyres.  The slush demanded extreme caution, even though the highways had been sprinkled with salt.Even with the car set on its wet road setting, to allow maximum grip, too much accelerator pedal (one of those let's try it and see what happens moments) produced an instant fishtail, which was countered almost as quickly (but not quite) by the traction control system which settled the car and our nerves.Despite the tiptoe conditions there was enough input after four hours on the road to show Ferrari has done an excellent job in body control: the car sits flat in corners, minor road bumps are well absorbed, the steering stunningly quick, the brakes are reassuring solid and benefit from an anti-lock braking system which is tuned to the road conditions.The Ferrari flyer is rewarding as it is daunting. The question remains just where in Australia, apart from track days, can its abilities be tested?The styling is a work of art — purposeful, muscular and mean. But every single curve, air intake and aerodynamic wind deflectors serve a purpose. The front winglets for example are flexible. At low speeds they channel air to the deeply angled radiators; at high speed they bend, moving the air to produce a low pressure area at the front of the bonnet, helping to reduce drag and in our case, ice which clung to the bonnet.Ferrari says the 458 produces a massive 360kg of down force at its maximum speed of 325km/h that's better than the Enzo supercar. It's not until you climb into the cockpit with its overly hard seats, that you realize just how wide the Ferrari is. Not a problem for Australian roads but it demands careful manoeuvring to negotiate Italy's narrow lanes, lined with deep ditches and shared by trucks all demanding their bit of black top.Despite that, the 458 is remarkably easy to drive. Push the red start button (we failed to see it the first time and wondered why the car wouldn't start) awakens the beast lurking behind the cabin but its there on display under the rear glass hatch window for all to see and admire.Engine noise changes pitch quite dramatically depending on the throttle opening. It's not the typical agricultural V8 sound we are used to in Australia. This is more of a high pitched growl than belly-deep guttural.At 60km/h the car quite happily plods through city traffic in seventh gear, such is the high revving nature of the V8. But it's not until you get to highway speeds and the revs build that the true character of the car shows itself. Stomp on the accelerator in auto mode for overtaking and the car drops a gear, and rewards you with a surfing wave of torque as speed and revs rise in unison all the way to 9000rpm although in these conditions redlining was out of the question.The transmission will upshift automatically if you are in manual mode and thanks to the dual clutch system cog swapping is done seamlessly.  Given the right road conditions, the 458 is capable of running at more than triple our road limit — something we never came close to exploring and can do the standing dash to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds.Think about it. Count to four it's that quick and gives the car a rightful entry into the supercar class. Equally remarkably, it has a claimed fuel consumption of just 13.4l/100km. This is the most responsive Ferrari to date.A miracle car maybe. But it's not without its faults: there was demisting problem in our test car but a bigger problem was the lack of a rear-view camera and it's badly needed although it will be offered as an option for Australia. This $600,000 sportscar also doesn't come with vanity mirrors and cruise control was also absent, but that will probably become standard once the cars are landed in Australia.The options list is however extensive right down to matching luggage (the same leather as the seats).Ferrari 458 ItaliaPrice: $580,000Engine: 4.5-litre V8, 419kW @9000rpm, 540Nm torque @6000rpm.Transmission: 7-speed dual clutch automaticPerformance: Top seed 325km/h, 0-100km/h 3.4s, 0-200km/h 10.4s,Dimensions: kerb weight 1485kg (with forged wheel rims and lightweight racing seats) , weight distribution 42% front, 58% rear, length 4527mm, width 1937mm, height 1213mm, wheelbase 2650mm front track 1672mm, rear track 1606mm.Tyres: Front 235/35 20 inch, rear 295/35 20 inch.Brakes: Front 398, rear 360mmFuel Economy: 13.3l/100km (claimed, European test); CO2 307g/km

As we — The Sunday Telegraph's elfin photographer and I — eased the Ferrari from almost completed new Elizabeth St showroom, one of the crew working on the joint gave vent to his disgust."There's another rich **** and his teenage girlfriend.''  Well, I suppose I should consider it a compliment that they thought we looked the part.  If $500,000 can get you into a spacious flat in an upwardly mobile Sydney suburb, that sum also gets you to the state's legal speed limit from a standing start in less than four seconds — and shreds your driver's license inside seven.The Ferrari California is the latest model to arrive in Australia from the fabled prancing pony marque after a year in which sales of ultra-prestige models braked hard, but in which even the big red light of the GFC didn't stop 104 Ferraris selling in Australia.  Though significantly down on the 163 that sold here in 2008, the new Ferrari is one of the just arrived or forthcoming models that is refuelling the desire of the five per cent or so of the population who can afford such things. The waiting list for the new California dream stretches past six months.Even in a second gear year, Ferrari's   sister brand Maserati sold 120 cars priced from about $270,000 apiece. While the ultimate brand, Rolls-Royce, sold ``only'' nine of its million-dollar plus land yachts in 2009, the arrival later this year of the so-called entry-level Rolls, priced around $600,000, is expected to at least quadruple sales of the world's most exclusive marque.Developed with the input of Michael Schumacher, the roaring V8 convertible retails at $459,650, though with onroad costs and an options list that's bound in a book 1cm thick, the average price of getting one out of the showroom easily surpasses the half-million mark.And while the California is not as intimidating as other Ferrari's, driving $500,000 of deposit taken machinery on Sydney's choked and crumbling streets is a forbidding prospect.  The California, said Edward Rowe spokesman for the importer Ateco, ``is a top end grand tourer that you can also take shopping''.Would you though?  This is also the same model in which a motoring journalist was clocked doing 236km/h, resulting in him losing his license and his job. At the world launch in Sicily some 15 months ago, we exceeded that on the autostrada. The California is capable of 310km/h — 200 more than the state's legal limit.So what is the point of having such a thing in city where the roads are crumbling, the traffic choking and more people were been killed on the state’s roads last year than in 2008?Though driving this car in Sydney is the equivalent to reigning in a wild horse, or more accurately 460 horsepower, it would, Rowe claimed, fit through a McDonald's drive through.And so it can — just so long as you're cold-sweatingly cautious of the 20-inch alloy wheels, the four of which are worth the price of a decent used hatchback, encased in tyres each of which costs upwards of $600.  Reverse parking 4.5m by 2m is also calculated to open the pores. Even speed bumps give you pause, to say nothing of most driveways — you might want to have yours purpose-built to avoid painfully expensive scrapes, as you should a triple locked and alarm-fitted garage.Return the Ferrari having left it on the street for any length of time, and it's likely to be festooned with gawkers taking snaps. On the whole, the best solution might be to delete a few options a buy a lesser vehicle - say a Maserati Quattroporte - for doing the daily grind.All the caution in the world won't stop your joy toy with its operatic V8 being grazed by resentful glances.There's something about wealth this conspicuous that needles the already-irascible Sydney motorist the wrong way.Let you merge? No way. Cut you off? A pleasure. Tailgate you (or attempt to)? All the way.  And while in its home country, the driver of the humblest car greets the Italian aristocrat with manic gestures to give it some right boot, here it tended to be saluted with upright middle fingers.It's part of the price you pay — but if you've $500,000 to drop on a Ferrari and a seemingly-mandatory trophy girl in the passenger seat, you won't much care.

It's raining hard as the flight touches down in Sydney. On any normal day that would be a zero problem, and very welcome wetness, but this is not a remotely ordinary day. This is The One Day. A Ferrari California is waiting. It's now or never.Organising the one-day romp in the striking Italian droptop has taken months and for weeks I have been wondering how the new-age Ferrari convertible will feel and how it will stack up against other fast-and-dangerous cars I have driven through 2009 including the Nissan GT-R and Lexus LFA. And now it's raining ...The California has been around for a while in Australia, famously starring in a 231km/h romp near Perth that saw the car impounded and its motor writer driver hit with a monster fine and knock-on job losses.But its popularity means there is a waiting list stretching into 2011, despite a pricetag of $472,000 before on-road costs or insurance. Or any of the extra stuff from Carozzeria Scaglietti Personalization, which can tweak a Ferrari to look even hotter or go even faster. The reasons for the popularity are as obvious as the Ferrari badge and the folding hardtop roof over the two-plus-two cabin.The California hits a lot of firsts for Ferrari and its owners, from the front-mid mounting of its V8 engine to the company's first twin-clutch seven-speed gearbox, multi-link rear suspension, and an all-new engine with 338 kiloWatts and 485 Newton-metres of torque. It also comes standard with carbon-ceramic brakes and the sort of creamy smooth leather that has become a signature for the brand.The body was designed by Pininfarina, like so many Ferraris, and the folding roof — made from aluminium, like the rest of the body — will do its work in just 14 seconds.The California is officially a grand tourer, which means Ferrari has put the emphasis on easy driving and luxury. That explains a gearbox which can be a light-and-easy auto, as well as back seat spaces complete with child seat anchorages, and even the satnav.The GT focus also explains the name, which taps the likely home for many cars and also a Ferrari from the 1950s. An original California once owned by actor James Coburn sold for $11 million in 2009.But the dash is still dominated by a yellow-faced tachometer reading to 9000 revs and Ferrari's Manettino and F1-Trac systems are also fitted. The Manettino allows the driver to choose the way the car responds, right up to track maps, and the F1-Trac ensures maximum cornering grip in all conditions.As I first catch sight of the racy red California its top is up, the smiles are down, taxis are everywhere and - just to make things really tasty - a bus strike has created gridlock chaos in Sydney as I roll away from Mascot to form my first impression.So, how does it feel? The first two kilometres are great and the car is surprisingly taut, beautifully sumptuous, nicely equipped and very, very easy to drive.The California is quiet and relaxed, actually. There is even a cruise control and a digital speedo.It's not remotely what I had expected but that's not a bad thing. In the past, Ferrari has been a name to conjure memories of grumpy engines, on-the-edge handling and quality which is ... well, sometimes about as good as an old secondhand Fiat.This California is different. And that has to be good. Everything works and works well, it has look-at-me styling and a cracking V8 engine note that could only come from a Ferrari. The boot has taken my luggage relatively easily and I notice the child seat anchorages in the crimped rear buckets.I settle in as we rumble towards the outskirts of Sydney and some favourite driving roads. It's still damp outside but I take the top down and there is surprisingly little wind noise or ruffle, and the spots of water flow straight over my head.So now it's time to get serious with this Ferrari. As I chase the redline for the first time the car delivers with a hard- edged sprint and an explosion of sound that includes a howling V8 rasp, a whip-crack bang for each paddle-triggered upchange, and a deep bass note as it takes the next gear. This is a brilliant soundtrack and the scenery rushes towards me. It is still damp yet I can believe Ferrari's claim of a 0-100km/h sprint in less than four seconds. But I have zero intention of trying for the 310 top speed ...As I spend more time in the California I become more confused. It's a Ferrari, but not the way I know them. It is relatively smooth riding, the engine is calm and refined, and the seat is comfy and the controls are easy to use. Ok, the boot is super-heating my luggage thanks to the exhaust pipes and it's guzzling fuel at around 16L/100km, but those are little things.So I find a couple of corners. Now the California shows it was designed for California. It has gobs of power and brakes incredibly late, but it is not as edgy or responsive as other Ferraris I have driven. Push too hard and the nose runs wide, but the latest electronics means the tail end never gets nervy despite the wetness. It also sits down a lot in the tail, improving traction but cutting response from the nose.Then it hits me. The California is one half of a Ferrari double-act deal, sliding in ahead of the new 458 Italia to ensure the company has something for everyone. Well, everyone with a $500,000 budget. The droptop is a softer car, built for cruising and relaxing trips. The 458 is designed to satisfy a need for speed.So, is the California a Ferrari dream machine. A sensational 10-out- of-10 winner? Not for me. It's tasty and special but I cannot stop myself from thinking it's a hairdresser's car — some sort of Italian supercar Celica.This is worrying, and not just because of the reaction I know will be coming from Ferrari, but I also know it is just the sort of Ferrari the world has wanted for a long time.The California satisfies the badge snobs and does it in a way that is — by Ferrari standards, anyway — as efficient as a Toyota. It's a car you could loan to anyone without every worrying that it will turn nasty on them. That makes the California a definite winner. And a Ferrari for everyday use, not just Sunday morning sprints.RivalsLamborghini Gallardo convertible - $515,000Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG - $409,000Porsche 911 Cabrio - from $247,100  

Ferrari has taken its two-seater V8 sports to new heights with the 458 Italia, but there's no manual in sight.Sharing some of the California's drivetrain, albeit with upgrades to suit the harder-core performance aspect of the coupe, the 458 is only being offered only as a double-clutch automated seven-speed manual when Australian deliveries start mid-2010, so low was the demand for 430 manuals.The company says the 458 - expected to cost as much as $600,000, or 10 per cent more than the 430 - completes the new generation Ferrari range, boasting better environmental credentials accompanied by more power and better performance.The 458 is largely focussed on the driver, with the remainder of the cabin laid bare - the driver gets a steering wheel that has the bulk of the features now mounted on it, moving lights, indicators, windscreen washer/wiper function to the steering wheel, as well as the start/stop engine button, the independent damper switch and the all-important Manettino toggle.That system controls the suspension, stability control and drivetrain via the one ECU, which Ferrari says allows the systems to work together for quicker response times.The aluminium-spaceframe vehicle, which was developed with input from Michael Schumacher, sits on a double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension, with some similarity to the underpinnings of the California - but some of the suspension has been altered for 458 Italia duty, including the bushing.The 458 is also stiffer than the outgoing 430 Scuderia, boasting only 30 extra kgs but with 50 more kiloWatts and 70 additional Newton metres of torque on hand, it's quicker than the outgoing sports model.The alloy direct-injection engine is now 4.5-litres, with work done to reduce internal friction as well as using a dry sump and oil scavenger system, producing 425kW at a manic 9000rpm and 540Nm at 6000rpm, although 80 per cent of that is available from 3250 through until 9000rpm.The sprint to 100km/h takes less than 3.4 seconds, it brakes from that point to standstill in 32.5 metres thanks to standard carbon-ceramic brake discs and a 1380kg kerb weight and the top speed is around 325km/h.The car has also benefitted from considerable aerodynamic work, managing to cut drag - it's cD is 0.33 - but at the same time generating solid levels of downforce at speed - 360kg of downforce is being generated at the top speed of 325km/h.Flexible front winglets, rear diffusers and subtle venting across the length of the body are all part of a complex aerodynamic package that aim to give the car ample track stability at speed.Driving the car on its local Italian roads and the test track at Fiorano where much of the development work was done, the 458 feels well-sorted. The road drive revealed the latest incarnation of the magnetorheological controlled damping system deals well with ride quality, as well as tightening up appropriately when asked.The engine sounds a little less inspiring at mundane speeds, but the drivetrain doesn't baulk at suburban dawdling.But bury the right foot and the active exhaust brays with intent as the V8 spins with ferocious intent to 9000rpm - only race mode will stop the gearbox changing up at the limiter, but the pace at which the horizon closes in on the sharp nose of the 458 is astonishing.On the Fiorano test track, the 458 is no less astonishing - the full throttle noise borders on a physical assault and the electronics are kept busy on a greasy track, but it feels cohesive and unlikely to bite, unless you switch all the electronics off - but we didn't.There's little that occurs beneath the wheels that the driver is not aware of, but the talents of the car are best shown by the Ferrari test drivers, who demonstrate the 458 Italia's considerable potential.For all the 458's ability, it is a sad day that sees a Ferrari without any chance of a clutch pedal. 

A new age of Ferrari convertibles has arrived, as the Italian marque's newest addition to its range has landed in Australia.Wearing a price sticker of $472,000, it's not going to be a segment volume leader but it does debut a dual-clutch automatic, a front mid-mount direct-injection alloy V8 and aluminium construction.Last sold in the mid 1960s, the California nameplate recently hit the headlines again as a car once owned by James Coburn sold at auction for a then-record rpice.The new version of the Ferrari convertible sports a folding metal hard-top that drops into the boot in 14 seconds. It takes less time than that to achieve a sprint to 100km/h and return to a standstill, with more than a few seconds to spare. The 100km/h is reached in a blistering four seconds.The California is more of an assault on the senses than its GT pigeonhole suggests. Ferrari are putting it in the same sales column as the 612 Scaglietti, with the 430 and 599 models boasting more hard-core sports credentials.With the direct-injection variable-valve 338kW/485Nm V8 emitting a soundtrack worthy of a racecar, the California looks striking without being pretty like its predecessors. Gearchanges are lightning quick, smooth and accompanied by a whipcrack bark from the engine, which also crackles delightfully on over-run.The bite correlates directly to the bark, with full throttle acceleration dispatching straights in short order, bringing corners on that show off the car's 53 per cent rear/47 per cent front weight distribution.The California might weigh 1735kg before occupants are added, but it drives like a much lighter machine, providing ample entertainment in and out of bends, if not supplying masses of feedback.The black over tan cabin is a little snug for headroom but the leather-clad seats are comfortable and firm in support; most of the switchgear feels solid, although one window switch became dislodged but never repeated the offence once properly put back in place.There's a little less headroom than would be ideal, but there's room enough for two tallish adults in the front and their bags in the little back seats. Four smaller occupants could make do for a short trip, but the back pews aren't treated to acres of space.Ferrari has around 200 orders for the car and that will probably translate to an 18-month turnaround if you're planning to win the Oz Lotto jackpot - if your numbers come up it would be well worth the wait.SnapshotFerrari California Price: from $472,000.Engine: 4.3-litre 32-valve V8.Transmission: seven-speed double-clutch automated manual, rear-wheel drive.Power: 338kW @ 7750rpm.Torque: 485Nm @ 5000rpm.Performance: 0-100km/h under 4 seconds, 0-400 m 12.2 seconds, 0-1000 m 22.1 seconds, Top speed 310km/h (governed).Fuel consumption: 13.1litres/100km, tank 78litres.Emissions: 305g/km.Suspension: double wishbones (front); independent multi-link (rear); optional magnetorheological damping suspension system.Brakes: four-wheel ventilated and cross-drilled carbon-ceramic discs, with anti-lock and stability control systems.Dimensions: length 4563mm, width 1902mm, height 1308mm, wheelbase 2670mm, track fr/rr 1630/1605mm, cargo volume 340/240litres, weight 1735kg.Wheels: 19in alloys (optional 20in).In its class:Mercedes-Benz SL600, from $404,413.Aston Martin DBS Volante, $527,100.Lamborghini Gallardo, from $515,000.Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet, from $386,800.

The fastest open-top Ferrari was unveiled this week in Sydney. The car has anextremely limited production run that will see a mere dozen coming to Australia. Needlesss to say, it’s a stunner. But the numbers add up too.Starting with the name, or nomenclature in true Ferrari terminology;16M – represents the number of times Ferrari has won the World Constructors Championship. Luca di Montezemolo is personally responsible for the 16M as he requested a car to celebrate last years constuctors title.499 – the number of 16M to be built, of which 12 have been purchased by Australian cognesenti and 3 will make New Zealand their home.375 – as in kilowates, the output of the 4.3 litre engine.470 – the nM of torque established at 5250 rpm60 – the speed in milleseconds it takes for a gear change when the driver flips the paddle.80 – the kilograms saved over the standard Spider from the introduction of additional carbon fibre and special light weight wheels as well as the deletion of carpet (not optional) and noise reduction material.3.7 – the number of seconds it takes to reach 100km/h315 – the manufacturer quoted maximum velocity in km/h675,000 – the price in Australian dollarsAlso of note is that all of the 12 coming to Australia are going to existing Ferrari owners who are purchasing their 16M as an additional car to join their collection.  The Ferrari market is not suffering under the global recession as the production numbers are still limited enough for the clientele to be somewhat immune from the full impact of the crisis. The same cannot be said for the higher production exotics such as Porsche, who have just seen a 29% drop in sales for March in the American market.Also of note is that with the introduction of the new California, Alan Hind -- Ferrari Sales Manager for Italia Motori in Sydney -- says that the market reach is being extended to non-traditional Ferrari buyers who may have been considering a Mercedes SL or higher spec SLK, but for whom the addition of the occasional rear seat in the California is seen as an extra bonus. Another niche grow areas for Ferrari is the female market with three recent buyers of standard F430 Spider and three orders for the new California.Carsguide

We haven’t got give five clicks down the road from the six star pub Ferrari is using as a launch pad for its all new California before its carbon ceramic brakes come sharply into play.A posse of Sicilian urchins, apparently inflamed by the ripping V8 of the first car out that morning, essentially bushwhack us, scampering out in front of the oncoming missile, hands upheld. Bandit country though this once was, these pre-pubescent Don Corleones mean us no harm. Gesticulating, grinning and gibbering, they want to touch and feel the unobtainable for just one moment.We’ve been lent this circa $450K motor by Ferrari with the thinly veiled implication that our continued well-being hinges on its safe return. Realising that it’s not going to be boosted, we lower the windows – the retractable lid’s still up - shake each of the half dozen out thrust hands and suggest that standing back might now be wise as we oblige their wishes by taking off as though we had indeed stolen it.There’s an instant of fishtailing, deftly curtailed by electronics, a stunning engine blast, and four seconds or so later triple kilometres an hour have been obtained.So it is that before the fifth klick has been reached, we’ve grasped both the fulsome aural and accelerative response of this marvellous 4.3-litre direct injection V8 and the efficacy of Ferrari’s traction control system, without which the hideously expensive ultra low profile tyres would soon be incinerated.All day the California does its work of widening eyes, dropping jaws and exciting sessions of barely understood yammering. This Mediterranean island might be at the toe of the Italian boot, but this week Sicily is getting all the kicks.Yet for all the fulsome response and over excited locals, this is the Ferrari that according to all forecasts is supposed to be the dully pragmatic take on the prancing pony marque. The lack of an alpha-numeric name’s no accident. This one’s supposed to be for the state that gave us soft rock (and a certain “dreamy” song that only dullard journalists play on), a state of the union which happens to be Ferrari’s biggest market. That the roof is made, not of fabric, but aluminium, is a gesture to the freezing winters of the US north-east - their second biggest market.Moreover, the California comes with a seven speed twin clutch transmission, which essentially means it’s going to be an automatic just about all of the time. While the lines are svelte by the mark of its siblings, the newcomer weighs in at a porky, all-too American, 1735kg. And perhaps worse in the eyes of Fazza fanatics, the newcomer courts illegitimacy by having that 338kW/484Nm V8 mid-mounted at the front. Yes, the California rides the rutted road surfaces of Sicily (all too reminiscent of our own) with quite exceptional poise. Yes, induction and exhaust noises come from opposing ends, not both from the rear. And, yes, it is almost too easy to drive purposefully. And so what? The California embodies not compromises, but improvements in terms of daily usability and even future viability. That engine has the same 4.3-litre capacity as the F430, but the resemblance to that assault weapon end there. This is an almost entirely new unit which feature, for the first time in a Ferrari, direct fuel injection. The chief purpose of this is to improve fuel efficiency and lower emissions – down to 306 grams of Co2 per km – but it also imbues the California with a chest-punching bottom end without cheating on the glorious revability so synonymous with the marquee.You’re going to love how it looks or damn it with faint praise. It’s probably fairest to suggest that they’ve done a pretty good job of designing a package that has a metal roof which folds in without eating boot space while retaining an exotic veneer. Suffice to say, it looks best in black rather than traditional testo rosso or the new kind of blue shade.Any misgivings that the Italians have gone PC on us are rapidly blown away. Capable of dispatching the 0-100km/h sprint in a tested time of less than four seconds, the California is blazingly fast for a road car, thanks going in no small part to the brilliant transmission. It’s a twin-clutch a bit like a common Volkswagen’s DSG, but the difference is immeasurable. Designed by Getrag to Ferrari’s design, this one is devoid of the least hesitation, a blindingly slick mechanism abetted by the manetinno mechanism mounted on the steering wheel.You can keep grabbing gears through the paddle shifter, achieving speeds that might as well be science fiction for all the application they have in Australia. But then you can always just paddle about at 80km/h in seventh and still the California will pull with immense assertiveness. That’s all in Comfort mode.Flick manetinno to sport and it’s a whole different ball game. It instantly feels more alive. Suspension is tauter and traction control looser. Response sharpens. Margins diminish. Gears hold on redline. It points into corners with altogether greater authority.Mind you, get on the gas too enthusiastically on the way out, and you’ll know it. As to going into CSD mode, which withholds all electronic safeguards, well, not on the greasy roads of Sicily, grazie very much. Maybe not even on the track at Fiorano unless you’re a certain Michael Schumacher who participated in the California’s development.Indeed, unless you are him, you’ll surely find this all the car you can handle and a whole lot more. It also happens to be one which is not ashamed to hold comfort and driver accessibility as virtues not vices. While those on the 200-strong, two-year waiting list that already exists in our apart of the world won’t be given access to the 2+2 version with its joke back seats, the two-seater is almost decadently luxurious within.If only it were a bit easier to see out. Pretty much impossible to reverse safely, fat A-pillars and the high waistline restrict forward and flank vision as well. At least you can see up soon enough – the roof drops at a button’s push in 14 seconds.A Kiwi colleague joked that the California is Ferrari’s first multi-purpose vehicle. So it is; a relaxed boulevard cruiser, a freeway eating grand tourer and a B-road bully to boot. And it’s completely beguiling in any guise - if not quite enough to make you want to step out in front of it.FERRARI CALIFORNIAPrice: $450,000 (estimate)Engine: 4.3L/V8; 338kW/484NmEconomy: 13.1L/100km (claimed)Transmission: 7-speed twin-clutch

It was a telling moment. Our striking red Ferrari Scuderia stopped to let two pedestrians cross the road on the outskirts of Maranello, and our view of this supercar changed forever.The low-slung two-seater's 4.3-litre V8 engine throbbed loud enough for the two young men to realise this was no ordinary Ferrari, if there was such a thing.They paused, stared and smiled, then waved the Ferrari through.As we passed there was a knowing nod of approval and one mouthed the word “magnifico”.We couldn't agree more.That's life in the Italian city of Maranello, Ferrari's spiritual home and global headquarters.Here, pedestrians give way to Ferraris, old people clap and youngsters smile. They never tire of seeing these supercars on their streets.The rumble from our car's twin exhausts, the smoky grey alloys, twin body stripes and discrete “430 Scuderia” badging on the tail signify this is no dressed-down F430.Discrete panels of carbon fibre adorn the body, a racetrack-ready aerodynamic splitter fills most of the space under the rear bumper.Behind the steering wheel your senses are alerted to the soft touch of the leather and alcantara interior, the grain of the almost industrial-look carbon fibre on the doors and dashboard, and the imposing controls.Directly in front of the driver is a bright red rev counter that redlines at 8500 revs. The 360km/h speedo is to its right.Bright red LED lights in the top of the thick-rimmed carbon fibre and leather steering wheel display revs.Our Scuderia also has trim from the Carrozzeria Scaglietti personalisation program, which means secure racing seats with four-point seatbelts, and aluminium footwells instead of carpet.The whole cabin looks as polished and precise as an Armani suit.We strap ourselves in, then get down to the business of driving.Turn the key, press the red “engine start” button and the V8 erupts like Mt Vesuvius.The Scuderia V8 develops 375.4kW at 8500 revs and 470Nm at 5250 revs, and 80 per cent of maximum torque is available at 3000 revs.With the V8 sed amidship behind the driver and passenger, you're always aware of the volcanic power. Even at low speeds the V8 strains on its leash.Blip the throttle and the V8 bellows, exceed 4000 revs and it roars, approach 8000 revs and it howls.Despite its racetrack credentials, the Scuderia can potter along at commuter speeds like a well-behaved BMW, thanks to its refined manners.But if you think Ferrari has gone soft, you'd be seriously mistaken. The prancing horse has been tamed ever so slightly, but unleash the V8 and it will still make your hair stand on end.On full song the Scuderia will hit 100km/h in less than 3.6 seconds and exceed 220km/h in less than 11.6 seconds.The Scuderia's new six-speed F1 transmission contributes to this lightning-fast acceleration. Above 4000 revs and with the accelerator more than 40 per cent depressed, the transmission automatically switches to superfast mode.Top speed? That's academic on Australian roads, but it will reach 320km/h.The Scuderia has been timed on the Fiorano test track at 1 minute 25 seconds, making it two seconds quicker than the standard F430 and equal to the lap time of the famous V12 Enzo Ferrari.Significantly, at 300km/h the car's fixed spoiler and ultra-clean underbody generate 330kg of negative lift over the front and rear of the car.We don't see those speeds, but even at 220km/h around Fiorano, the Scuderia feels like the hand of God is pushing down on the car.So where does the Scuderia fit in? Essentially it's a race car built for the road, the type of supercar that makes the hearts of even Ferrari aficionados beat faster.It makes no apologies for being a thinly disguised racetrack car using Ferrari's Formula One knowledge.Ferrari F1 driver Michael Schumacher had a telling role in the development of the manettino — the steering-wheel-mounted switch that alters the car's electronic brain and traction systems — and the tyres and suspension.The five-function manettino can be switched to low road-holding, sport, race, CT off or CST off.Low road-holding is for slippery conditions.The brave can turn off the traction control via CT to allow for some wheelspin, but it keeps the stability control on.In CST off, traction and stability control are switched off for maximum freedom and driving control on a racetrack.The addition was necessary because Ferrari believes 20 per cent of owners will do some serious track work in the car.Ferrari says the combination of the E-diff electronic differential and F1-Trac traction and stability control will increase the Scuderia's exit speed out of a corner by 40 per cent. The suspension uses the same magnetic ride system as that fitted to the Chevy Corvette and top-spec HSV cars.To help achieve its targets, the Scuderia lost 100kg off the F430's weight, bringing it down to 1350kg.Another part of the F1 equation is the car's gearchange. Called Superfast, it reduces changes to 60 milliseconds (an F1 driver takes 30 to 40 milliseconds).The new traction control system combines the E-diff and F1-trac into a single integrated system.At Schumacher's insistence, Ferrari added an adjustable damper setting late in the car's development.Dial in the soft mode and the Scuderia behaves with a level of compliance and ride comfort more fitting of a sports touring sedan.Ferrari Australia and New Zealand importer Ateco Automotive have taken orders for 40 Scuderias. With a price 20 per cent above the $440,000 F430, that means it can be yours for a cool $550,000. Testing time at Fiorano Ferrari's Fiorano test track (left) is at the end of the appropriately named Via Dino Ferrari. However, the entrance is actually nearby on Via Gilles Villeneuve.Conveniently, several small streets end at the track's perimeter fence and Ferrari spotters armed with cameras and telephoto lenses can be seen every day of the week.Ferrari uses the 3km Fiorano track regularly for Formula One testing, and to try out its prototypes and normal production cars.The track was built in 1972 at the behest of Enzo Ferrari.The average lap speed is 190km/h, the peak speed of more than 300km/h being achieved down the straight. The trickiest corner is turn five, which is deliberately built off-camber and over a hump.Ferrari has a full garage, closed-circuit TV and a sprinkler system that wets the whole track in minutes. Maranello's driving force Maranello, in the foothills of the Italian Apennines, began its love affair with Ferrari in 1929, when founder Enzo started Scuderia Ferrari.The depth of feeling is evident throughout the small town 18km from Modena. Streets are named after great Ferrari Formula One drivers.Today, you can stay at a four-star complex called Maranello Village, close to the factory.Each year thousands visit Maranello to watch trackwork at the Fiorano test track or dine at Cavallino restaurant directly opposite the Ferrari factory gates, one of three top spots to see F1 drivers.Enzo Ferrari is said to have dined at Cavallino every day.Other top-class Ferrari restaurants are the Montana and the Paddock.Enzo died in 1988 but his legacy is strong. And the locals don't forget he put Maranello on the map.Passions run deep in this part of the world. 

It's funny how you always find women's magazines in doctors' waiting rooms, because I think they actually cause a mild form of illness themselves.

Fiorano is not hallowed ground, yet it is revered by millions and trodden by demi-gods. Just the ticket to launch the $600,000-plus Ferrari V12 599 GTB Fiorano, the most powerful two-seater mid-front engined berlinetta to roll out of Ferrari's Maranello factory.The Fiorano test track, Ferrari's private playpen near its northern Italian headquarters, has hosted legendary men and machines for more than three decades.Michael Schumacher honed his association with Ferrari on the 3km track (he still does) and spent hours between F1 tests adding his input into the development of Ferrari's latest road warrior, the 456kW 599 GTB.It is no surprise, then, that Ferrari chose to launch the 599 in a program centred around its test track. The opportunity to follow in — or tip-toe in — Schumacher's footsteps was simply irresistible. It also provided the ideal stage to showcase just what a sweetie this car can be. Much in the way a tame grizzly can be considered a sweetie, right up to the moment it turns on you, something it will not do short of senseless provocation.If Ferrari has done nothing else during the development of the 599, it has perfected a performance car for dunces.It has, in fact, done much more than that and the lucky few who get their hands on one of these — only 10 in Australia this year — can make of it what they will.“The ultimate challenge for a performance car is to be at the extreme edge but still be very balanced to drive,” says Massimo Fumarola, who is in charge of Ferrari's product development portfolio. “It may sound odd but this is an everyday use car ... performance balanced with comfort.”The 599's character is set through the steering wheel-mounted manettino, a Formual One-inspired switch allowing the driver to choose suspension, gearbox, traction control and engine settings. The engine setting range varies between ice, wet, sport, race and ultimate, in which all electronic aids are disabled and the car is set free.All the information relevant to the manettino setting is displayed on a digital display next to the bright yellow tacho, the dominant instrument in the well laid-out dash.The potential of the 6.0-litre (5.99-litres to be precise, hence the name) is brutal. Derived from the Enzo supercar powerplant, the 65-degree V12 can propel the 599 to 100km/h in a breathtaking 3.7-seconds on its way to a top speed somewhere beyond 330km/h.Punch it as hard as you are game and it will take a brave, or foolhardy, soul, to see the top end of the new Cambio F1 Superfast gearbox.At its most aggressive the shifts are down to 100 milliseconds, just half a blink off F1 times. At those levels there is no escaping the thumping violence of the shifts as the gearbox fights to keep pace with the howling engine. Switch the manettino back a notch or two, ease up on throttle aggression and the 599's sweet side re-emerges.Regardless of the choice of mode, the 599's magnetorheological fluid suspension system shines. The system, pioneered by General Motors in the current Corvette, utilises a particular property of MR fluid which sees it change density when subject to a magneticfield. Reading sensors throughout the chassis, the suspension's central processor varies the density and resistance of the fluid, reacting almost instantly to reduce body movement and maintain maximum tyre contact with the road.The result is an almost eerie sense of calm over the most uneven surfaces and a surefootedness that takes some serious exploration before limits are even approached.That sense of calm and control is assisted in no small part by the refined F1-Trac stability and traction control system.Derived, as is so much of the 599, from F1 development, the system offers a claimed 20 per cent increase in the grip quotient under acceleration during cornering.The car will still step out under extreme provocation, caught early and rather aggressively by the system in sport mode but allowed to drift a littler further with a more gentle correction in race trim.As an aesthetic exercise, the 599 GTB is divisive. The opinion on the look of the car can change as quickly as the angle it is viewed. Long and lean from the side, a shape dominated by creases and vents — all with their purpose.The car sports no spoilers but its aerodynamic downforce is considerable, if subtle. At 300km/h there is 160kg of downforce, 50kg of which come from the distinctive “flying buttress” rear quarters.Apart from the track, the car was also tested on a 300km road loop to the north of Modena. Here the car showed it could be perfectly civil transport with the capacity for fun at a moment's notice. Even broken-up back roads did not phase the magentic fluid suspension while time on the open speed-limit autostrada gave the car the perfect opportunity to stretch its legs.The interior is Ferrari through and through. Individuality is a byword of the brand and there are countless combinations of trim colour, style, stitching and materials available. If you want it, Ferrari can make it.But with the covenant that personalisation will not involve mechanical performance enhancements, will not be illegal — and importantly, will not involve anything outside the Ferrari philosophy.It wasn't specifically said, but there was a strong impression a lack of good taste in colour requests would also be discouraged.Very Italian, indeed. Fast factsFerrari 599 GTB FioranoPrice: more than $600,000Engine: 5.99-litre 65-degree V12; 456kW@7600rpm, 608Nm@5600rpmTransmission: 6-speed F1-Superfast sequential manual paddle shift;rear-wheel drivePerformance: 0-100km/h 3.7 secs, 0-200km/h 11 secs; the car's top speed is more than 330km/hFuel: 21.3l/100km combined (supplied figure)Weight: 1690kgSuspension: Magnetorheological damping controlBrakes: ventilated steel discs (optional carbon ceramic); front 355mm x 32mm, rear 330mm x 28mmWheels/tyres: Alloys, front 245/40 R19, rear 305/35 R20