Ferrari Debuts The New California

Wow, what a beauty ;->

I hate the name. California? on an Italian Car? and muche less a Ferrari... Sounds downmarket for sure

Another ugly Ferrari. The only half decent looking one is the lineup is the 599, but compared to the 575 Maranello? Puhlease

and why the hell do they all look like they're smiling at you?

"The only half decent looking one is the lineup is the 599"

Hearing that I don't think you've ever seen one. Unless you own an Aston Martin DB9, I would be hard-pressed to call a Ferrari 599 GTB "half decent" in any respect. That car is an absolute stunner in every way. It's one of my top favorites at the moment. It's supposed to be godly to drive.

Yes, I have seen a few. Black and red.

The 612 Scaglietti, I'll give you that.

This car does not deserve to wear the Ferrari badge, because it is not much of a looker: i actually think it is the ugliest Ferrari ever created, after the Dino of course. This car does not look like a Ferrari, looks more like an Alfa, but the 8C looks million times better than this. This California almost looks like a Chinese copy of the Alfa 8c, the bits are not mangled in proper shape, surface, or angle; this car can be regarded average at best.

oh jeez... another smiley face ferrari. btw, the alfa 8c's grille is horrible.
it would be way better if all ferrari's looked like the beautiful maser GT or something.

I feel like Ferrari has taken a step backward in design with these last few cars. The cars are still beautiful, by all means, but they seem to be a little more subtle and less exotic looking... no longer the instant-boner-inducing masterpieces that they were just a few years ago.

If I had the money, though, I'd definitely be much more inclined to go with the convertable versions of either the Gallardo (especially after that new refresh) or the Aston V8 Vantage.

What's with the IS-F tail lights?? Skip.

Err, tail pipes I mean

Yeah right, Ferrari rushed back to the drawing board to copy Lexus.

The fact is, a spy photographed or saw what Ferrari was designing and next thing you know it shows up on a Lexus.

Notice how the tailpipes and headlights on the IS stand out and the rest of the car looks like an ordinary car.

Lexus came out with them first so yes Lexus can claim Ferrari 'borrowed' the exhaust look...

Beautiful car. Only criticisms are the stacked exhausts and the name California. No offense to the west coasters.

We've got sunshine most of the year and we have the best paved roads in the world.

:-)

California is a name with heritage for Ferrari.

And you also have 1 village idiot... (EL34)

I know that Ferrari and Lambo attach names with meanings behind them. I got used to the recent names Modena, Enzo, Scaglietti, Fiorano and was hoping they'd follow suit again.

Well this time it was the state of California that inspired the car and theu we have the Ferrari Calif.

EL34, you're friendly California REALTOR®.

EL34, your** friendly STARVING California REALTOR®. :-0

EL34, California has the best paved roads? Where do you live - I want to move there! The bay area has some of the worst-paved roads in the US!

I'm not really digging this car. The F430 is more attractive....not to mention the 599 and 612...

w209w114, next week I'm gettin' a check for $19,000 bucks.

I guess I'll be going out to eat at Opah Restaurant & Bar.

http://www.opahrestaurant.com/.

EL34 You should use that money to come to Miami. We've got a couple places I think you'd like.

http://www.brickellmania.com/miami_community_info.html

Maybe we can have some stonecrabs at Joe's and drinks at Azul.

If any of you nimrods had an original california spyder youd be a multimillionaire..........
heres a hint wikpedia something you dont know anything about before posting..................

what's so surprising that Ferrari is copying Lexus? Don't forget that the Enzo is designed by a Japanese i.e. Chief Designer Ken Okuyama. period.

Are you serious! I didn't know that.

He apparently worked for Pininfarina, designing or supervising projects such as the Enzo Ferrari and Ferrari P4/5.

Still these tail pipes seem to actually be connected to the engine as oppose to the IS-F's which are only for show. Still a gorgeous car!

Ferrari will never look at a fancy Toyota for design cues.

Get with the program people and wake the hell up!

very good looking car, kinda reminds me of the ferrari daytona, i dont care for those exhausts but otherwise i love the looks, very classic, and modern like an Aston

except aston martins look way better

i bet you 100 bucks the pipes will not be connected to the tips if the tips are connected to the bumper. this simply isnt done on any car. its not done on bentely, not on lamborghini, not on pagani.

Take a good look at this car, confused design language and gimmicky add ons, it has all the ingenuity of a bored highs school student's drawing while ignoring his algebra class. This is rolling definition of a design house in trouble. Odd lines, weird holes and bumps, blasphemy to use the California name. What the Hell is wrong with Pinnifarina lately.

I kinda hate to say you have somehwat of a vlid argument there.

Very valid. I was thinking the same thing. Very disappointing. Sure, people will see one on the street, it'll be red, and everyone will say, "wow, hot", or my wife will say "that's cute" like it's a Miata or something. Sorry, but it looks down-market to me - nothing special, and very much like a lot of other little roadsters out there.

somewhat of a valid** Excuse my extremely fast and careless typing :)

i think id take a corvette zo6 and the cash.

im just not blown away, and for close to half a mill, i wanna be hit with a tornado

IS-F sets the trend and Ferrari copies. And suddenly diagonally-stacked tailpipes are considered beautiful. Can the European maniacs get any more predictable?

I want to see a show of hands on how many people here like those stacked exhausts. I for one do not

Definitely don't like them even if they are connected to the actual exhaust. Once I saw these pics I knew that was gonna be brought out as Ferrari copying Lexus. Everyone can make a case about any brand copying any other brand. I just think it's complete BS until you start looking at Tata and Chery making direct, nearly identical, copies of cars. That is irrefutable!

The front end kind of looks like a maserati. non the less, looks beautiful!

I am confused on where this falls in the ferrari lineup; will this be the entry level that it was rumored to be, i.e. below the F430 in terms of price? Seems like the performance is not as high as the F430 (or the 599 obviously) but the technology and luxury seems to be stepped up slightly.

It appears to be not much larger than an SLK or a Porsche. This will be the first compact Ferrari. Pricing should be around $200,000.00 (this is just purely my guess based off looks alone)

ya so this thing is gunna be fast but...
the wheels could be better
the stacked exhaust is ehh
front looks like a big Elise with a scoop
and how do you fit 4 people it that???

Not too crazy about the design, its ok, but not beautiful, like most Ferraris are.

With the introduction of the Lexus IS-f, every designer in the world quickly ran back to the drawing boards to refine their cars. Ferrari just happens to be the first manufacturer to show their design.

We all know the design world waits with bated breath to see what new innovation Lexus has come up in terms of design, and they scurry to enhance their own designs based off of Lexus.

I heard a rumor that BMW is getting ready to introduce a 3 high stacked exhaust. Of course, just like Lexus, those pipes won't be attached to anything. The reasoning being of course is that when people go to blow smoke up those pipes, they won't burn their lips off because of them being anything close to functional.

AHHH sarcasm

3 stack pipes on each side? holy crap! talk about over-doing!

Ferrari came up with this exhaust design when Lexus came out with the GS series.

I can tell a whole bunch of nay-sayers here are too young, too no class and too ignorant to know Ferrari had a model name ‘California’. Some of them didn’t know PininFarnia’s former design chief was Japanese, but not now. Some of them never seen the original California before they put their foot in their mouth! Some see Suxus on the road all the time they think every design is influenced by Suxus! Such idiots!

I wouldn't say too many are "no class," but too young and too ignorant of Ferrari history, for sure. The car itself is gorgeous. Face it -- the Ferraris of the 60s and 70s, including the spectacular 275GTB and GTS, have design language that doesn't translate to today's "surface excitement (or is that "excrement")" crowd. They were pure, simple shapes that looked like nothing else. This car is beautiful, but not classically so. It will be interesting to see how it ages, whether it becomes more appreciated, like the 275GTB/GTS, or ho-hum, like how many people seem to regard the 308/328.

Disappointing, I'd much rather have an F430 or 599.

In fact it reminds me of a high-end Fiat Barchetta. Coincidence?

A 'bargain' Ferrari works for me, just makes it slightly more attainable.

Damn...how does Ferrari do it? One great car after another!

This new Ferrari seems to be a "love it or hate it" design. I've been talking to a few friends about the car today and just about everyone liked the design except my friend who actually owns a F430 who had the extremely cerebral comment of "i don't like it." Personally, I do, I think it is reminiscent of the original California and keeps to the design of all modern front engine prancing horses. Now I look forward to seeing one on the road.

http://bushautoblog.blogspot.com

This has got to be the ugliest Ferrari I've ever seen! What's with that awkward crease running along the door panel, and the matching indentation at the bottom of the door. What's with the raised trunk midsection, what about the swoosh lines around the headlights. No cohesion!

Has Bangle been moonlighting over at Ferrari?

Not too impressive from the photos provided.

mighty ugly car

the last nice Ferrari was the 360 Modena and de Maranello

This is the "prettiest" Ferrari in years. I see so many design details and influences from the old California (also I see a bit of Alfa Romeo 8C). I love it. Any one who calls this ugly obviously knows nothing of design (or tasteful styling). Its a beautiful successor to the old California by Pininfarina (who also styled this one), brilliant!

Well said! She is gorgeous. This car pulls off in sheer design what others try to attemp with body kits, hoods scoops, add-on fender flares and other afterthoughts. Bravo!

Excuse me for having an opinion, but I feel this design is the exact opposite of what you said.

It is tasteless. It doesn't flow. There are too many silly add-ons like the grills and stacked exhausts. The sweeping lines make it look like they were trying too hard. It is garish. It's not beautiful. It won't age well. And it is DEFINITELY not Ferrari.

I think it is one of the coolest cars I have ever seen. So what if it looks a lot different the other Ferraris at least there not like Porches where every car has pretty much the same overall design.

I forgot to mention. From the side view it looks like it has some Vette cues. I had to throw that I there because it looks like it to me and it will piss some of you off:) He He He

imo, naming it the california decreases it's status immediately. side view looks awesome! i'm 50/50 on the rear view, but the front view seems sort of weak. i'm not a convertible person to begin with so that aspect turns me off some, but there's something from the front angle that just seems weak... i can't place it... maybe it's that the photo angle makes the hood look stubbier than it really is. i don't know.

The rear quarter is just wrong. The rest looks good, though.

ferrari styling is just not working for me...now look at lamborghini, those are just a piece of art