ConvertibleFerrari97% by Neofiliac Team91% by External Reviewers

Ferrari California (F149)

Convertible

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Product Overview

Ferrari California (Type F149) is a high-performance mid-size luxury convertible in production from 2009 to 2014. It was powered by several tunes of Ferrari's F136 naturally-aspirated V8 engine that displaced 4.3 liters. It was the last Ferrari available with a manual transmission; unfortunately, most buyers chose the 7-speed DCT.
Using a variant of the F136 engine that powered some of the iconic modern Ferraris from F430 to 458 Italia, the California is a more affordable yet much more practical model. With its hard convertible top, it is the one Ferrari that one can drive everyday. Thankfully, it has also earned a decent reliability record.
Unfortunately for the enthusiasts, while the California was once quite affordable on the used market, its price has shot up in recent years.

Ratings

What we found

Neofiliac score 97%
Pros
  • Sensuous styling
  • Practical Ferrari
  • Hard convertible top
  • Great handling
  • Reliable drivetrain
  • Gated manual transmission available (the last in a Ferrari)
Cons
  • Not the highest grade of finish

What external reviewers found

External score 91%
Pros
  • Superb performance
  • Fantastic build quality
  • Excellent infotainment system
  • Fantastic twin-clutch box
  • Great looks
Cons
  • Noisy transmission
  • Not as comfortable as an F430
  • More expensive than the HS
  • Noisy engine
  • No manual transmission

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Price Comparison

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Specifications

California 30 DCTCalifornia DCTCalifornia MT

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External Reviews

carmagazine[1]

Reviewer score 96% (normalized by Neofiliac)
Reviewers from carmagazine have found:
Ferrari's first twin-clutch box is brilliant – one of the absolute best of its type. Changes are quick, seamless and – if you're pushing on – violently quick. The engine feels alive, edgy, downright loud when provoked. There's no muzzle on this Ferrari.
Pros
  • Fantastic twin-clutch box
  • Superb performance
  • Great looks
Cons
  • Noisy engine
  • Noisy transmission

References

  1. ^ Ferrari California (2008): real-time CAR review blog. [carmagazine].

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