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Friday, October 1, 2010
Paris Show: Ferrari California HELE gets Stop- Start Tech, Emits 23% Less CO2
0 comments Posted by Unknown at 7:16 AM
Visitors to the 2010 Paris Motor Show may have noticed a rather innocuous looking, black-topped Ferrari California on display at the automaker's stand. This is the Ferrari California HELE, which stands for High Emotion Low Emissions. Think of it as a Ferrari for the environmentally conscious.
Featuring a host of technological jiggery including intelligent fan and fuel pump control, adaptive gear shift and "electronically controlled variable displacement"...air conditioning, the California HELE is said to reduce CO2 emissions by 23% over its non-HELE sibling.
That's 270 g / km down from 299 g /km. The California HELE also features a stop / start system that can restart the car's engine in an impressive sounding 230 milliseconds.
Ferrari is also introducing some new two-tone finishes - no doubt for the 599 GTO wannabes - and water-resistant leather for its California range. There's no word on pricing or launch dates, or in what markets the California HELE will be sold. No doubt buyers will pay a premium over the non-HELE base model.
By Tristan Hankins
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Labels: Ferrari, Ferrari California, Galleries, Paris Auto Show
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Novitec Rosso Slaps a Supercharger on the Ferrari California
0 comments Posted by Unknown at 5:52 AMLabels: Ferrari California
Friday, June 4, 2010
2010 Ferrari California
Screeeetch - less special? I mean no insult by California. This is the cheapest offering in the Ferrari stable, but that's only part of the reason why. Another reason is that I equate "special" with "insane." I, madman certified automotive, F430 adored for its lunacy. I like how the skin and crackles and screams. I love how small children and frightened adults with acoustic attack; how to accelerate and shift with such violence that could make a hysterical passenger. I love how the residents feel under attack by every pebble on the street after appealing to the look and smell their best material in the world.
Some, however, may find the F430 is a bit much. For these people, Ferrari makes California. California is softer, lighter, less crazy Ferrari. Ergo, it is less specific for crazy people like me, but no less specialized in the real world. A great tourer in the traditional sense of the word, the Ferrari hard top convertible soft and luxurious. Sound levels and a quiet trip to Ferrari standards, and the elegant and luxurious cabin.
From the driver's seat, the experience is typical of this time the Ferrari, which means the big red start button, the controller Mannetino on the wheel, and paddle-shift transmission. After the first drive off, you see that the suspension is supple, the gearchanges are smooth, and, like all modern Ferrari, Cadillac steering is overboosted and less feeling.I drive in California traffic for nearly a hundred miles before I finally threw it into the corner, and be quick to realize that, like the 599 GTB and 612 Scaglietti, it has two very different personalities. California was amazing closeness with the results-most likely weighs between aces. To that end, V-8 is mounted completely behind the front axle and transmission transaxle dual-clutch is mounted on the rear. Not a lot of feedback coming through the steering wheel, brakes and a little wooden, but this is a car that knows how to dance. Chassis balance is spot-on perfect, serving up high-speed drifts easily controlled with the accelerator.
Dual-clutch transmission shifts without interruption of electricity, it is not as brutal shift, neck-snapping old F1 full throttle. But I would have preferred single-clutch transmission, at least until the software engineer Ferrari around to Version 2.0. Although the dual-clutch box provided most subtle shift, thus to driving more comfortable, not quite as well as programmed as the old F1 box, and some obvious problems. (Read my blog at Transmission for more detailed information about the dual-clutch transmission Ferrari.)
Friday, May 21, 2010
Labels: Ferrari California
Saturday, March 13, 2010
California is full of firsts: the first-ever front-mounted V-8-engined Ferrari, this is the first use of direct injection in the Ferrari, and Ferrari's first dual-clutch automated manual transmission. This was also the first Ferrari built on modular architecture, and the first built on the new production line really scary in modernity. I can tour the facility last month, and the California production line is clean, quiet, and freakishly automatic. On the one hand, computerized, mass production just makes California somehow, seem less special; on the other hand, this ensures the highest quality level. I think the tradeoff is worth it, especially for the Ferrari which is inherently less special than the others.
Screeeetch - less special? I mean no insult by that of California. That's the most expensive in the Ferrari offers a stable, but that's only part of the reason why. Another reason is that I equate "special" with "crazy." I, automotive certified lunatic, worship F430 to madness. I like the way crackles and barks and screams. I love how the little children fear and adults with an acoustic attack; how accelerated and shift with such violence that makes the hysterical passenger. I like how the residents feel under attack by every pebble on the road after their appeal with the sights and smells of the world's best material.
Some, however, might find F430 slightly more. For these people, Ferrari makes California. California is softer, lighter, less crazy Ferrari. Ergo, it is less specific for crazy people like me, but no less specialized in the real world. A grand tourer in the traditional sense of the word, Ferrari's hard-top convertible soft and luxurious. The level of his voice and a quiet ride by Ferrari standards, and the cabin is elegant and luxurious.
Labels: Ferrari California, Ferrari Driven, Ferrari Review
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Labels: Ferrari, Ferrari California




