[Scottish16M]

Back at the start of 2010 I specified my 1st new Ferrari, a Rosso Corsa & Crema California with all the extras, a few months passed & I received the call I had been eagerly waiting on....your California has arrived & is ready for you!

The Dealership is 120km from my house, my wife was out, so I jumped on the next train & next thing I knew my new toy was in my sights....I really like the shape of the Cali, the folding hardtop for me is the cars 'cherry atop the cake' and knowing it had a rear seat of sorts for my dog to travel with my wife & I just made the car a perfect fit....so eagerly I jumped in, still liked it, started her up....still liked her, her roar was raspy & her engine eager so in with the up shift paddle & off I went....almost immediately I knew this wasn't a 'drivers' car, the steering was overly light & where was the kick in the back during hard up changes....oh dear, was I disappointed, but I thought lets give it a thousand miles to see if I can bond with it....so over the next 4 weeks I tried and tried, I went out in spirited drives, it was capable, I pottered along with my wife & pup by my side...it was perfectly suited & then it dawned on me....this isn't a true Ferrari as I knew them to be, this was a cruiser, a competent GT, a simple car to drive & I had to get out if her, so 7 weeks after her arrival she was sold back to the Dealer & a search was on for a drivers Ferrari, a few weeks later my 16M arrived and that was 2 years ago & I still have my 16M which I really enjoy....

Fast forward a few years to yesterday, my wife & I are in the South if France & were travelling the coast road from Antibes to Monte Carlo & we saw an Enzo, a few F430's, a 458 & quite a few Cali's on the roads & I began thinking which would I have for the drive I'm making today, in fact for all the drives I make when I come here and suddenly the light came on and finally I got the California as for me on these narrow twisty coast roads it's the only one to have, it's perfectly suited to these at times stop/start congested roads..more so than any other Ferrari I can think of...so as I sit here on my balcony watching the world go by, Im once again contemplating a Cali purchase & its great knowing that when she arrives I wont be dissapointed this time as this is her perfect environment....and I do still like the way she looks....I already know I want her in white, I just need to decide her interior and then the order will be in & once again I'll eagerly await the call to let me know she's ready for me!

[champagne612]

Peter

I saw this one on Denver outside my hotel a few weeks ago with red interior.

The new Cali with the Sport upgrade may be worth taking a look at.

[Scottish16M]

Hi Doug

That's exactly my thinking too...when I return to the UK I'll arrange a weekend test drive with my Dealers and see what I think.

[Granucci]

I've said it before it is a brilliant car for what its supposed to be used. I call it the new Mondial . and That great top makes it in all year car .

[Scottish16M]

All year car rather depends on where one lives unfortunately as my toys are usually tucked up for at least 3 months come wintertime

[wetpet]

blood red interior!

[il Capolino]

Black is cool on the Calif, or Porsche copper dark brown metallic?

Better still, why not get an SA Aperta GTO???!!!

[Scottish16M]

Originally Posted by il Capolino

Black is cool on the Calif, or Porsche copper dark brown metallic?

Better still, why not get an SA Aperta GTO???!!!

Not enough seats Johan, I need to fit in my wife & our border terrier

[il Capolino]

Originally Posted by Scottish16M

Not enough seats Johan, I need to fit in my wife & our border terrier

Border terrier on the floor between passengers feet, safest place should there be a collision. Look into your petrol heart and tell me which of the two cars you'd rather have...

[Scottish16M]

Originally Posted by wetpet

blood red interior!

That's one of the options I'm considering, another is tan, both must have white stitching & embroidered cavallinos & perhaps white piping too

[champagne612]

Originally Posted by Scottish16M

All year car rather depends on where one lives unfortunately as my toys are usually tucked up for at least 3 months come wintertime

Peter I almost bought one a few weeks ago.

Decided to talk to the mechanic and posted the only negative result.

Ferrari feels these cars aren't driven hard enough to be concerned about the brakes.

They were replacing the squeaky / malfunctioning brakes until last month. They suddenly closed all work orders on defective brakes. Many were replaced and my guess is the Service Departments started contacting the owners for replacement.

The service manager was told by Ferrari the California owners weren't going to push their car hard enough for the product to matter

After owning a car with CCB brakes - I truly do wonder how safe they are for a casual driver or someone not knowing the proper procedure to make them work when needed.

[Scottish16M]

Originally Posted by il Capolino

Border terrier on the floor between passengers feet, safest place should there be a collision. Look into your petrol heart and tell me which of the two cars you'd rather have...

If I look inside my petrol heart I will always choose my 16M, however out here I need another type of Ferrari & for me it certainly looks like a Cali will do the job nicely.

My dog is always harnessed to the seat belt when in our cars to ensure both he & we are safe

[Scottish16M]

Originally Posted by champagne612

Peter I almost bought one a few weeks ago.

Decided to talk to the mechanic and posted the only negative result.

Ferrari feels these cars aren't driven hard enough to be concerned about the brakes.

They were replacing the squeaky / malfunctioning brakes until last month. They suddenly closed all work orders on defective brakes. Many were replaced and my guess is the Service Departments started contacting the owners for replacement.

The service manager was told by Ferrari the California owners weren't going to push their car hard enough for the product to matter

After owning a car with CCB brakes - I truly do wonder how safe they are for a casual driver or someone not knowing the proper procedure to make them work when needed.

Thanks for the update on this although I don't think it'd be an issue for me as I always enjoy my toys fully & one of the positives for me during my previous short term ownership of a Cali was its brakes, so if you fancy one just go for it Doug

[champagne612]

Originally Posted by Scottish16M

Thanks for the update on this, don't think it'd be an issue for me as I always enjoy my toys fully

Me too - which is why it bothered me enough to not pull the trigger.

After owning a boat and hitting speeds of over 100 I learned one thing - boats down have brakes and I like brakes ... very very much

[Scottish16M]

Originally Posted by champagne612

Me too - which is why it bothered me enough to not pull the trigger.

After owning a boat and hitting speeds of over 100 I learned one thing - boats down have brakes and I like brakes ... very very much

Just you pull that trigger Doug, unless you guys get a different version across the pond I wouldn't worry about the brakes at all, from what I recall they're great

Pull the trigger man, pull it!

[champagne612]

Originally Posted by Scottish16M

Just you pull that trigger Doug, unless you guys get a different version across the pond I wouldn't worry about the brakes at all, from what I recall they're great

Pull the trigger man, pull it!

Talk to your service guy - be interesting to hear their experience.

Been looking at the DBS or the cow a GTC - have a thing for soft top convertibles.

I am lacking the patience to spec and order.

[Scottish16M]

Originally Posted by champagne612

Talk to your service guy - be interesting to hear their experience.

Been looking at the DBS or the cow a GTC - have a thing for soft top convertibles.

I am lacking the patience to spec and order.

Take a look at a Maserati GranCabrio too Doug, great engine noise that will make you want to press the loud pedal every journey

I have a GTC, rate them very highly, beautifully finished, tons of torque, but, you need to get the Speed or SuperSports for great handling. I went out with a heap of my buddies who had Porsche Turbo's, TVR's and the likes and none of them could believed just how capable the GTC was. Great car, too big for out here or it'd be atop my list for sure!

[champagne612]

Originally Posted by Scottish16M

Take a look at a Maserati GranCabrio too Doug, great engine noise that will make you want to press the loud pedal every journey

I have a GTC, rate them very highly, beautifully finished, tons of torque, but, you need to get the Speed or SuperSports for great handling. I went out with a heap of my buddies who had Porsche Turbo's, TVR's and the likes and none of them could believed just how capable the GTC was. Great car, too big for out here or it'd be atop my list for sure!

The Maser for some reason doesn't appeal maybe because I love the 612.

It would most likely be a Speed - been looking at the SS but it's hard to find one with a back seat and can't justify the SS Convertible.

[Scottish16M]

Originally Posted by champagne612

The Maser for some reason doesn't appeal maybe because I love the 612.

It would most likely be a Speed - been looking at the SS but it's hard to find one with a back seat and can't justify the SS Convertible.

Good choice Doug, I'd have my GTC Speed over the DBS every day, such an effortless drive which will put and keep a smile on your face!