California Dreamin', Ferrari Style
Ferraristi are set to get down on their knees and pray as the Prancing Horse has finally released pictures of their new California, The front mid-engined machine will debut (a French word) at the next Paris Auto Show. The +2 convertible features a folding hardtop and seven-speed dual clutch transmission. The horny Fornie's 4.2-liter V8 engine will hurl the aluminum-bodied GT to 60 mph in less than four seconds. Carbon-ceramic brakes should retard said insanity at will. [ED: At least until the damn thing breaks.] The Kalifornia's F1-Trac traction control system "has been further enhanced to suit the typical driving conditions expected for this new GT." Valet parking stand? Climate-controlled garage? Maranello's madmen are promising more details in advance of the show, 'cause they really need to build-up some hype for this new car in order to fill-up the order book before production. Not. [Hat tip to PistonHeads for the lead]
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ohhhh thanks...I need a cigarette and a nap now....
As a Ferrari dork from a young age, I’ve got to stick up for the Mondo a little here. The Ferrari Mondial wasn’t a bad car from the right angles, at least the cabrio. From a side perspective, even I have to admit that thing was oogly though. The best presentation I ever saw of a Mondial was in the Al Pacino flick Scent of a Woman. For anyone who’s seen the movie, it was a Mondial cabrio that they got from the Ferrari dealer and drove around. You could make some good Mondial jokes there, as Al Pacino’s character loved the Ferrari, but was also blind. I remember watching that movie in my home-brewed (Hafler circuits, not even Dolby, on Laserdisc!) surround-sound rig when I was a teenager and loving the sound of that Mondial’s motor, even when they grinded on the clutch. I think the worst-looking Ferrari though has got to be what the Mondial replaced, the ol’ GT4. Those things were so oooogly, and were the only production Ferraris ever with coachwork by someone other than Pininfarina (I wanna say Bertone committed the crime). Ironically, the GT4 started the whole mid-engined 8-popper Ferrari thing (when they stopped being Dino’s) but if someone saw one going down the street today they would think it some strange, cherried out Datsun. You can pick GT4’s up for like ten grand and less (yes, they look that bad) I’ve seen before. I always thought it would be the ultimate cheesy pick-up artist’s car. He could brag to the ladies at the bar about how he owns a “classic” Ferrari, then when he takes them to his car (to take home, of course) they walk up to the Super-Datsun! Schwing!
Too bad it suffers from the "big-in-the-metal-roof-housing-derriere" syndrome. I was expecting something more subtle from Pininfarina.