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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Ugly…
Stupid extra “seats” (i’ve read officially it’s a 2+2 because the ‘Mericans have to pay less insurance or taxes or something than when it would be a 2 seater)
Will sell in bunches…
…but be remembered as the Mondial of the 2000s.
I’ll take an F430…Euhm…I’ll take a Gallardo LP560-4 instead.
I see a little Boxster, Tiburon, and 2002 Ford T-bird in there myself…
If I remember correctly, the Mondial (at least the early models) had a six-cylinder engine and performance that was bested by the Mustang GT of the time (at least the numbers that your average American cared about, 0-60mph and 1/4 mile times). Any wonder that the Modial went unloved?
Being quick and reasonably technologically advanced, I don’t think we have another Mondial on our hands.
Ugly rear + 2+2 + no real manual? Not like I could afford one in the first place, but c’mon.
If Jaguar and Lexus get away with upholstered luggage space which are finished to look like seats, why not for a $300,000 Ferrari? It certainly sounds good, although I’m guessing that a Corvette convertible can sound nearly as good and still leave room in the budget for that F430.
And when it comes to sound, a well-optioned 381 hp 911 cabrio can be had for around $120k, provide a stunning flat-six wail and still leave money for incidentals like a Cayman S and a ZR1…
I love my 2+2. Sure you can’t have 4 people on a long trip, but for fun short trips it’s great. I wouldn’t get this one though. No rollbar is scary with a car this powerful. Maybe it has a popup rollbar like a mercedes sl? It’s pretty though. I don’t like the modern trend of super angry looking grills, but I wish this one was a bit meaner looking.
If I remember correctly, the Mondial had a six-cylinder engine and performance that was bested by the Mustang GT of the time (at least the numbers that your average American cared about, 0-60mph and 1/4 mile times).
The Mondial had a downtuned version of the 328 V8, and looked like a strange “4 seater” version of the 328 and was marginally cheaper than the 328. If you look at numbers sold it was actually quite succesful for a Ferrari, but by any other measure…not so much.
It’s quite possible the Mustang GTs of those days were faster, but they didn’t have that much else going for them either.
I think the only V6 Ferrari was the Dino, when it actually became a Ferrari in the end that is :)
If Jaguar and Lexus get away with upholstered luggage space which are finished to look like seats,
They don’t get away with that. In those cars it’s ugly too, especially in the Lexus.
It looks just awful weird with those 4 headrests so close to one another.
In the Jaguar at least it’s not so blatantly useless.
The Ferrari Mondial was a fine car that could actually fit a real person the back seat. IIAC the Mondial was the successor of the 308 GT4 of the early 1970s. While not the fastest Ferrari of its day is was intersting and somewhat unique.
I have very fond memories of a 328 Mondial that I had the pleasure of riding in one summer, oh the sound of that engine!
Folks with Money and a couple of young children will “get” this car with no problem, people that truely enjoy a top down summer drive up PCH will understand the appeal of this car. Guys with wet dreams about how they are going to drive their fantasy Ferrari at 175mph on I95 will NOT like this car.
I see a throw back to the (1961 Spyder) Ferrari 250GT in there. Seems Ferrari isn’t immune to a little retro styling thrown in now.
@JJ: There was nothing more stylish than a white Mustang GT with white alloys, and white vinyl interior. Seriously…nothing said 1980s fun better, except a white Jeep with zebra seat covers!
Rear seats on these cars are useless. I was sitting outside at my favorite Italian cafe (in Boise) when prom hit, two girls stuffed in the back of a Lexus SC while their 17/18 year old boyfriends kept gunning the car in traffic trying to show off to us “old folks with sensible vehicles”. Mildly amusing to me, but at least the girls were limber enough to get back there…
IIRC, the original Californias were 5 liter V12s. Too bad they are going with the noisy little 8.
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.
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.
Yes, I know, Ferrari did make some ugly cars in the 70s and 80s…Also, the 400. Especially after they changed the 3 round taillights with rectangular units. But apparently that was ok in those days, because Lamborghini did the same, or even worse, with the Jalpa/Uraco/Jarama and maybe some others.
except a white Jeep with zebra seat covers!
Am I really reading this…
Also, in the Lexus, were the girls’ faces actually touching the front headrests or did they maybe have to look sideways all the time?
I’m guessing the car wasn’t his though. Can’t imagine an 18 y/o male to choose a Lexus (and especially not the SC) over more obvious choices to boost your street cred.
If he did, surely he had realized his mistake and put blacked out taillights, black 20″ rims and too much chrome on the car to make it look ‘cool’?