PETALING JAYA, May 25 – Naza Italia had unveiled the new Ferrari California T today at its showroom in Petaling Jaya. The ‘T’ stands for Turbo, and is an indication as to the direction of sports cars are going. By introducing turbo-charging, it is now possible to gain more power yet increase fuel efficiency. The new Ferrari California T in its latest guise a GT convertible equipped with a twin-turbo charged V8 engine.

Mr. Giuseppe Cattaneo (Managing Director of Ferrari Far East), Mr. Simon Inglefield (Head of Sales ASEAN, Ferrari Far East), Datuk Maruan Mohd Said (Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategic Investment Division, NAZA World) and Mr. Wan Ahmad (General Manager, NAZA Italia Sdn Bhd) graced the ceremony to unveil the sports car.

“This latest generation California is faster with a more powerful and efficient engine that maximizes fuel economy whilst also maintaining Ferrari’s signature roar. An updated cabin, heightened performance and ability to go from coupe to convertible in a matter of just 14 seconds, make this a sensational drive,” said Datuk Wira Hj SM Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin, Joint Group Executive Chairman, NAZA Group of Companies.

The California T comes with a retractable hard top and 2+ configuration, which is a departure of sorts from the usual strict two-seater models we know of. Now you can squeeze in a tiny third person or a set of golf clubs into the rear. The V8, 3,855 cc direct injection engine produces a whopping 560 horsepower at 7,500 rpm, and 755 Nm of torque. This allows a zero to hundred sprint in just 3.6 seconds, and a top speed of 316 km/h. The California is designed to run on 98 Octane fuel so buyers may well have to buy racing fuel or add in an octane booster to 97 Octane.

It is reported that turbo lag has been virtually eliminated by reducing inertia and adopting an F1-derived flat-plane crankshaft in addition to twin-scroll turbines. Increasingly powerful pick-up is guaranteed by proprietary Variable Boost Management software which adjusts torque delivery to suit the gear selected, thereby also cutting fuel consumption.

As was the case in Formula 1, turbocharging was adopted out of a need to boost efficiency. Compared to the previous California, in fact, fuel consumption has been cut by 15 per cent* despite an increase of 70 horsepower in power output and a jump of 49 per cent in maximum torque in seventh gear. Emissions have been cut to 250 g/km on the combined cycle and by 20 per cent in the CO2/horsepower ratio (0.44 g/km/hp).  As a direct consequence, the car’s range has been extended by 15 per cent.

The California T boasts true sports car dynamics too, thanks to a new steering box and new suspension set-up. New springs and latest-generation Magnaride dampers (now more than 50 per cent faster) combined with body motion accelerometers reduce roll and pitch to deliver more precise handling whilst still guaranteeing an incredibly comfortable ride.

 The car also sports the latest evolution of F1-Trac, which guarantees maximum acceleration out of corners, and CCM3 carbon-ceramic brakes - with new composite discs and pads - integrated with the ESP 8.0 Premium system, which controls the high-performance ABS to deliver extremely short stopping distances (100 to 0 km/h in just 34 metres).

The California T was re-worked by the Ferrari Styling Centre in collaboration with Pininfarina to give it a completely new personality whilst still retaining its original dimensions, whilst improving rear aerodynamics including the addition of a new triple-fence diffuser.

The warm, sumptuously hand-finished cabin is trimmed in luxury semi-aniline leather. The space on-board is flexible too, and owners can make the most efficient use of its generous boot capacity even with the top down, thanks to the communication between the luggage compartment and rear seats.

The Ferrari California T is available to Malaysian customers at the introductory price of RM888, 800 (base price excluding duty and options).

Technical specifications

Engine

Type                                                  Direct-injection 90° V8

Bore and stroke                                86,5 x 82 mm

Unit displacement                              482 cm3 

Total displacement                            3,855 cm3 

Compression ratio                             9. 4:1

Maximum power **                            412 kW (560 hp) at 7500 rpm

Maximum torque **                             755 Nm at 4750 rpm in 7th gear

Dimension and weight

Length                                                 4570 mm

Width                                                  1910 mm

Height                                                 1322 mm

Wheelbase                                          2670 mm

Front track                                          1630 mm

Rear track                                           1605 mm

Dry weight***                                      1625 kg 

Weight distribution                               47 per cent front – 53 per cent rear

Fuel tank capacity                               78 l

Boot\Trunk capacity                            340 l, 240 l  

Performance

Top speed                                           316 km/h

0-100 km/h                                          3.6 sec

0-200 Km/h                                          11.2 sec

Weight/power ratio                              2.9 kg/HP

Tyres

Front                                                    245/40 ZR19"

Rear                                                     285/40 ZR19"

Front (opt)                                           245/35 ZR20"

Rear (opt)                                            285/35 ZR20"

CCM3 brakes

Front                                                     390 x 34 mm

Rear                                                      360 x 32 mm

Electronics  

ESC with F1-Trac system (Control for Stability and Traction)

Gearbox

F1, dual clutch 7 gears + Reverse

Suspensions

Front: double wishbone

Rear: Multilink

Fuel consumption ****

10.5 l/100 km

 C02 emissions****

250 g/km

* The consumption reduction is calculated over a typical, real-life route.

** With 98 octane fuel

*** With lightweight optional equipment

**** Combined cycle (ECE+EUDC) with HELE system