Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XXIII

2 6 8 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I The modern day iteration of the classic California was unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show featuring a front-mounted 4.3-litre V8 engine and folding hardtop with styling that heavily reflected the famous 250 of 1957. The recently launched California T is a facelifted version of this, featuring a more contemporary nose, and in keeping with current emission standards it now has a smaller, 3.9-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine – yet it still manages to squeeze out an extra 70bhp over the old unit to deliver 552bhp. And like the original, it also differs from the sports versions like the 488GTB in that it’s not the instant go-to option with strong competition from Mercedes AMG, Bentley, old stalwart Aston Martin and even sister company Maserati all producing big dollar, 2+2 GT convertibles. The other notable characteristic of the original cars is that red was not the standard colour. That was reserved for Ferrari’s F1 cars, so the big GT coupés carried an air of elegance and sophistication that the bare bones racing versions couldn’t afford. Unlike today, where a Ferrari can be considered the default for those who want a supercar but are not sure what to buy, back then it was just one option to be compared against some worthy competitors. At an even DHS900,000, consider the Cali T “the thinking person’s Ferrari”, because in this category, buyers are spoilt for choice. Every panel except for the roof is new on the California T, while the interior comes in for a mild refresh. Underneath it’s also 12% stiffer with quicker steering.