VIDEO: Ferrari California is easy to drive... you know, for the ladies
Click above to watch the video
So far the only video footage we've seen of the new Ferrari California has been either computer animated or sitting still with a giant chin talking. But the fellas over at Autocar magazine in the UK made their way down to Maranello with video cameras in tow for an up-close-and-personal with the newest Prancing Stallion. After the jump you'll find some focus-changing fun angles of the new California, as well as a brief interview with product development director Roberto Corradi, who amusingly informs us that the car was made easier to drive and more softly styled to accommodate female customers. Seriously. Check it out after the jump... it's good for a laugh.
[Source: Autocar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Johnny 6:12PM (9/01/2008)
Looks much better with the Top up rather than down.
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naggs 6:35PM (9/01/2008)
but you are seeing it without a beautiful woman sitting behind the wheel. not really a valid comparison.
honestly though, i hope ferrari makes a hardtop version of this car
MikeW 7:15PM (9/01/2008)
Nothing wrong with having a seven speed double clutch transmission, or easy entry/egress.
There are four seats, so you could have a Neapolitan.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7382447003336311567&ei=XHO8SJiZN4eW-QG_kdDYDA&q=site%3Avideo.google.com+ferrari+chick
(and that is the toned down edition of the exploitive version)
matt 6:17PM (9/01/2008)
women want ferraris that are easier to drive yet are equally qualified as men to be firemen, policemen, etc. right.
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hrez 6:35PM (9/01/2008)
C'mon, it makes sense if you think about it. Women's demand for what they want in cars is generally different from that of men. Now, say you are Ferrari (a company, thereby defined as an entity that is in the business of making money), and women account for only 10% of your customers. This implies a huge market potential that remains untapped, and therefore, they are adapting this new car to fulfill that market demand. So, they've positioned this car towards women, and as the cheapest model in their lineup, probably plan to produce and sell a lot of them. You can argue as much as you want about diluting brand image, but this car will make them a lot of money from women.
PJ 8:36PM (9/01/2008)
Uh-huh. Because *men's* buying habits have had nothing to do with the propagation of pinkie-light, feel-free steering, automatic transmissions, and excess sheetmetal and curb weight.
What was the statistic about 10% of Ferrari's existing customer base actually choosing the manual...?
Torrent 9:53PM (9/01/2008)
Wow. And I thought George Bush was stupid.......
Torrent 12:22PM (9/02/2008)
my comment totally goes to you matt......
Dan 6:19PM (9/01/2008)
Looks like a MR-2 with a few body mods
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Torrent 6:22PM (9/01/2008)
I don't care if I get thumbs down, but I don't like this car... Yeah it's powerful and all, but my problem is the looks..... The designer should be terminated from planet earth.
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Kattleox 7:03PM (9/01/2008)
Perhaps not terminated from earth, but hired on by a different company. This isn't a Ferrari, but a powdered up vette. He should get hired on by some Japanese company so that they can help compensate for their tetris brick cars (GT-R, xB, Evo, et cetera).
Torrent 11:30PM (9/01/2008)
You bastage.......... I'm reporting you.
tintinto 12:17AM (9/02/2008)
the fronts looks like a celica.
SOhp101 6:29PM (9/01/2008)
Did they really need to write 'California' in the same font as the license plates?
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FotoGenetix 6:42PM (9/01/2008)
i thought i liked it at first but yes, the design is nothing exceptional. like the top gear boys say, you might only think it looks good because its a Ferrari.
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Mike 7:09PM (9/01/2008)
For the ladies or not, that is one hot ride I would not hesitate to acquire...
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Lou Zucaro 7:41PM (9/01/2008)
Heh...best headline in a while...thanks for the laugh.
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Chase 7:28PM (9/01/2008)
As far as I can tell, the California isn't much of a sports car.
Driving reports of the Gran Turismo have been mediocre, and this is the same thing, except with a lot less body rigidity, more weight, and a bit more power.
If my expectation pans out, this is hardly a Ferrari.
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zamafir 12:58AM (9/02/2008)
perhaps the most apt description of this car, who cares about watering down RR's brand dna with a 7 series derivative, this is the biggest brand bastardization of the decade. such a pity though, the last time someone said a car was easy enough 'for women to drive' it was Rohrl talking about the Carrera GT and that car turned out to be a monster... and i doubt this one will.
dac 7:48PM (9/01/2008)
I like everything about the looks but the taillights. An impressive car no doubt and I look forward to seeing how it performs.
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