Used 2015 Ferrari California

If there’s such a thing as an everyday Ferrari, the 2015 California T is it. This is the new and improved formula Italian exotica for daily use. Faster yet more fuel-efficient than last year’s model, the new T is the closest thing you’ll find to sensible shoes in the Ferrari showroom. It’s the least expensive stallion in the Prancing Horse stable, yet with its retractable hardtop, generous stash space and ability to calm rude road surfaces, arguably the most livable. A once-over for 2015 with help from esteemed design house Pininfarina has upped this GT’s gorgeous factor. Those top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz SL-Class and Audi R8 models you’re looking at – they’re not Ferraris.

Drop-dead gorgeous looks and exquisitely tailored interiors notwithstanding, Ferraris have always been about their engines. More specifically, the sound of the engine. So despite 553 horsepower and 3.6-second 0-60 capability, the Ferrari California T’s 3.9-liter twin-turbo has a slightly more muted sound than the fever-pitched euphonious wail of the previous model’s naturally aspirated 4.3-liter V8. Ferrari newbies (the California’s entry-level status in the House of Enzo attracts many of them) might not even notice the slight reduction in aural intensity, considering how much more quickly the scenery blurs past the 2015 model. The car’s 7-speed dual-clutch automatic makes quick work of gear changes with the steering-wheel paddles or will seamlessly handle shift duties automatically. Stiffer springs, quicker-acting shocks and a lower center of gravity tighten handling this year, but a new “bumpy road” feature also allows drivers to select a more relaxed ride when desired.

You don’t just sit in the new California T’s leather-lined cabin, you soak in it. There’s a rich palette of color choices available. The previous model’s 2+2 seating continues in the 2015 Ferrari California T, with a pair of comfortable and deeply bolstered buckets up front and tiny seats suitable only for children in the rear. An optional fold-down feature for the rear seats adds pass-through space into the trunk for toting golf bags and other long items. All major driving controls are on the steering wheel. A new 6.5-inch touch-screen infotainment system with redundant buttons debuts for 2015.

The 2015 California T looks longer and lower than the previous version, with a wider version of the classic 3-bar grille and side scallops evoking the F12 berlinetta V12 and pontoon fenders harking to the 250 Testa Rossa. Although the back end of the new Ferrari remains plus-sized to accommodate the hardtop roof when it’s retracted, a less bulbous look is achieved by trimming the decklid, moving the taillights outboard and changing the previous model’s vertically stacked quad exhausts to a horizontal theme.

TURBO PERFORMANCE ENGINEER
Celebrating Ferrari’s return to turbocharging is this new touch-screen display, nestled between two of the round dash-level vents. Not only can it indicate boost levels, it also reads turbo response and efficiency levels.

RETRACTABLE HARDTOP
It takes just one button push and 14 seconds to transform the new California T from a sleek coupe to an alfresco convertible. The segmented aluminum top stacks neatly and compactly beneath the decklid, conserving 8.5 of the car’s 12 cubic feet of trunk space for luggage.

First and foremost, the California T is a Ferrari, the latest in a line of epic sports and GT cars that oozes curb appeal. Beyond the retractable power hardtop, twin-turbo V8, 7-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox and thoroughbred chassis with 19-inch alloy wheels and Brembo carbon-ceramic disc brakes, interior amenities include such items as dual-zone A/C, power seats, a touch-screen infotainment system with navigation and a new, configurable turbo-efficiency display. Providing peace of mind is a complimentary plan, transferable to subsequent owners, that covers all scheduled maintenance for seven years.

Ferrari will be happy to build you a California T like no other. You can go nuts with the customization, choosing from 28 exterior paint colors, matching painted calipers, six wheel designs, 15 interior colors, carbon-fiber accents, plus 2-tone treatments and custom leather or suede coverings for the seats, doors, dash, headliner – and even the dash vents. Also available is a long list of hardware including faster-acting Magnaride Dual Mode suspension, front and rear parking cameras, a fold-down rear seat, adaptive front lighting, a 12-speaker JBL Professional premium audio system, a fire extinguisher, and new this year, Apple CarPlay.

No plastic engine cover hiding the gorgeous hardware under the long curvaceous hood here. Perhaps the most important part of any Ferrari, its soul, resides herein. For 2015, a new 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 makes its debut in the Ferrari California T. It’s the T in California T and it’s Ferrari’s first turbocharged engine since the raucous F40 of 1987. Power and efficiency get a boost. Using a pair of twin-scroll turbos, the T’s pressurized V8 makes 70 more horsepower and an additional 185 lb-ft of torque than last year’s naturally aspirated 4.3-liter V8. 2015 California T fuel-economy gains mean no gas-guzzler tax.

3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8
553 horsepower @ 7,500 rpm
557 lb-ft of torque @ 2,750-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/23 mpg