Ferrari California T 2015 Review

Surely it was a long-lead April Fools joke? Put the family-car reviewer in an extroverts-only 2+2 GT costing over $400,000 and powered by a raucous twin-turbo 3.9-litre V8?

No, it was all deadly serious, but only for two nights. That's not a long time to assess a vehicle properly, but Ferrari's California T is the sort of car to ingratiate itself with a new driver very quickly nevertheless.

Perhaps too quickly...

In the vein of familiarity breeding contempt – or at least apathy – a previous driver (not motoring.com.au staff) had scuffed a front wheel on a kerb, and had buggered up the power window switch on the driver's side, as well as finding a way of damaging the console bin lid in the centre armrest – preventing it from closing properly. Worryingly, that suggests some interior fixtures and fittings are a little on the flimsy side.

With a car like the California T, of course, there's potential to do much more severe damage – as I quickly discovered leaving work on the first night. Accelerating 'gently' (in relative terms) onto a sweeping freeway ramp the Ferrari stepped out at the rear. Power and torque met at an intersecting point that was beyond the means of the rear suspension to contain.

A further 50 metres on and I was treating the right pedal with the caution it warrants.

In corners the Ferrari was at its best with a modicum of power-on, but not too much, obviously. In tighter turns the stability control pulled it all back into line much sooner, and it was fairly discreet about it too. The blinking light in the dash and the power deficit tells you you're asking more of the engine than the car's passive dynamics can handle, but there was no pitching or other misbehaviour as the stability control system balanced the braking.

While the brakes were strong and sure, the pedal was very sensitive and there was some braking effort apparent from even the lightest pressure under foot. Despite the car's stopping potential, it proved easy to live with, day-by-day. There was none of the grinding sound associated with high-metallic content pads on the disc rotors, and the California T pulled up smoothly and softly.

In a similar sort of vein, the steering was almost exceptionally light, considering how direct it is, but it remained highly communicative. With very little time in the seat, even a driving ingénue could quickly come to terms with the way the Ferrari operates. In short, this was a surprisingly easy and functional car to own.

Its approach angle was better than some small hatchbacks I've driven, for instance, so it didn't grind its nether regions on a standard suburban driveway, yet its dramatic presence (both visually and aurally) was almost unmatched in my experience.

But none of that detracts from the car's Ferrari character. Start with the engine, for instance. It sounded angry from the moment it fired up, and its demeanour is best characterised as a symphony of rasping throatiness at lower revs, with traditional V8 rumble and thoroughbred Italian howling at higher revs. Naturally it could produce torque at the driver's whim, irrespective of engine speed, but it was all the more satisfying once the kilowatts were approaching the engine's peak, higher in the rev range.

The engine drove through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and the drivetrain operated in two modes, Sport and Comfort, (or three if you include the strictly off-limits stability control off mode). In Sport the transmission was cantankerous and aggressive – and it felt every bit the dual-clutch transmission of yore. But switch to Comfort mode and it shifted smoothly, even when the driver was kicking down for optimal acceleration.

The switch to change drivetrain modes was located on the lower right of the steering wheel boss. On the other side of the hub was a button to change damper settings for bumpy roads – when the drivetrain was in Sport mode. In other words, and rather sensibly, you can have the drivetrain hitting its straps, but with the dampers adjusted for a softer ride. It's almost like a Ferrari engineer had Australian roads in mind for this set-up...

In so many ways, the California T was sensible like that. Take for example the buttons on the steering wheel spokes to actuate the indicators. They make much more sense than a stalk on either side of the column. The only problem I had with them was lack of second-nature familiarity and the inability to find each one readily with a bit of steering lock applied. Also, good as they were, they lacked the one-touch lane-changing facility of even volume-selling cars in the market. To change lanes you must press the button a second time to end the flashing. And in the generally joyful cacophony in the Ferrari's cabin, it was often hard to hear the indicators operating.

The California T was a very composed tourer. Even dawdling along in moderately dense traffic on an arterial road, you feel relaxed, rather than compelled to be setting new speed records getting to destinations. More than most, it's a car that seems designed for drivers to enjoy through the senses of sight, sound, touch and smell. You may find yourself driving the Ferrari at slower speeds, just to savour the whole experience – and feeling slightly disappointed to arrive at your destination.

Of course you might also be driving below the speed limit because the speedo is a mongrel of a thing to read at a glance. Inevitably I found myself relying on the digital readout from the trip computer in the left side of the instrument binnacle. The analogue dial to the right was arrayed in non-equidistant calibrations, with the numbers indicating speed arranged around the dial in a constantly-changing series of tangents. Long story short, without some familiarity the speedo is quite hard to read and comprehend.

The instrument binnacle was dominated by the large, yellow-faced tacho, which was complemented by bright red LEDs in the top of the steering wheel rim to let you know as the engine approached redline, in case you missed it in the huge tacho.

This particular car was upholstered in camel-coloured leather with matching suede and charcoal leather for the doors and dash. It was a stylish cabin, with subtle use of carbon fibre on the steering wheel rim, shift paddles and centre fascia. The seats were fabulous, comfortable and supportive, looking and fitting like a soft leather shoe, and designed to half-envelop the occupant.

Shift paddles on the steering column ensured that the driving position could be adjusted to suit the driver's ultimate needs without compromising to reach a distant gear lever. The one problem I encountered was the need to recline the squab further back and raise the wheel higher to see the redline point in the tacho.

The California T is not without more serious shortcomings. Scuttle shake was present with the top down, and the folding roof's operation was noisy. I found reflections in the top of the rear glass to be a frequent distraction at night, directing street-lighting beams into the rear-view mirror with a sudden, disconcerting flash such as a speed camera would emit.

Yet those are unlikely to deter buyers with their heart set on a Ferrari considering the California T. Nor should they be deterred.

People talk about cars having charisma, but it's not a view to which I have readily subscribed in the past. The California T has forced me to reconsider my view.

2015 Ferrari California T pricing and specifications:
Price: $549,387 (as tested, excluding on-road costs)
Engine: 3.9-litre eight-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 412kW/755Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 10.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 250g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: TBA