2012 Ferrari California ‘Handling Speciale’ package
More power, less weight and handling pack
By Shahzad Sheikh
For 2012 Ferrari has revealed the new, slightly less girly California. To debut at the Geneva show next month, it has more power, less weight and is available with the ‘Handling Speciale’ package – essentially a sharper chassis.
The 4.3-litre V8 up front has had its engine management tweaked and a new set of exhaust manifolds which results in a 30bhp jump to 483bhp. Torque also goes up to 372lb ft from 358lb ft. Ferrari has taken out 30kg from the car somehow, somewhere thanks to new construction methods.
Performance? 0-100kph in 3.8 seconds, but it’s all about the handling with a 10% quicker steering rack, stiffer springs and a quicker brain to operate it’s clever magnetic suspension.
The California is probably the softest Ferrari I’ve ever driven, so it would be interesting to see if it has manned up a bit now. Not entirely though, they’ve up the number of colours available.
