The reason why Ferrari took to turbocharging for its new California (now with a “T” added to its name to denote its forced-induction nature) is very different from why it employed said technology almost three decades ago in its last “blown” car, the F40. Back then, a pair of turbos helped wring out 478 Italian “stallions” from the F40’s 2.9-litre V8 to produce a supercar that would crack 200mph (324km/h).
Today, the “culprit” is still performance, though of the environmental kind. Sure, the guys from Maranello could simply have increased the displacement of the existing 4.3-litre engine for more power, but you can bet polar bears and tree-hugging bureaucrats won’t be pleased. Being green is all well and good, but the more important question is: Does turbocharging diminish the emotive, naturally aspirated experience we’ve come to expect from Ferrari?
The answer is “not really”, primarily because the carmaker has taken great pains to ensure the California T’s new 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the screaming atmospheric powerplants the marque is famed for.
For example, the car has Variable Boost Management to mimic the characteristics of a naturally aspirated engine. Turbocharger boost and, consequently, torque output rise with the gear the car is in. From first to third gear, 600Nm is “rationed” to you, progressively increasing as you go through the ratios before you get the full 755Nm at 4750rpm in its top seventh gear.
A new centally mounted boost gauge is one of the few overt clues to the California’s turbo nature.
This, according to Ferrari, not only allows you to “chase the revs” (as you would with a naturally aspirated engine), but to also have enough low-end grunt to deal with slowpokes while cruising. This also avoids the typical turbocharged kick at low to medium revs and the “strangulation” in the upper registers.
However, the new engine isn’t immune to the laws of physics, which means its throttle response is dulled for a split second as the turbos spool up.
To be fair, it’s barely discernible and, on the whole, the California T accelerates like a “prancing horse” should – it pulls hard all the way to its 7500rpm redline, with the extra midrange punch afforded by the turbochargers clearly evident.
It sounds decent, too, thanks to the fitment of exhaust headers with equal-length pipes, something Ferrari says improves the car’s aural drama. As with its throttle response, there’s a caveat, in that the car’s “vocals” aren’t as tuneful as before, but the notes are still unmistakably Ferrari – textured, growly and evocative.
The California T may be the most “affordable” Ferrari, but there isn’t anything entry-level about its performance (or its $905,000 price tag that excludes COE and options). The new car gets 560bhp (up from 490bhp) and, owing to the added grunt, completes the zero-to-100km/h sprint in 3.6 seconds, shaving 0.2 of a second off its predecessor’s timing.
It’s no slouch in a straight line, but ask too much of its sporting credentials and it’ll gently remind you that, unlike the 458 Spider, it isn’t an all-out sports car. This is despite how the convertible sports Ferrari’s latest-generation magnetorheological dampers, which adjust themselves accordingly depending on road surface and how hard you’re driving.
