Our Ferrari California is a top end sports car and offers a supreme combination of driver involvement, character, luxury and refinement, making your self hire drive experience one to remember for a life time.
The supercar for the perfect getaway
This offering of motoring genius from Ferrari is the ideal way to start your weekend. From the way the engine with 8 cylinders works to the smooth fluidity of the tyres of the car, a self drive hire experience will ignite your passion for the Ferrari marque or set you on a never-ending journey to understand why the Ferrari California captivates all drivers who choose it for car hire. Start your Ferrari California dream car hire adventure with Signature Car Hire for an unforgettable super car drive experience.
The performance ability of the Ferrari
This is the prestige car that roars into centre stage. An acceleration speed of 0-62 mph in only 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 193 mph is powered by a 8 cylinder V8 engine with a blistering torque of 357 Nm. What makes this engine impressive is how Ferrari has placed it. It has been situated in the front position which allows the direct petrol injection feature to work in an effortless manner. What this means for the driver is a supercar that glides across the motorway with reduced fuel consumption which is fantastic for the environment. The green credentials of the Ferrari California do not stop there: CO2 emissions are at just 299 g/km while fuel consumption stands at a healthy 13.1 l/100 km. As an environmentally friendly supercar you enjoy the Ferrari California for relaxing weekend hire.
The tyres of the Ferrari California are fitted with a tyre pressure system that allows the driver to sense how they are driving. This feature is another reason why you should choose the California on self drive hire: it is a futuristic supercar that thinks beyond the norms of what you would expect from the average supercar. The gearbox is a manual 6-speed transmission including reverse. This will put you in complete control of the car from the moment you start driving to the end of your self drive hire journey. The Ferrari California's performance qualities are for motorists who love what the Italian marque stands for: style, speed and personality.
The design and look of the Ferrari California
The structure of the exterior of the Ferrari is made to touch on the history of Enzo Ferrari's design philosophies and what the marque stands for today. When you are driving this luxury supercar, indulge in the aerodynamics of the car that shapes the car from the bonnet of the car to the boot. The car is sculpted with painstaking attention to detail that is Ferrari's trademark. Inside the cabin of the Ferrari, the design ethics are taken a step further. A regal interior fitted with luxurious leather upholstery is tempered with practicality as well as design. When you choose this car for self drive hire, you can store lots of luggage in a safe yet subtle way. Both passengers of the car will feel relaxed with the moulded Ferrari seats that can be adjusted for pure comfort.
While the Ferrari California is an extremely innovative car, its philosophy recalls the spirit of a great Ferrari from the past: the 250 California of 1957. This was a car of rare elegance, a car born to race, that has since become a symbol not only of sportiness and innovation, but also of exclusivity, craftsmanship and great refinement.
When designing the Ferrari California, Pininfarina opted for a classic, sculpted chassis, with a long bonnet and the passenger area slightly weighted towards the rear. The side of the car features a strong, dynamic, raked line. The line lifts at the height of the door handle to trace the outline of the typical Ferrari rear bumper. The air intake in the front bumper is enhanced by a traditional grille. The slender air intake vent on the bonnet and the side air vents both echo distinctive features of the 1957 Ferrari California 250.
Engine with DPI
The F430 is powered by a new 90° V8 featuring Ferrari's traditionally uncompromising design approach with a flat-plane crank (180° between throws). This is an all-new unit that does not share any components with the 360 Modena's engine. The improvement in terms of performance, weight and reduction of overall dimensions is the result of applying Ferrari's wealth of F1 experience to its road cars. Despite a 20% increase in engine displacement (from 3,586 cc to 4,308 cc), engine weight has grown minimally by just 4 kg, while perform-ance is considerably improved across the board. Torque increases by 25% (465 Nm at 5,250 rpm, 80% of which is already available at 3,500 rpm) and power by 23% (490 hp at 8,500 rpm).
Engine
- Type 90° V8 with fuel direct injection
- Bore and stroke 3.70 x 3.05 in
- Unit displacement 32.75 cu in
- Total displacement 262.22 cu in
- Compression ratio 12.2.01
- Maximum power 338 kW (460 CV) at 7750 rpm
- Maximum torque 485 Nm (357 lbft) at 5000 rpm
- CCM Brakes Front 15.4 x 1.34 in, Rear 14.2 x 1.26 in
- Electronics CST with F1 TRAC system
- Control for stability and traction TPTMS
- Tyres Pressure and Temperature Monitoring System
Gearbox
- Gearbox F1, dual clutch 7 gears + Reverse
- Gearbox Manual 6 gears + Reverse
Suspensions
- Front Double wishbone
- Rear Multilink
Tyres
- Front 245/40 ZR19"
- Rear 285/40 ZR19"
- Front (option) 245/35 ZR20"
- Rear (option) 285/35 ZR20"
Fuel Consumption
- Combined ECE 13.1 l/100 km
- CO2 Emissions Combined ECE
- 299 g/km
Retractable Hard-Top
The retractable hard top (RHT) is unique in terms of its movement, opening/closing speed, stowage method and materials used. This RHT differs from others in that several movements take place simultaneously rather than sequentially, thus optimising the length of time it takes to complete the entire opening/closing cycle. In fact, both cover and folded roof move simultaneously so that the total cycle time is just 14 seconds.The two sections fold neatly onto each other's concave side, which leaves much more space available for the boot, a total of 260 litres, in fact. This stowage system is so efficient that even when the top is down, two pieces of luggage can still fit in the boot.
Gear Box with Dual Clutch
The gearbox has always been an important and distinctive component for Ferrari cars. The California’s transmission is dual clutch with seven gears, maintaining the traditional F1 controls on the steering wheel. It is an innovative gearbox that ensures higher performances and at the same time greater driving comfort, is more efficient, and requires less maintenance. It is indeed like having two parallel gearboxes, where the dual clutch permits independent control of the odd and even gears and their pre-selection.
In this way the gear change occurs in close-to-zero times and without wheel torque interruption. The so-called acceleration gap is eliminated, obtaining, apart from a real improvement in performance, a new and thrilling driving sensation. Perfect also for normal daily and city use, in automatic mode the dual clutch transmission guarantees the highest values of comfort and drivability. Positioned with rear overhang following the traditional transaxle system, it contributes to the ideal weight distribution, with 53% of the total weight of the vehicle at the rear and 47% at the front axis.
Dual clutch transmission
The new dual clutch transmission (DCT) increases driving comfort and performance under sporty driving conditions, with seven speeds, reverse, electro-hydraulic operation and no torque converter.
Multilink Suspension
The Ferrari California's suspension retains the traditional double wishbone system on the front while a new generation of multilink suspension has been specifically developed for the rear. The multilink system increases the longitudinal flexibility of the suspension, retaining high values of transversal rigidity. This means greater impact absorption capacity and lower vibration and acoustic levels. In short, greater travelling comfort and identical vehicle handling values.
For the Ferrari California, the magneto-rheological dampers used for the first time on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano are available on request. Compared to traditional olio-dynamic systems, these systems provide much shorter response times because they do not have mechanical controls and adjustments. As a result, under high performance driving conditions, the movement of the vehicle body is markedly reduced, to the benefit of all road-holding indicators.
Evoluted F1 Track
The Ferrari California is equipped with the exclusive traction control system originally introduced on the 599 GTB Fiorano and subsequently adopted on the 430 Scuderia. The system, further optimised to best fit the characteristics of the new GT, is the result of the experience built up over the years in the racing world. It allows even less experienced drivers to get the most out of the car's potential in terms of performance on bends, safety and stability. The system estimates the maximum road-holding available by continuously monitoring the relative speeds of the wheels, comparing them with a vehicle handling model memorised in the control system, and subsequently optimising performance by acting on the engine torque output. The F1- Trac is faster and more precise than a traditional stability control and is capable of delaying and minimising the engine torque corrections required to maintain the desired trajectory. The result is an average increase of 20% in acceleration on exiting curves compared to a traditional control system, greater stability, and ease of steering even under race conditions.
Roll Bar
The roll-bar is a passive safety feature designed to protect occupants should the car roll over. The system is installed behind the backrest of the rear seats and is hidden by the rear backrest trim so it is normally not visible. The safety control unit will detect if the car begins to roll over and deploys the roll-bar in a breathtakingly fast 190 ms.
Exterior Style
The Ferrari California is ideal for those looking for a highly exclusive sports car, that consider driving enjoyment a value to pursue on every occasion: a weekend out of town, a long journey, shopping in the city, or simply getting to the office. The rear baggage space has a capacity which is unique for a convertible of this type. The boot, for the first time, connects directly to the rear bench or seats via the folding seat-back. When folded down, the hard-top takes up only 100 of the 340 litres in the luggage compartment, thus saving plenty of storage capacity. A wide opening of the luggage compartment level with the bottom simplifies the various operations. The large amount of space available allows two large and two small suitcases to be accommodated or, with the seat back folded down, two golf bags, skis, or snowboards.
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Ferrari once again turned to its historical partner Pininfarina for the design of the California. The result was muscular, flowing, sculpted lines where considerable attention was paid to ensuring perfect proportions and harmoniously balanced volumes with the roof up or down.
Work on defining the styling was undertaken in close collaboration with Ferrari's own in-house Styling Centre, and great emphasis was placed on characterizing the design and function of every individual detail to confer an immediate and lasting sense of quality and bespoke craftsmanship.
The sides are characterised by a strong dynamic line rising to the level of the door handle, to create a powerful and muscular outline of the rear wheel arch, in line with the car's character. The waist is high, while convex and concave surfaces follow each other with pleasing fluidity. The nose, which takes up the characteristics of the side and rear lines, has the teardrop lighting cluster and the slatted radiator grill typical of Ferrari. The slender air intake vent on the bonnet and the side air vents both echo distinctive features of the 1957 Ferrari California 250.
Interior
Entering into the Ferrari California one immediately notices the high quality of its materials, together with the traditional skills of the craftsmen who have selected the finest leather to cover the dash, the interior and the seats with couture precision. The seats can be adjusted in every conceivable way to give any driver exactly the right position. The back-rest structure is in magnesium, designed to achieve the maximum in comfort and ergonomics while reducing weight at the same time. The new infotainment system, with its 6.5-inch touch-screen display and its intuitive controls, offers maximum functionality and ease of use.
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The designers of the Ferrari California started out with a precise and ambitious objective: to create a GT with no limitations to its use. Perfect for sports driving but also suitable for long journeys and trips to town. For work or for pleasure. A car 4.56 metres long, with the space to comfortably seat a driver or passenger which represent more than the 99 percentile of the population's stature, and making possible the novel 2+ configuration with a large useable space behind the rear seats. The car allows, on request, a rear seating area with two seats and Isofix attachments, indicated for hosting two children.
Alternatively, one can request a bench with the space for storing two travel trolleys or two light golf bags. In both versions there is, for the first time in a Ferrari, a fold-down rear seat-back, allowing the California to be used in different situations by linking the cockpit with the spacious 340-litre boot, which becomes 240 litres with the roof down.
Top Tip:
- Activate the electronic Temperature Monitoring System to keep you cool or warm whenever you want.
