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Sneak Preview of The California F149

Bruce

Bruce

New member
Seen it !

Fantastic venue The Hurlingham Club.
As you would expect very professional presentation from Ferrari yet felt warmly received!
Well catered and very friendly.
No Photography allowed.

The car was the red with tan pre production car.
The sound was unbelievable symphonic and every bit as impressive as the 599 and 430 BUT uniquely different.

It is a Grand Tourissmo car. Super practical, quite pretty but for me it lacks that special indefinable something I guess its not that different to so many good cars - is it a great car , only time will tell. Will it be a success- absolutely NO doubt it will.

A bit ordinary was my initial impression but these things grow on you and this is very different and unusual for a V8 Ferrari so a bit contraversial.

We will see but a winner in the Showrooms for sure - an enthusiasts car , not so certain:grin:
 
Lucky you! Thanks for sharing.

Did you sit in it? The rear end looks so huge from the photos, I was wondering if you had a chance to notice what the rear visibility is like from within the car - given that this is meant to be a (more) practical beast that anyone can drive everyday...?
 
subirg said:
Lucky you! Thanks for sharing.

Did you sit in it? The rear end looks so huge from the photos, I was wondering if you had a chance to notice what the rear visibility is like from within the car - given that this is meant to be a (more) practical beast that anyone can drive everyday...?
Click to expand...

Could have sat in it but didnt.
It did appear a car you could use everyday which is perhaps why I didnt feel it was special - good but not special IMOP
 
Its very telling this autocar video, Ferrari are chasing sales...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEWqCql-JmQ&feature=related

In this short video clip the Ferrari's Development Director (for the California), Roberto Corradi tells us that the companies intention with the California was to get more women to adopt the brand. :hmmm:

Quote (Italian broken English), "In our mind, new customer must be women, we have 10% not more of women in our customer portfolio, we want to increase a LOT this percentage, to do this you have to adopt a car in terms of shape not too aggressive, and you have to use a front engined car because its more easy to handle".

Also goes on to describe the Merc SL/Renault Convertable style roof rectractable roof 'best compromise in terms of comfort and useability of the car itself, ofcourse in general there are some disadvantages like cost and weight".

Thus in summary the California had to be softer looking, less aggressive, easier to drive, easier to live with everyday and so on in order for Ferrari's to appeal to more women. Doesn't this sounds more and more like a Maserati than a Ferrari ???? :hmmm::hmmm::hmmm::hmmm:
 
darft vader said:
Schuey,on new california:wink3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PmXS-krJFo
Click to expand...

Useable everyday:huh: Says it all for me:thumbsdow

Very subdued and not a "proper" Ferrari IMO. Guess it'll devalue like a stone after all the footballers have had one for a year and got bored of it. Ferrari trying to sell to the masses again. Great for a quick win but not sure this is a great longer term commercial strategy.
 
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candellara said:
Useable everyday:huh: Says it all for me:thumbsdow

Very subdued and not a "proper" Ferrari IMO. Guess it'll devalue like a stone after all the footaballers have had one for a year and got bored of it. Ferrari trying to sell to the masses again. Great for a quick win but not sure this is a great longer term commercial strategy.
Click to expand...

I agree,footballers wife's car or footballers hairdresser's car,I'm sure they will sell lots to the yank's as it looks like a corvette,but it can go around corner's.:grin:
 
bruce 430 spider said:
Seen it !

Fantastic venue The Hurlingham Club.
As you would expect very professional presentation from Ferrari yet felt warmly received!
Well catered and very friendly.
No Photography allowed.

The car was the red with tan pre production car.
The sound was unbelievable symphonic and every bit as impressive as the 599 and 430 BUT uniquely different.

It is a Grand Tourissmo car. Super practical, quite pretty but for me it lacks that special indefinable something I guess its not that different to so many good cars - is it a great car , only time will tell. Will it be a success- absolutely NO doubt it will.

A bit ordinary was my initial impression but these things grow on you and this is very different and unusual for a V8 Ferrari so a bit contraversial.

We will see but a winner in the Showrooms for sure - an enthusiasts car , not so certain:grin:
Click to expand...

borrowed some of your words mate :)

Fantastic venue The Hurlingham Club, hopeless to get a cab though
As you would expect very professional presentation from Ferrari yet felt warmly received!
Well catered and very friendly - Nice Girls :)
No Photography allowed

The car was the red with tan pre production car.
The sound was unbelievable symphonic and even better than the impressive 599

It is a Grand Tourismo car, quite pretty, interior very smart except electric window switches which look like they are fro ma 70's cadillac, much better in the flesh and the rear haunches don't look too big in real life, rear space alright for small kids with a 5'9 or 5'10 driver/ passenger, useable boot space OK but access is quite limited by roof intrusion.

Glad I've got one on order - Yes

Will it be a success- absolutely NO doubt it will. We will see but a winner in the Showrooms for sure

Will people change their mind about not liking it when they see it in the flesh (because it's too much like Lexus, Z3, Z4 etc) like they did with the 599 being like a Supra etc? I reckon so (except Murph of course :laugh: )
 
andy456M said:
Front reminds me of a Masarati :thumbsdow, which are OK, but the Ferrari should look better.
Click to expand...

Thats because rumour has it that it WAS a Maserati. Allergedly Ferrari took over the project from a Maserati design, it was supposed to be a replacement for the 4200.... :shocked:
 
Ok so I went to see the California last night

The car is so much better looking in the flesh than in the photos
The roof mechanism is really cleaver and there is actually quite a substantial boot storage space
At low revs the exhaust sound is fantastic

The only but I didn’t like was the centre consol which just looked crap
 
trax said:
...The car is so much better looking in the flesh than in the photos...
Click to expand...
I don't doubt it and I haven't seen it myself yet, but it still looks to me like a not that brilliant Maserati design hacked about to try to turn it into a Ferrari. But then my view is irrelevant. I'm not the target market for the car (i.e. I'm not a woman:tongue3:) and I don't have the money anyway.

Jonathan
 
jtremlett said:
I don't doubt it and I haven't seen it myself yet, but it still looks to me like a not that brilliant Maserati design hacked about to try to turn it into a Ferrari. But then my view is irrelevant. I'm not the target market for the car (i.e. I'm not a woman:tongue3:) and I don't have the money anyway.

Jonathan
Click to expand...

THe sad thing is the latest Maseratis with which it probably shares a lot, are actually far better looking!
 
360trev said:
"In our mind, new customer must be women, we have 10% not more of women in our customer portfolio, we want to increase a LOT this percentage, to do this you have to adopt a car in terms of shape not too aggressive, and you have to use a front engined car because its more easy to handle".
QUOTE]

I wonder if JC and the like will deem it the first Ferrari for hairdressers?!

Regards

Supersonic
MHC Finance
Click to expand...
 
Roberto Corradi quotes "10% not more of women in our customer profile we want to increase a LOT this percentage".

I think its worth noting that whilst China is not yet a significant market for Ferrari it is becoming so rapidly. Stats from Ferrari China indicate 25% of new Ferrari buyers there are women:shocked:

With no disrespect to our friends in China their stature, on average, is less than our own thus the 2 plus very small 2 configuration of the California will simply not be an issue. Indeed to a young Chinese family the California will be the equivalent of a 612 Spider.:dude:

IMHO I think the California is the first manifestation of a new Ferrari strategy with two principal themes.

Sustainable production and sales of 10,000 plus cars per annum.
Greater emphasis towards emerging markets in Far east, Russia & Indian sub continent and further growth in Petro Dollar rich middle eastern markets.



360trev said:
Its very telling this autocar video, Ferrari are chasing sales...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEWqCql-JmQ&feature=related

In this short video clip the Ferrari's Development Director (for the California), Roberto Corradi tells us that the companies intention with the California was to get more women to adopt the brand. :hmmm:

Quote (Italian broken English), "In our mind, new customer must be women, we have 10% not more of women in our customer portfolio, we want to increase a LOT this percentage, to do this you have to adopt a car in terms of shape not too aggressive, and you have to use a front engined car because its more easy to handle".

Also goes on to describe the Merc SL/Renault Convertable style roof rectractable roof 'best compromise in terms of comfort and useability of the car itself, ofcourse in general there are some disadvantages like cost and weight".

Thus in summary the California had to be softer looking, less aggressive, easier to drive, easier to live with everyday and so on in order for Ferrari's to appeal to more women. Doesn't this sounds more and more like a Maserati than a Ferrari ???? :hmmm::hmmm::hmmm::hmmm:
Click to expand...
 
Bourn said:
Roberto Corradi quotes "10% not more of women in our customer profile we want to increase a LOT this percentage".

I think its worth noting that whilst China is not yet a significant market for Ferrari it is becoming so rapidly. Stats from Ferrari China indicate 25% of new Ferrari buyers there are women:shocked:

With no disrespect to our friends in China their stature, on average, is less than our own thus the 2 plus very small 2 configuration of the California will simply not be an issue. Indeed to a young Chinese family the California will be the equivalent of a 612 Spider.:dude:

IMHO I think the California is the first manifestation of a new Ferrari strategy with two principal themes.

Sustainable production and sales of 10,000 plus cars per annum.
Greater emphasis towards emerging markets in Far east, Russia & Indian sub continent and further growth in Petro Dollar rich middle eastern markets.
Click to expand...

In other words, milk-the-brand for short term profits and in the process ditch everything that made Ferrari's reputation what it is today. :cry3:.

Enzo himself would be turning in his grave. :mad: It is so very typical of todays big global companies and their one trick pony, forever always beliving more and bigger is better - only ofcourse to appease the shareholders - the initiative was probably led by some bigtime consultancy company and a decision taken after viewing some very hyped up powerpoint presentations on why Ferrari should have more women buying to increase profits.

IMHO the very essense of what Ferrari stands for will be diluted from here on in which is an absolute travesty really.
 
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