Big changes for ’12 Ferrari California

2012 Ferrari California

Ferrari is set to revise its California for 2012, giving it some pretty impressive changes under the skin
The Ferrari California has been with us since 2008 and despite objections from the purists out there, it’s been a major sales success for the brand. It’s helped to draw buyers who would normally buy Aston Martins, Porsches and Bentleys to Ferrari and now it’s time for a bit of a mid-life makeover.

The 2012 California will get a fairly decent overhaul in 2012 and the revised version could go on sale as January. The bodywork will remain largely unchanged but there will be a few new details available, including an optional silver grille.

All of the big changes will take place under the skin and will give the California more power and less weight.

The 4.3-litre V8 engine will receive better-machined internals such as an optimized micro cast exhaust manifold and a new ECU. This will take power up to 483HP an increases of 30HP, an increase of 20HP.

Ferrari is also set to use lighter materials in certain areas of the chassis, making the revised model 30kg lighter. The gearbox will remain unchanged, which means a seven-speed F1-style twin-clutch transmission. Thanks to the increase in power and the decrease in weight, it should be able to get from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds, compared to four seconds for the current model.

The 2012 California will also be available with an optional Handling Speciale Package that features an upgraded SCM magnetorheological suspension control system. This system has been upgraded to reduce the ECU’s response time to just five milliseconds, as well as allowing the dampers to go from their softest setting to their hardest setting in just eight milliseconds, improving the car’s response and agility.

The final changes focus on the infotainment system, increasing its capacity from 30GB to 40GB, as well as allowing it to sync with Apple and Android smartphones.

There’s no word on pricing just yet but considering these are some pretty big changes, it will probably cost a fair bit more than the 2011 California.