My Experience with a California T

I am the original owner of a 2015 California T; purchased in March 2015. After 3+ years of ownership and 12,000+ miles, I thought I would share my ownership experience with the car. Maybe this will be useful to those who are considering a pre-owned California T.

The California T is my first Ferrari. I had never driven or even ridden in a Ferrari prior to my first test drive of a new California (not a T) in May 2014. I was then in a stage of owning Mercedes AMG models (2007 E63 AMG and later a 2012 CLS63 AMG). At that time, 4-door sedans fit my lifestyle. I was working and needed to the ability to, on occasion, take on passengers. In the meantime, my wife purchased a 2013 SL63 AMG, so I had the opportunity to experience a luxury sport GT 2-seat convertible. With the CLS lease termination on the horizon and my life moving onto pending retirement (which happened in Feb 2015), I considered a different type of vehicle, maybe something akin to the SL. I didn’t want the SL though, and considered other options, such as the Jaguar F-type or Maserati GranTurismo. So, in May 2014 (with about 1 year left on the CLS lease) we made a visit to Maserati of Houston to have a look at the GranTurismo. It was ok, but I wasn’t overwhelmed. While I’m chatting with the salesman, my wife disappears and then reappears to insist I come with her to the other side of the building (i.e., the Ferrari of Houston side) to see a beautiful 2-seat convertible. I didn’t realize the dealership also carried Ferrari. I had never considered a Ferrari and knew very little about the brand. It seemed a bit intimidating to even consider. With trepidation, I entered the Ferrari showroom and was immediately overwhelmed by the site and presence of the 458, 599, F12 and other awesome supercars on the showroom floor. I was way out of my league here! After admiring those cars, I made my way over to a Rosso corsa California on the far end of the floor. Wow! I had no idea. A Ferrari, but more approachable and, maybe, something I could see myself owning. Anyway, we took a test drive and was blown away by the experience and passion of the car. Better yet, the salesman explained that the California was soon to be replaced by the then recently announced California T. Given my timing (a year left on the CLS) I could order a new California T and it should arrive in about a year. Awesome! I put my deposit down that day. I couldn't believe I was buying a Ferrari!

Little did I know that I was the demographic Ferrari was hoping to attract with the California series (and now Portofino). Someone new to the brand, who might not otherwise purchase a mid-engine or V12 Ferrari as their first Ferrari. I was among the 70% of California buyers who were also first-time Ferrari buyers and helped Ferrari achieve its marketing strategy of expanding the brand.

With my order in the allocation que, the next step was to choose the spec. What a fun process, although intimidating with the endless color/option combinations. Being new to Ferrari, I couldn’t see myself in an attention-grabbing Rosso corsa or other flamboyant color (beautiful as they are). Rather, we selected Grigio Silverstone with a cuoio/charcoal interior. A very elegant combination that seemed to fit the California T.

The car arrived ahead of schedule in March 2015. True to form, the dealership wasn’t sure about the status until it simply arrived one day on a truck. Oh well, welcome to Ferrari! The experience of taking delivery of a new Ferrari, especially one you’ve spec’d and waited patiently for, makes for a fond memory.

The driving experience exceeded my expectations. While the car has power and performance beyond what most can effectively use on normal public roads, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy and pleasant it is to drive, whether just cruising or pushing the pace a bit. First is the engine sound, especially when the top is down. A smooth jazz trumpet, with the exclamation of a gunshot “bang” when upshifting near the 7,500 rpm redline. Now I know, many will say the sound of the NA California with its 8,000 rpm redline is superior to the California T. I will not dispute that; I’m merely describing my experience with the California T. The 2-3 and 3-4 shifts are particularly phenomenal. This invites more frequent shifts of the fantastic dual-clutch gearbox that urges one to upshift and downshift for no reason other than to hear and feel the immediacy of the shifts and crisp, tactile feel of the shift paddles. Ferrari’s approach of limiting boost in lower gears is quite effective in giving the engine a free, linear feel, with an eagerness to build revs in lower gears. The steering is neutral and light, while also precise and accurate. Minimal inputs are required to create response. It might even seem a bit quick at first, but you soon learn to trust the steering. The brakes are strong with good feel and modulation. They are carbon ceramic, so you need to build some heat up in the brakes before they’re to their optimum operating zone. I have the full electric Daytona seats. I found them to be very comfortable for long trips with a nice balance of sporty firmness along with just enough cushion. They don’t have great lateral support, but not bad for a sport GT. Interior ergonomics are typical Ferrari, meaning there is ample legroom in the footwell with an open feeling to the cockpit, allowing sufficient head and elbow room. Great visibility all around. My California T is a non-HS model with Magneride dual mode suspension. Had the HS option been available at the time, I would have ticked that box. Nonetheless, the car has a good balance of firmness and comfort with plenty of cornering feel and control. My best experience to date was 3 weeks spent in the Napa Valley area a couple years ago. The car was absolutely in its element cruising the mountain roads with the top down!

I’m very diligent about washing and detailing the car. I do it myself and, on average, wash the car every couple of weeks (Kranzle power washer, foam cannon, 2-bucket method, Master blaster sidekick dryer, microfiber only, etc.). Immediately after taking delivery of the car when new, I had a good detailer correct the paint, install paint protection film (PPF) to the front bumper and side mirrors and apply a ceramic coating (Opti-coat Pro+). The coating is still doing a great job. Dirt does not stick, and washing is amazingly easy. In fact, the car just doesn’t seem to get dirty, but I wash it nonetheless. I use CarPro Reload to enhance the coating from time to time. Other times I use P&S Beadmaker as a drying agent, which adds an amazing amount of gloss and slickness. The car still looks great after 3+ years, the paint maintains its hydrophobic character with great water beading/sheeting.

As I mentioned earlier, the California T was my introduction to Ferrari. Based on my positive experiences (as well as attendance at a couple of Ferrari Corso Pilota driving courses), I decided to expand my Ferrari experience to the mid-engine range. So, I spec’d and received a 2017 488 Spider in June 2017. An amazing car (could go on and on about the 488, but will not here)! I also recently put down my deposit for a MY 2019 Portofino, which I think will arrive early in 2019. So, the California T will eventually be moving onto another owner before long. It’s for this reason that I wanted to share my experiences with this fantastic car while it’s still in my garage.

I'll follow up this post with a comparison of the California T to the SL63 AMG and a recap of my reliability experience with the California T.

Thanks for reading!

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I’ll continue my California T experience by describing a driving comparison. I’ve read a lot on this forum from those who talk negatively about the California T (and California) through comparison to other Ferraris. They say the car is soft, the engine noise is weak, the steering isn’t precise, etc. I guess that might be true for some, based on their point of reference and expectation. Rather than comparing the California T to other Ferraris, I think a more relevant comparison is to a car like my wife’s 2013 Mercedes SL63 AMG (btw - the 2018 SL63 AMG remains essentially the same). Two retractable hard-top sport GTs that cater to similar buyers, especially when considering the high-end spec of this particular SL63. A special edition diamond white with a lot of carbon fiber and the optional AMG Performance Package, which produced 557 hp/664 lb-ft of torque from the 5.5 liter twin-turbo V8. It was no slouch on paper compared with 552 hp/557 lb-ft from the 3.8 liter twin-turbo V8 of the California T. However, the SL63 was clearly more difficult to drive smoothly and just simply less enjoyable. At throttle tip-in, the SL63 had a perceptible lag/hesitation before the engine responded (turbo lag I assume). Once past the momentary lag, the 664 lb-ft of torque could easily come on too hard without careful throttle modulation, spinning the rears and activating traction control. Too often you would have to let off the throttle and try it again. The California T has little to no lag at throttle tip in. The power comes on smoothly and at just the amount asked for through the pedal. The SL63 was fast at full throttle with traction, but it was also a bit like piloting a runaway train. Like being along for the ride, rather than in full control. The gearing was high (i.e., numerically low) and spacing between gears wide compared to the California T. The SL63 would strain to rev past 6,000 and seemed to hold gears too long, while California T would easily and quickly rev to the 7,500 redline and grab the next gear right in the meat of the powerband. The SL63 was touted for the wet clutch pack of its automatic transmission, replacing the traditional torque converter. However, the gear shifts felt slow, delayed and less connected to the driver when compared to the immediate and tactile feel of the California T gearbox. Downshifts in the SL63 had less passion and manual shift response (via paddles) was not as immediate or satisfying. It was better just driving in automatic mode. In my opinion, the quicker revving and noticeable difference in the feel/performance of the gearbox were the biggest advantages to the California T.

The SL63 was smooth and comfortable in a straight line and the steering had more weight than the California T, which was fine when cruising, but felt heavy and less precise when hitting curves. The SL63 is around 200 lbs. heavier with greater weight bias on the front end. This could be felt in the steering feel and response. It was more like “guiding” the SL63 through corners, rather than steering it. The steering feel of the California T, by comparison, was much more precise, communicative and responsive.

I never raced the California T against the SL63 (couldn’t talk my wife into in). On paper, the California T is quicker to 60 and through the quarter mile. I would say it feels quicker, although the difference occurs as the California T revs out a couple of gears, taking advantage of the closer spaced gearing, and overcomes the SL63’s torque advantage off the line.

The SL63 had its advantages. The stereo, navigation, climate control and parking assists are better. The SL63 has modern driver safety features absent in the California T, such as blind spot monitoring, collision monitoring and adaptive cruise control. The retractable wind visor is superior to the static wind visor (that must be installed and removed manually). I give the California T a better score for ergonomics, with more room leg, elbow and head room.

Overall, however, the California T was simply more enjoyable to drive. The engine character and response, fantastic gearbox, precise steering, more balanced weight distribution, etc. made the Ferrari feel lighter and more agile on its feet when compared to the SL63. And finally, the passion differential, while intangible, was nonetheless very real. It’s no surprise the SL63 left our garage a long time ago.

 

I’ll wrap up my California T experience with a recap of its reliability. At around 3-1/2 years of ownership, I can report that I’ve had no major issues. It seems the most frequent issues I’ve observed on FerrariChat relate to the DCT, retractable roof, and battery/electronic problems. I’ve encountered no such issues after 12,000+ miles. I have been very diligent keeping the car on the battery tender, especially if I haven’t driven for more than a couple days. I have encountered a few minor issues, detailed below.

1. 4,802 miles (first annual). There was a buzzing in one of the passenger-rear speakers. Ferrari of Houston determined that a bracket holding the tweeter was damaged, allowing the speaker to vibrate. The damage occurred when a different shop installed the K40 radar detector system. The bracket was repaired (not under warranty) with no further issue. Cost $247.50

2. 6,958 miles. The car was delivered with Bridgestone tires (all season, not run flats). One tire developed a “bubble” on the outside sidewall near the bead. The tires had also worn unusually quickly (in my opinion). I replaced all 4 with Pirelli PZeros. The ride and corning feel was amazingly better and the tires remain in good shape to this date. Cost $1,695.00

3. 9,654 miles (second annual). The front air dam was missing and was replaced. Not sure when/how it came off. Valet maybe? Cost $412.48.

4. 9,654 miles (second annual). The car has the Italian flag emblem on the trunk lid. Some loser tried (unsuccessfully) to pry the emblem off the car. The emblem was bowed up and bent (but didn’t come off) and had to be replaced. The bigger issue was that the loser used a pry bar, which left a “dimple” in the spoiler on the trunk hood. The paint wasn’t damaged, and the dimple wasn’t very noticeable. But once seen, it couldn’t be unseen. Ferrari was going to charge a lot to remove the dimple. Thankfully, my detailer had a good body specialist who did it for a lot less. Cost to replace emblem $542.41. Cost to remove dimple $150.00.

5. 9,654 miles (second annual)/11,835 miles (third annual)/12,780 miles. For some reason, the up/down steering column adjuster would jam, leaving the wheel in the most upward position (it would still adjust in/out). The first and second time this happened, the mechanism was unjammed by Ferrari of Houston. The first repair was made during the second annual maintenance and the second repair was made this past March at the third annual maintenance. Each time after being unjammed, the up/down adjustment worked for a while, but then jammed again after 4-6 months. When it happened the second time, I requested a more permanent solution (replacing the motor/mechanism), but was denied because “unjamming” the mechanism made it operable; thus, nothing to repair. The wheel doesn’t move very high, so even when in the “up” position, driving wasn’t horrible, but it was annoying. When it jammed the third time, I had moved to North Carolina and took the car to Foreign Cars Italia in Greensboro last month. To my relief, they replaced the steering column under warranty, which hopefully has solved the issue. Cost $0.

6. 11,835 miles (third annual). Had a rock chip on one wheel repaired. Cost $435.00

7. 12,780 miles. The rearview mirror is affixed to the windshield via a plastic tab that is glued to the windshield. A couple of months ago, the glue gave way and the mirror dropped, leaving it dangling by the electrical wires that connect into the mirror. Foreign Cars Italia reattached the mirror. While doing this, they inadvertently damaged the rain sensor, which required they replace the entire mirror assembly (which they did for no charge). Cost $0.

8. 12,780 miles. The middle-left AC duct came loose. Ferrari Cars Italia reattached it. $0 cost.

9. 12,780 miles. The glove compartment latch developed the “sticky” issue. Ferrari of Houston speculated that my car, being among the early California T builds, may have a latch from the old California (which apparently is the same, although without whatever treatment is now used to eliminate this issue). I don’t know whether this explanation is true, just sharing what I was told. None of the other switches appear to be developing any issues. Anyway, Foreign Cars Italia treated the latch with a “solution” provided by Ferrari that removed the stickiness. Cost $0.

I purchased a 2-year extension of the Ferrari factory warranty at the car’s 3-year anniversary this past March for $9,900, plus $570 for the extended warranty inspection. The issues that occurred at 12,780 miles were all covered by the extended warranty. Overall, aside from some minor issues (none serious), I’ve been satisfied with the reliability and service experience with the car.

 

Thanks Tom. I’ve enjoyed reading your posts on your California experiences. I relate to how you use your California for daily tasks. I also frequent the grocery and other retailers in mine. It is my daily driver preference!

 

Absolutely! My order is in with FCI. Expect a new Portofino delivery early/mid 2019. I guess that is what has motivated me to share my experience with the California T, before I say goodbye.

 

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I lived in Houston, TX at the time. Gulf Coast Auto Shield did the work on the California T. John Gray is the owner. Good guy. He is an XPEL PPF and Optimum Opti-Coat installer. Another quality detailed in Houston is Cavallo Auto Salon. Had them do my 488 with a full Suntek Ultra PPF and CQuartz Finest ceramic coating. Both shops do excellent work.