Ferrari California
2008–2014 · Ferrari California — Grand Tourer, V8, designed by Pininfarina.
The Story
When Ferrari unveiled the California in 2008, it broke more of the company’s own rules in one car than almost any model before it. It was Ferrari’s first front-engined V8, its first car with a folding metal hardtop, and its first with a seven-speed dual-clutch (DCT) gearbox — plus the first Ferrari with multi-link rear suspension and direct petrol injection. The 4.3L F136 IB V8 made 460 PS, wrapped in a 2+2 convertible body designed by Pininfarina. The name was no accident: it revived the late-1950s 250 GT California Spyder, the open Ferrari conceived for sun-soaked American buyers by US importer Luigi Chinetti.
The California was, openly, the ‘entry-level’ Ferrari — the most accessible way into the marque, and that was the point. It was built to broaden the brand: a usable, civilised GT you could drive every day with the roof folded into the boot. That ambition is exactly what made it divisive. Purists sneered it was too soft, too heavy, the ‘fake Ferrari’ you bought because you couldn’t afford a real one, and even testers who loved its engine and gearbox admitted it didn’t always sparkle the way a Prancing Horse should.
History has been kinder. The California broadened Ferrari’s reach dramatically and proved the template for everything that followed in its segment — the California T, then the Portofino and Portofino M. Its folding-roof, front-V8, dual-clutch formula is now simply how Ferrari builds its convertible GT. Today it stands as the cheapest doorway into a modern V8 Ferrari, which is precisely why it matters.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Pininfarina
Italy’s most storied carrozzeria and Ferrari’s principal design house 1952–~2012. Used as the credit where no individual stylist is documented (esp. 1950s GTs designed collectively in-house).
Studio Motors POV
The California spent years dismissed as the ‘lesser’ Ferrari, but that misses the point entirely — it was a deliberate, brilliantly executed bet on accessibility, and its front-V8, folding-roof, dual-clutch formula quietly became the blueprint for every Ferrari GT that followed. As the cheapest ticket into a modern V8 Ferrari, it’s now one of the smartest-value Prancing Horses you can buy.
The Engine
Ferrari F136 V8
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About California
Worth Knowing About the California
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- • It racked up a remarkable list of Ferrari 'firsts' in a single car: first front-engined V8, first folding metal hardtop, first dual-clutch gearbox — plus first multi-link rear suspension and first direct fuel injection.
- • You could order it with a gated six-speed manual, but almost nobody did — across the entire modern California run only 3 cars were ever built with a manual, making it the last new Ferrari model line offered with a manual gearbox (the very last manual Ferrari was the 599 GTB).
- • The 2012 'California 30' facelift did exactly what its name says: ~30 kg lighter and ~30 hp more (up to ~490 PS), with an optional Handling Speciale pack (MagneRide dampers, stiffer springs, quicker rack) to answer the 'too soft' critics.
5 Fast Facts
- • 460 PS (~454 hp) from a 4.3L F136 IB NA V8 @ 7,750 rpm.
- • Top speed 310 km/h (193 mph); 0–100 km/h in ~4.0 s.
- • First Ferrari with a seven-speed dual-clutch (DCT) gearbox.
- • Name revives the late-1950s 250 GT California Spyder; styling by Pininfarina.
- • Total production of all California variants reached 17,349 cars (2008–2017).
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
None verified. Widely-circulated celebrity-owner claims (Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton) trace only to listicle/aggregator sites without primary documentation; the one concrete Lohan news event involved a Porsche, not a California → EXCLUDED. (Documented owners of the later, turbocharged California T are out of scope for this NA car.)
Studio Buyer’s Brief
The cheapest way into a modern front-V8 Ferrari, and genuinely usable — a real GT with a folding metal roof, useable rear bench and a sublime atmospheric V8. The collector’s prize is the ultra-rare gated manual (only 3 built) — a unicorn. Otherwise the 2012-on ‘California 30’ is the one to chase (lighter, more powerful, available with the Handling Speciale pack that sharpens the soft-ish early cars). KEY FAULT: early (pre-2012) cars suffer the DCT ‘brittle tie-wrap’ wiring failure from inadequate cooling — a when-not-if issue that can mean a several-thousand-pound strip-down. Also check folding-roof alignment, rattly LED headlights, sticky switchgear and carbon-ceramic brake costs. Buy on history and a sorted gearbox and it’s a usable Ferrari bargain.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Ferrari California
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 2008–2014
- Units built
- ~8,000 (NA model est.; F149 all variants ~17,349)
- Variants
- California 30 (lightweight update)
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- V8
- Engine family
- Ferrari F136 V8
- Displacement
- 4297 cc (4.3 L)
- Power
- 453 hp
- Torque
- 357 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 3.9 s
- Top speed
- 193 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 278 hp/tonne · 7.9 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 7-speed dual-clutch (DCT) — first Ferrari DCT
- Drivetrain
- RWD · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 3594 lb
Questions
California FAQ
What are the Ferrari California’s key specifications?
The California uses a front-mounted 4.3-litre naturally aspirated V8 (F136 IB) producing 453 hp (460 PS) at 7,750 rpm, paired with Ferrari’s first-ever 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. A folding metal hardtop — the first on any Ferrari production car — converts between closed coupe and open convertible, with 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds and a 193 mph (310 km/h) top speed.
Was the Ferrari California the first Ferrari with a front-engine V8?
Yes. All prior Ferrari production road cars powered by a V8 — from the 308 GTB of 1975 through the F430 of 2009 — mounted the engine in a mid-engine layout behind the driver. The California, launched in 2008, was the first Ferrari road car to place a V8 in the front, a configuration chosen to create a 2+2 convertible platform distinct from the mid-engine berlinetta line.
Why is the Ferrari California named California?
The name revives one of Ferrari’s most celebrated historical models: the 250 GT California Spider, produced from 1957 to 1963 in long-wheelbase and short-wheelbase forms. The original California Spider was designed specifically for the American market and is now among the most valuable Ferraris at auction, giving the modern California an evocative link to that open-air grand touring tradition.
What is a Ferrari California worth today?
Hagerty’s valuation data places the Ferrari California between approximately 70,000 and 110,000 dollars for well-maintained examples, making it one of the more accessible modern Ferraris on the collector market. Values stabilised after an initial period of sharp post-purchase depreciation that affected early examples.
Can you source a Ferrari California through Studio Motors?
Yes. The California offers a rare combination of front-engine V8 performance, four-seat capacity, and a folding metal hardtop unique in the Ferrari range.
The Ferrari Lineup
Explore every Ferrari
250 Europa / Europa GT ’53250 GT Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (TdF) ’56250 GT Coupe 'Boano' / 'Ellena' ’56250 Testa Rossa (TR) ’57250 GT California Spider LWB ’57250 GT Cabriolet ’57250 GT Coupe (Pininfarina) ’58250 GT Berlinetta SWB ’59250 GT Berlinetta 'Interim' ’59
250 GT California Spider SWB ’60250 GTE 2+2 ’60250 GTO ’62250 GT Lusso (GT/L) ’62330 America ’63275 GTB ’64365 GTB/4 Daytona ’68Dino 246 GT ’69
365 GT4 BB / 512 BB ’73308 GTB / GTS ’75
288 GTO ’84Testarossa ’84328 GTB / GTS ’85F40 ’87348 ’89
F355 ’94F50 ’95550 Maranello ’96360 Modena ’99
575M Maranello ’02Enzo ’02360 Challenge Stradale ’03612 Scaglietti ’04F430 ’04599 GTB Fiorano ’06430 Scuderia ’07California ’08458 Italia ’09
599 GTO ’10F12berlinetta ’12LaFerrari ’13458 Speciale ’13F12tdf ’15488 GTB ’15GTC4Lusso ’16812 Superfast ’17Portofino M ’17488 Pista ’18Monza SP1 / SP2 ’18F8 Tributo ’19SF90 Stradale ’19Roma ’19
812 Competizione ’21296 GTB ’21Purosangue ’22Daytona SP3 ’22SF90 XX Stradale ’2312Cilindri ’24F80 ’24296 Speciale ’25
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