The two very similar promotional films shown below of the Ferrari California and the Alfa 8C Spider reminded me that they are quite similar cars. Both cars are similarly priced (ignoring that the Alfa is a limited edition and all are probably sold), have V8 engines that produce around 450bhp and have open tops.
However both have quite different roles within their brands. The Alfa was conceived as a halo model, designed to show the future design language of Alfa Romeo, now seen in the Mito and forthcoming Milano.
The California however is designed to bring the Ferrari brand to a wider audience. It is probably the first Ferrari that you could conceivably think about driving every day (except possibly for the Mondial), the twin clutch gearbox and the direct injection engine's almost reasonable fuel consumption assisting there.
For me the Alfa doesn't quite achieve it's goal. It does look absolutely gorgeous but the price tag is so far removed from the rest of the range it doesn't make sense. Also being delivered direct from the importer and serviced by Maserati dealers it's not exactly going to going to generate showroom traffic. I can't help thinking that Alfa would have been better of fitting the 8C with a steel or GRP body rather than it's expensive carbon fibre one, a tweaked version of the Alfa V6 for say 300bhp, and charging £40-50,000. I reckon with that they would have had a true Halo model that they could have sold as many as they could have made. I know at least one dealer who agrees with me on this.
It's probably to early to tell if the California will be a success but, the press seem to like it and the styling whilst not a patch on the Alfa's is certainly growing on me (it looks better in the metal than in photos). It does seems a little expensive next to it's other natural rivals the Aston DB9 Volante and Mercedes SL63 AMG, however it is a much newer design, which for the next few years at least will be more distinctive than its over familiar rivals and is probably a more involved drive. As a Ferrari enthusiat I can also be thankful that the California has allowed Ferrari to make the stock 458 a more hardcore driving machine.
I'm hoping to accompany an owner on a factory collection of a new California in November so I will be able to give more detailed opinions then.
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