Chris Harris on Cars - Ferrari California T Road Test

It's supposedly the slow, rubbish Ferrari - but they went and made it un-slow and un-rubbish. Spoilsports.

[@alexanderyoung8628]

I've seen a couple of these in the metal, and pictures just can't quite capture it. In my eyes, it's one of the most beautiful Ferrari's ever.

[@bigmotor3845]

Alexander Young Agreed I was surprised how good it looked in person too

[@hakonhelgesen7659]

It looks like the 1960s Fiat Dino. Just as it should.

[@dragospahontu]

@@hakonhelgesen7659 the TVR tamora ia a great car

[@KUROSHURA]

It really is. I slept on it for a while until I use to see a white one on my way to work. It’s quite handsome on the metal and I am even more surprised to find out that it actually had the elegant lines and styling of the F12 Touring Superleggera

[@1958plymouth440V8]

Good thing about the last California - they sold it with a manual. And they sold exactly 2.

[@EVILSPAWN1003]

Which in 50 years will probably be worth a gazillion dollars.....

[@fatgirlboy9341]

@@EVILSPAWN1003 in 50 years one will either be dead and don’t care or very rich since you can already own a Ferrari now

[@AndorRadnai]

@@EVILSPAWN1003 They most likely are already… Which is bad. Good thing is, there is a surefire way to swap a manual into one if you are as unhinged as I am! Lovely, isn’t it?

[@greek2mee]

I recently bought my first Ferrari and it is a 2010 California in TDF Blue. The Cali in the blue color shows its beautiful lines and is a real looker. I still cannot get rid of the smile on my face from my first drive. James's review on @JayEmmOnCars is spot on about the California and is more in line with what most people now think about the Gen 1 California...it is a great car! Although the Cali T reviewed here has some merits to some upgrades, IMO and others, it does not compare to the naturally aspirated V8 of the Gen 1 California. I think Chris' comments about the California in this video are unwarranted.

[@helenbaker1117]

Completely agree

[@rfpropertyholdingsllc6652]

I feel the same and I have the first Gen as well. I love that rpm is all the way till 8,000

[@Sup3r6f0ur]

The California is a great fucking car... Probably the best front engine, rear-wheel drive hardtop on the market. And its a great everyday driver if you don't live where it snows....

[@Jokikiolu]

💯

[@mugsyjeff]

Well, the lady on 5th Gear, couldn't stop smiling while taking the earlier model California for a test drive.

[@slowspecv69]

Jeff Heriot cuz it’s a pussy car lmao

[@jkeaton1513]

Harris is FOS. Everyone but him gave the original CA great reviews and even the only thing negative he said about it in his original review at the time was it wasn't quite "exciting" enough. He just talks shit about the original in this vid to make it more interesting. He's a carnival barker.

[@the-boring-car-guy]

I must say the original California had a wonderful engine once you put the correct exhaust on it

[@dragospahontu]

Nah

[@the-boring-car-guy]

Noone asked you

[@dragospahontu]

@@the-boring-car-guy xd?

[@khawks92]

I agree, the original sounded better ten fold. I imagine it would sound amazing with a straight pipe setup.

[@wfarrahi]

That's because it was the same 4.3 in the F430. And does sound menacing with exhaust or straight pipe

[@timbcodes]

I love my 2012 California. I daily it with zero issues. It's a Ferrari you can actually live with.

[@SlowSpyder]

Are the transmissions ok in your opinion? I hear they all fail every 7-10 years due to failing seals. Just internet rumors I'm hearing, but... thoughts?

[@timbcodes]

@@SlowSpyder I haven't experienced any transmission seals failing yet. The only think I really deal with is the car eats tires, and it's hard on braking components, but that's probably related to how I drive it.

[@SlowSpyder]

@@timbcodes Thanks, appreciate your thoughts. Enjoy the car. :)

[@marionharris5952]

How much is a transmission replacement? Like 40k?

[@Davidkaisermusic]

7:15 Creeper behind the guard rail

[@JKevolution]

7:20 topgear spies try to understand how chris harris can be the best tester on the web by far ahahah

[@philiphudgens4726]

No that's just Richard Hammond standing right next to the 3ft barrier trying to see over it!

[@carlos64030]

Gotta love the 'Photobomb' from the guy sticking his head up from behind the guardrail starting at the 7:13 mark. LOL!!!

[@erikig]

That’s the videographer shooting the rear angle 😂

[@ThisIsMTH]

Chris' last sentence sums it up for me. I'd always have the 458, but I admire the 'T' greatly.

[@stefanfrittiert1038]

Hi Chris, you say the front looks looks copied from the F Type, I'd say it looks similar to the 612 Scaglietti what you think?

[@helenbaker1117]

I loved the stacked tail pipes on the old California !!!

[@johnnewchannel6505]

7:22 head in the guardrail

[@MaCe19]

car throttle hahahahahaha

[@Bashirbros]

You should do a comparison of the f-type R and the California T. I would love to see how they stack up against each other

[@hyperlogos]

This is the one I would have, I must be getting old. Still lust after the F40 every time a video pops up obviously

[@foxhounduk2k8]

He predicted 488 gtb will be turbocharged. 6:30. what a legend.

[@tobydstreet]

@7:20 Epic video bomb!

[@creativeplanet2820]

at 7:20 a little alien occurs shit *-* dayum

[@horsepower523]

What an awesome and beautiful car. Love it!

[@lewis7987]

i miss these reviews so bad

[@wfarrahi]

You can get it to behave like a Naturally Aspirated engine, but doesn't come close to sounding as good as the screaming N/A 4.3 in original California

[@BucketWheat]

I DEFINITELY WANT ONE! I am not looking to go racing with Lambos and McClarens... I just want a Road Car that I can Deeply enjoy on mountain roads, or for Summer Traveling!

[@carlitoxb110]

Mercedez AMG gts can make that job for less money, and you can actually drive it without worrying about how many miles you do and if you want a convertible the jaguar f type is just as good or better than this and is cheaper as well

[@Chris-nn2fx]

Floyd Burdett I want a Cali T to!!

[@Chris-nn2fx]

Carlitox b No the AMG GTS sounds horrible

[@MGA19a]

... yep sure it does ... as a Mazda MX5 can do it ... but ... it's not a Ferrari :-)))

[@BucketWheat]

I can't even SIT in an MX5 comfortably...much less enjoy an entire weekend of playing on mountain roads! They are pretty cars, and a LOT of folks enjoy them in the mountains... But there is a HUGE difference in driving an MX5 with 155 HP and a Ferrari with 552 HP..!! ((-:

[@aminotech777]

What was good about the first California ? 1-production line produced 27 cars per day, or 6,000 per year. 2-its a high CLASS daily use car.

[@amumia]

Please share the California T tech video.

[@benoram6696]

Love the tire slayer t shirt! 👍 repping hoonigan!

[@boom1shot]

WHERE'S THE FUCKING TECH VID CHRIS FUCKING HELL MAN

[@ThePlofadi]

The ferrari grill grins just like the driver :D

[@yesssirrskiii5925]

Chris Harris will always be an icon to me

[@mrmistercharles]

Man's head on armco at 7:22

[@B835605B]

I see it too, it's weird ! maybe a camera guy ?

[@tdodge29]

Erm, wasn't the first Ferrari California built in the 50s and highly sought after?

[@chriskubas2120]

Thank you CHRIS HARRIS for this video. And keeping the price of the California Down. I now own one and can tell you it’s the BEST KEPT SECRET IN THE CAR WORLD. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. MR CHRIS HARRIS. Where can I send you a nice bottle of wine for making this car so affordable for guys like me.

[@chich71]

Its got the classic round ferrari tail lights and then they go and spoil it by putting the brake lights down lower on the bumper! why??

[@TheDantheman887]

is the bmw z4 is bmw's version of the california? is the mx5, mazda's? the side views are so similar.

[@chasevineland1508]

Love Chris Harris but I think he's off on this video. A bit manic and unfair and inconsistent and a tad idiotic. It's a GT and a convertible duh!

[@ege5804]

I think it looks stunning . Specially with this color .

[@overcastfriday81]

@2:58 Only the very best engineers can take a turbocharged motor and make it behave like a turbocharged motor. Wow -- very impressive!

[@senseiturtle]

This review aged like milk. California owners LOVE their cars with a frankly infectious passion, and theyre still on the road with 20, 30, or even 50 thousand miles. It might not be a fire breathing psychopath, but it was definitely a success

[@albertorodriguezfernandez5956]

The California T is awesome, and the California was also quite good too. And reliable. There are Ferrari Californias out there with 100k miles, daily drivers. The engineering behind the California, the intention with the model, was to make a convertible GT car, not a pure racer. And you can tell they make a big contender to the Mercedes SL or the BMW 6 series. Harris very often forgets that Ferraris were not always that fast. And then later, he buys a Ferrari Mondial, one of the SLOWEST ferraris ever, one of the Ferraris with less quality, and makes praise about it.

[@lackylol]

what is the music at the start with the violin

[@BanditTheBandito]

play it from 7:17 lolololol

[@usmanraj222]

I know! There is a head popping out!

[@wagbagsag]

well the other funny part is that you don't really need to watch the first part of the vid because after 7:17 he basically says it all

[@yves2075]

wagbagsag Agreed, the real review starts around 7:00. As for the popping head. This is apparently open, public road, and the driving is borderline. Harris has buddies to warn him of incoming traffic. That's the popping head. So it's to Harris' credit, certainly. Can you get away with drifting across solid white lines in curves in a hill with reduced visibility in Italy... Dunno. Pure theories here: 1. Testing a Ferrari is more like a patriotic thing in Italy so foreigners feel Okay... but; 2. Ferrari isn't happy about the public image. It is understood that Harris is a heck of a good pilot, and takes precautions. That being understood, how correct is all that.

[@bxvbffff]

that guy is taking a dump

[@LegendTheAnonymous]

Dayum. Nice camper.

[@darek4488]

7:13 Someone's stalking you Chris :D

[@sf98321]

Does anyone know the name of the song used through out the review? I really liked it and was wondering what it's called and whether I could find it.

[@spursblood1]

+Sam Foster Darude - Sandstorm

[@Philmoscowitz]

At 7:15 if you look closely, you can see a guy in the field taking a dump. Just thought I'd point that out for your viewing pleasure.

[@1mbA4ever]

Is it just me or did Ferraris get further and further away from the aggressive superhypermegacars and go towards a more "user friendly" concept? When I think about Ferrari, I see a F40 or a 458. The F12 looks to me more like a jaguar/aston competitor than a mclaren/Lambo competitor where I initially put Ferrari.

[@carlitoxb110]

Ferrari has always had a GT car as their flagship 550 , 368GTB, 575 M, 599 GTB F12, There's always been that cruiser sport car, the proper Ferrari is a Very aggressive GT car with a V12 engine in the front-middle to make long distance travels, that's what the legendary 250 GTO was

[@sugarnads]

Theyve always had an expansive range.

[@ucebuflash]

That guy at 7:17 was me. I was wiping the winnets off my gruffnuts at the time...

[@271production]

That car in that colour is absolutely stunning

[@euanbegbie]

tech vid please!

[@GlassTopRX7]

Double the displacement in liters is pretty normal output for a boosted engine. The engine isn't that small either 3.9 from them should be making 487 hp NA.

[@alexserrano2850]

I gotta say I'd still take the SL 63. Incredibly overlooked car, probably because of its non flashy looks. But that's what I precisely like about it, and I think it looks so gorgeous and elegant.

[@tucker9162]

Why are the brake lights down at the bottom on the bumper, instead of in the round lights at the top like they are on all other fezzers?

[@steve0504]

U.S. law. I brake lights on movable parts… lame

[@shindong]

Cool T-shirt man~

[@INDIGOBLUE555]

I agree with most of comments about the California actually being a daydriver instead of a true sport car.May be a Cali isn't the right choice for trackdays but it wasn't meant to be.Neither it was styled to be a headturner,instead it was conceived as a sporty yet elegant and sober convertible and a practical commuter at some extent.

[@rigobertojr.morfin1819]

lol! The guy in the background at 7:13 reminds me of the bill clinton memes.

[@BiGtaiLfiSh]

Does anyone know the name of the melody used in this video? Thank you so much

[@pierfrancescodemartino4869]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYbPl2yCitOVaZY

[@mypinis]

I don't mind turbo lag coming to an abrupt end, just saying. 😎

[@macaron3141592653]

I have to disagree with Chris Harris's reasoning at. The Ferrari v8 is a great engine to turbocharge because it sounds so good, it couldn't possibly sound bad.

[@rousseau327]

Yet the turbocharged engine in this California sounds nowhere near as good as their NA engines.

[@Snakebloke]

ewt415 Unfortunately this is true; but it still sounds better than 99% of the world's other cars.

[@BGcontentproduction]

who is that in the background at 7:21? XD

[@Wheelnut78]

Rear end looks better but not convinced on the front. Would't consider any California tho even if I had the money.

[@colinsmith1176]

Chris, how tall are you, if you don't mind me asking? It looks like the driver sits pretty low in the car, yes? The doors are above your shoulders and the back seats look like they're above your eyes. When you turn your head around, do the back seats block your line of sight?

[@deadmarch101]

he said hes 5"7 in one of his other videos

[@colinsmith1176]

deadmarch101 Huh, that's not that short. Thanks.

[@mrackelito1]

Chris, come to Sweden and test the Agera R please, i would love to see that and im very sure Koenigsegg would say yes! Atleast ask them mate

[@AlexCluster]

4:32 WHAT a moment. That music. Gorgeous.

[@YazeedAlshaalan]

Incredible. I need the name of that music.

[@bushwood1676]

I like the one in Ferris Buellers day off

[@carlosjuliobriceno6176]

what song is that at 4:27

[@ekanshgupta6837]

hey whats the instrumental track which has been used??

[@mindmoto21]

+ekansh gupta Opeth - Pale Communion

[@once2008]

I think this still competes with the Porsche boxter s .

[@CrazyIrishCarl]

Don't agree the prior California was far better looking because no other Ferrari looked like it. This one looks like prior Ferrari's like the 550 Maranello

[@kilimandar]

m4 hard top conv?

[@yaaboobaay]

4:26 name of music please

[@es3502012]

Chris, the old one does look better..

[@jtafoya88]

It is the best thing out there in the segment with second place being the Bentley Continental GT speed. Source: car and driver

[@korinakorinnaa2521]

i lke the california :-)

[@henryviii6341]

hate flappy paddles. Proper Ferraris must have the classic open H box manual. the seats look WideBoy ish.

[@meekrab9027]

Anyone know the piece of music played at 4:35?

[@pierfrancescodemartino4869]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYbPl2yCitOVaZY

[@eoghanhennessy15]

can i just ask why they are trying to make them feel non-turbo? I can understand the benefit of a linear power band but what about the drama and the character of the engine?

[@FeintMotion]

Drama and character is what gets old men killed on weekends.

[@eoghanhennessy15]

PulletSurprise Drama and Character is what wrecks Ferraris at open track days

[@SenszR]

***** These cars hardly get driven fast.

[@eoghanhennessy15]

SenszR i've seen a 612 get totalled at yas island marina curcuit... then again, ferraris are everywhere in abu dhabi

[@SenszR]

Indeed, Ferrari keeps its pride in its racing heritage regardless of its clientele. Ferrari tries to replicate their N/A engine feel because they are not switching to turbo by choice but by pressure from regulations. They would rather make the cars feel as if they were still naturally aspirated.

[@TheKincognito]

Hahaha The hate on the old California xD

[@vika0194]

7:39 i hate that the braking lights are the small lights underneath the round lights. the round lights should be the braking lights.......

[@probono3284]

They are everywhere except the US - it’s only because of stupid US laws they couldn’t use the proper brake lights.

[@vika0194]

Pro Bono Not true. The braking lights are at that position all over the world

[@tonimaroni81]

The Guy in the back at 7:20 😂

[@jamietherooster]

hahaha " a reverse Lesley Ash" thats the beauty of working for yourself. you can say what you like.

[@shamwow70]

So the best drive+ content is free on this channel, while drive+ is still charging for this video.

[@FoiledByFame]

In my mind, the video didn't start until 4:26; Less talk, more drive! ;-)

[@RR-fc2ie]

The first california was released in 2008. Not 2009 as you have said The turbo is no way as good. The 30 was the better car

[@slabsides1]

You need to put the California T in a head to heat with the new MB AMG SL GT.

[@TheGreatIndoors1979]

2:57: "...and that's what all the engineering's about - they tried to take a turbo-charged motor and make it behave, and feel, and respond, and sound like a turbo-charged engine." And to think that some have accused Ferrari for being too traditional.

[@BYSMA4th]

Although I have driven neither, I can't see a reason to buy this over an Audi R8 (Spider, if you want a convertible) for any reason other than a fancy shmansy Ferrari badge. For similar money you could also buy a 911 Turbo if you want ultimate performance or a AM V8 Vantage if you want ultimate sexiness. And of course you just want a fast GT with a metal roof why not go for the MB SL65 AMG? The Ferrari really doesn't have much going for it in this segment.

[@enigmaPL]

Targa-top Supra is all you ever need. :)

[@thomassosa65]

A reverse Leslie Ash. You kills me....

[@roshangomez]

Two round spot lights in the grille to wipe out that weird smile might make it look better IMHO.

[@prashanthpanicker2890]

Roshan Gomez I like the way you think! Make it like another great California. Grill fog lights would look absolutely gorgeous in yellow but unfortunately I think pedestrian safety regulations would mean that it wouldn't happen. carstrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ferrari-250-gt-california-Red.jpg

[@chrisduff1497]

*****

[@Joecollazogaming_etc]

People say get a 911 turbo s cabriolet forget about the California T's faster shift response, hardtop, way better looks and adjustable dampers. Also the California doesn't get the recognition it deserves, first ferrari hardtop. First ferrari to use the 7-speed getrac DCT, first ferrari front engine V8 and now the first turbocharged ferrari in nearly 30 years. So while the California hasn't done anything big outside of the company remember that the laferrari, f12 and 458 all use the gear box from the California and in the future all ferrari engines are supposed turbocharged or equipped with a hybrid system.

[@lkzn]

You don't sound very enthusiastic about it. Being better than the older model, doesn't necessarily means its good. It will be fun to compare it to the Turbo S cabriolet. Both turbo's, both 2+2, both are 560hp... Nice review though

[@pault2148]

The first Ferrari California? You mean the 1960?

[@itube0047]

It really looks good, but only in person.

[@tungle991]

soundtrack?

[@mindmoto21]

+Tung Le Opeth - Pale Communion

[@thegirthquake8574]

I uh... actually liked the first gen...

[@DennisBerkhout1]

Definitely a big improvement on the 2009 California, but I disagree with Chris on the comparison with the Mercedes. The SL isn't really a looker, but that is a much better car. The Merc is on a much higher level of luxery. It's more relaxing than the Ferrari, and that's what I'd look for in this segment. Sure, the Ferrari is more exciting, but the AMG powered roadster runs it close enough for me to level both cars out on that front. I would buy a Mercedes SL63 AMG over anything else in this market place. Hopefully the upcoming facelift of the Mercedes SL will improve the looks.

[@junkim4400]

you mean not sound like an turbocharged engine?

[@spencer.kissack.the.author]

Wish the f1 section would wake up

[@1997TL1000]

Chris! At 7:17 there is a pervert watching you slide your bottom around the corner! Filthy, filthy man! Slow motion porn absolutely ruined by his bulbous head stick out above the Armco! Shame on him! Lol! Otherwise great video as always.

[@andreameucci7857]

Pure filofofy.

[@austinlam5480]

I don’t agree with it. The original Cal V8 NA sounds much much better than Cal T 😅. The original Cal looks more stylish too.

[@steve0504]

YES!!!!!!