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Replacing the F430

The Ferrari California offered a number of firsts upon its debut in 2008. A retractible hardtop. A front-engine V8. A dual-clutch 7-speed transmission, for those seamless gear changes. And as a result of this transmission it presents at least one last: The last Ferrari to offer a manual gearbox. It’s a natural classic, all good looks and serious performance, and it’s got a foot in the present and the past.

The California is a “2+,” a two-door with what we’ll all agree to call two ass-holders in what we’ll all agree to call the “backseat.” Which puts it in the class of “grand tourer,” a fine distinction for a car that really does look like it just wants to get on the road and stay there. Oh, and you’re of course invited to come along.

With 2+ Seating, Hmm

Its link to the past is right there in the name — the California is so named for the 250 GTs that awed a 20th-century world in the late ’50s. You’ll remember the most famous dignitary of the 250 series as the car in the 1986 John Hughes classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” That was a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California, one of few than a hundred cars (as noted by Cameron). (The car in the movie was a replica, not an actual 250, because if it had been, Ferrari enthusiasts would have burned down Hollywood had Hughes actually destroyed one of the rare beauties.)

So the new series, which could just as easily have been called the “Utah” or the “Connecticut,” adopts the name of that 50-year-old classic and lays in all the new gadgetry of this, the modern era. Performance is turn-of-the-century, too: zero to 60 in a shade under four seconds, a top speed of 193 mph, and due to long hours in a wind tunnel, the most aerodynamic car Ferrari’s ever built.

It’s Not Just Nice

But anyway yes the new California gets its name from those cars of yore, and while it’s sure a fine product from those Italian fellows, it seems to have gotten a lot of gossip about being a “nice” car. Pretty but not exotic, and with a rear end that offends some, it’s clear that the new California has a mellow side that its cousins do not.

And this is partly in the design — a car that can do many things well, and most of them better than almost every other car on the road. So while it’s a bit peculiar for a Ferrari, it’s still a breathtaking machine when compared to … gosh, anything with a backseat. Just make sure you call shotgun at least once.

Want to find out more about Mark Cella, then visit Mark Cella’s site on for a variety of humor and serious topics Mark Cella.

Ferrari F430 – Good Bye!

The great thing about when Ferrari offers a number of different versions of a given series is that you’re choosing your own kind of Best. Look at the F430. This car was in production five years, 2004-2009, and spawned a host of flavors, and I’d say even now, after all the stats and numbers are in, which one is actually the best comes down to delightful decisions like: Do you like having the wind in your hair? and Do you want to go faster than just fast?

The F430 has settled comfortably into what will most likely be a very respectable legacy. It succeeded the 360 and, in time, had to step aside to make way for the 458 Italia, in the manner of all great families. But during its reign it did many fine things. It carried its V8 with pride. It spawned a convertible Spider version as well as a coupe. It preserved the DNA of its bloodline — tail lights and intakes all bearing the design marks of Ferraris of yore. It was true to its roots.

Ferrari F430 – Scuderia

And when it had to face other royal families — the Porches and the Lamborghinis — it adapted, too. The 430 Scuderia appeared on the scene, a lighter, faster supercar which pushed the top speeds up to nearly 200 mph. It proved to be enough to keep the family proud.

And it fulfilled its duties well. Even when the convertible had to add weight and adjust balance to store the roof, still it runs nearly as fast as the hardtop. And the computer takes care of a lot for you, after you choose which setting you want on one of the F430′s newest adaptations — the manettino control knob, mounted on the steering wheel. Even after you’ve chosen your model, still you get different flavors.

Ferrari F430 – Mid Engine

But it’s the classic stuff that still tastes best. The rear mid-engine, thundering under glass right behind your head as you take it up to really close to 200 mph, it’s as refined and capable as ever — no matter where you switch the knob to. It’s all familiar to Ferrari and Ferrari’s people, and that’s what makes the taste of the new stuff sweeter. It’s evolution.

We’re still always talking about a new variety of Best though — let’s be honest. There are people for whom the 360 and the 430 and the 458 are all very different, and comparisons are maybe inexcusable. But the point is that the primary purpose of a royal family, like that of any organism, is to make sure there’s a next generation. You’re around so that you can pass that DNA on, take the tail lights and vents and hold them until its time to give them up. And so it makes it all the more important to enjoy the machine you’ve got, while it speeds toward its succession.

Want to find out more about Mark Cella, then visit Mark Cella’s site on for a variety of humor and serious topics Mark Cella.

Ferrari F430 0-60 in 4 Seconds

On a pretty regular basis, Ferrari makes its new Best Car Ever. Right now there’s maybe some debate over which one this is, but one of the candidates is the F430. It’s been around since 2004 since it can be properly called “venerable,” even if the coming of the 458 Italia has in some ways outshone the 430.

Rest assured it is the Best Car Ever. It followed the 360, considered still by many the Best Car Ever too. Really it’s all in what you want. The F430 is a beautiful machine, almost friendly-looking in a way that the 458 Italia really isn’t. The F430 carries a lot of DNA from previous Best Car Evers. The tail lights and vents, the racing profile of its low front-end. The V8! The fact that it comes in a variety of flavors, convertible and coupe, fast and faster. Best and bester.

Ferrari F430 Improvement

It’s a matter of taste and choice, which you won’t necessarily get with some of Ferraris more exotic exotics. Your basic F430 will run 0-60 in four seconds and reach top speeds of 193 mph or more. “More” if your F430 of choice is the Scuderia, which is lighter and faster and meant to run against the really super supercars. At some point, as you see, adjectives start becoming meaningless.

Suffice to say the F430 takes care of a lot of the thinking for you, so you can sit back and drive. From steering to brakes to engine and handling, you’ve got choices, but once they’re made (“race” or “sport?”), leave it to the car. If you choose the Spider convertible, bear in mind that because there’s no roof, the frame is reinforced with strengthening bars and so on, and all the weight scotches its handling a touch. Still, it’s nearly as fast as the hardtop.

Ferrari F430 510bHp

The engine sits behind the driver, under glass. It’s a refined way to drive, a loud vibrating ham of a motor that roars behind your head and can be seen to vibrate as you take it up to speed. All these wonderful qualities can be broadly defined as “familiar.” From the 360 to the F430 and on to the really excellent 458, you’re always talking about the Best Car ever.

There’s always something new under the sun. It’s always fast, often red, and sometimes has no top. Its name changes, and it improves, but it’s always the Best. It’s evolution we’re talking about here, and to ask which is the best of the Best Ferrari is to ask which animal is the best. You sort of have to pick the one you like, because it’s here now. But always moving.

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