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California T. T for...?
Turbo. But you knew that, because the idea of turbos on a Ferrari engine is such a revolution that there's been an avalanche of advance hype and uninformed opinion. How would a Ferrari be if it had to do without sky-high revs, scalpel-sharp throttle response and an unmuffled scream?
So what's your opinion, informed as it now is by a drive?
That a turbo engine is just about right for a car like the California, a fast suave effortless GT.
Any old turbo engine?
Nope. Ferrari has done some clever stuff. And it does meet the aims above: little lag, nice noise, and torque that rises with revs.
How they do that?
It's an all-new 3,855cc V8 of a stonking 560bhp, power that's enough to see off that pesky AMG SL63. The engine is nothing to do with the Maserati Quattroporte's unit by the way. It's extremely compact, and tucks its turbos low down on the outboard side of each bank. They use normal anti-lag techniques: they're small, they are twin-scroll units, and the engine itself is direct injection with variable cam timing.
To make sure the thing sounds right, it has a pair of insanely complex (read: expensive) exhaust manifolds that look like a nest of vipers. This keeps each tract the same length, and from that issues sweet harmonics.
And as for the torque business, well the engine is capable of 557lb ft in seventh gear, over a range of 2500-5500rpm. But in first, second and third, the torque is limited at low revs to about 410lb ft, and then rises towards a peak at 6000 - just like a normally aspirated engine. (The curves for fourth, fifth and sixth are progressively more like the one for seventh). This sounded a bit silly to me at first - why limit the performance of an engine with a rampant horse on the red-painted heads?
So er, why?
Well, when you drive it, things become clear. For a start, lag is inconsequential at anywhere above 2500rpm. When you go peacefully in the upper gears, the things works like a normal turbo engine. You just surf along relaxedly on a wave of torque. And save gallons of fuel. But when you drop gears and drive with a bit of passion, you have to concentrate, use the right gear, and use the throttle with determination. Then you get that lovely feeling of more and more urge coming as the needle passes each notch on the rev-counter's circumference.
Still, sounds like a bit of an artificial game
Well yes, but driving is artificial innit? It's called character. If you want instant, silent, level torque, go drive an electric car. The other thing is, with torque limited in the lower gears, it's much easier to meter out the effort at the rear wheels. Anyone who's driven an AMG SL will be very familiar with the blinking of the traction light. Or the eye-widening jolt of sudden oversteer if you switch it out. In the Cali T, things are easier to control. But still, if you travel to 7500rpm, its blisteringly rapid. Ferrari says it'll do 0-62 in 3.6 seconds, and 0-125 in 11.2. Which from where I sit is both entirely believable and very much not hanging about.
And the sound?
Well the variety of sound effects isn't as wide as Ferrari's NA V8's, but it has a fruity and musical quality. And the fact it's quieter isn't at all a bad thing in what's supposed to be an everyday GT car. It does a bit of a cackle on gearshifts in sport mode. But in the end I wanted more vocals when I was really going for it.
This is a Ferrari. If I wondered before about the turbo engine, I was never worried about the chassis
Written By:- Paul Horrell
More of this article on the Top gear website
