For daily driving, a Ferrari sports car is a bit of a drag. The California -- a GT, which is to say, a long-distance touring car -- is calibrated to a much more humane and realistic standard. (Dan Neil / Los Angeles Times)
Thanks to its retractable hardtop, 2+2 seating and slew of cosseting conveniences (power seats, power tilt steering), the Ferrari California bends the scales at nearly 2 tons. (Dan Neil / Los Angeles Times)
The seven-speed dual-clutch semi-automated manual transmission’s automatic mode is the default setting. (Dan Neil / Los Angeles Times)
The base price of the 2009 Ferrari California is $197,350. The version I tested was about $210,000. (Dan Neil / Los Angeles Times)
Even Ferrari’s representatives will concede that the California is intended to broaden the appeal of the brand. That’s Italian code for “more women buyers.” (Dan Neil / Los Angeles Times)
I love this car because it takes most of the good of a Ferrari -- the power and handling, the Poltrona Frau leather splendor, the orgasmic sound, the ontological redness -- and puts it in a usable, daily dose. (Dan Neil / Los Angeles Times)
