rberg32
04-27-2009, 12:37 PM
For anyone interested, Boardwalk Ferrari just got in their California Demo..
Went and test drove last Saturday.. This car is a pretty sweet setup. The exhaust is unreal and sounds very aggressive when the valves open up. In fact, it is much louder than what I thought. Took it under a couple underpasses and I think I scared a dozen or so unprepared drivers.
The new dual clutch gear box is incredible.. very smooth. upshifts and downshifts are so seamless, it actually takes a little bit away from the driver experience. From what I have been told, Ferrari actually had to program some delay into the gear change to add some driver feedback. Even with this "delay", it's hard to tell.. Personally, I like the feel of the normal F1 single clutch gearbox way better. There is a launch control button, but didn't try it out ;)
The cabin is very roomy and the seats are super adjustable, giving a taller driver a lot of leg and head room. The new NAV/Sound system is pretty awesome.. speakers sound great and the system has all the bells and whistles one would expect from a modern luxury car like an MB S/SL/CL Class. Ferrari pulled out all the stops and actually added a real cup holder. A Ferrari first! Also, because of the increased height of the rear trunk area in relation to the cabin, there was minimal wind noise or turbulence in the cabin. The car comes with a wind screen, but I don't see why you would need to use it. The overall fit and finish of the cabin and controls is a very large improvement over previous generations. Since Ferrari is looking to take some customers away from the MB SMG and Aston Martin DB9 market, this is a huge step forward in making that a reality.
The convertible top was easy to use.. from start to finish, the top comes down in a scant 15 seconds. When the top is up, there is plenty of headroom, even for the tallest of drivers.
The suspension setup on this model was fairly soft and had some significant body roll.. something I would expect from a luxury ride, but not necessarily in an f-car. Given the market they are going after, it makes sense. I looked at the available options and do see they have the same magneto-rheological dampers that are found in the 599 and the ZR-1 as an option. Not sure if this would make a difference in body roll unless they change up the sway bars and/or springs, but nice to know they have that as an option for more aggressive drivers.
Pricing on this car, fully loaded, will run around 210'ish.
This car has all the creature comforts and features you would expect from a luxury car and the speed and performance you would expect from a Ferrari.
Overall, I give this car a big thumbs up! :thumbsup2:
Went and test drove last Saturday.. This car is a pretty sweet setup. The exhaust is unreal and sounds very aggressive when the valves open up. In fact, it is much louder than what I thought. Took it under a couple underpasses and I think I scared a dozen or so unprepared drivers.
The new dual clutch gear box is incredible.. very smooth. upshifts and downshifts are so seamless, it actually takes a little bit away from the driver experience. From what I have been told, Ferrari actually had to program some delay into the gear change to add some driver feedback. Even with this "delay", it's hard to tell.. Personally, I like the feel of the normal F1 single clutch gearbox way better. There is a launch control button, but didn't try it out ;)
The cabin is very roomy and the seats are super adjustable, giving a taller driver a lot of leg and head room. The new NAV/Sound system is pretty awesome.. speakers sound great and the system has all the bells and whistles one would expect from a modern luxury car like an MB S/SL/CL Class. Ferrari pulled out all the stops and actually added a real cup holder. A Ferrari first! Also, because of the increased height of the rear trunk area in relation to the cabin, there was minimal wind noise or turbulence in the cabin. The car comes with a wind screen, but I don't see why you would need to use it. The overall fit and finish of the cabin and controls is a very large improvement over previous generations. Since Ferrari is looking to take some customers away from the MB SMG and Aston Martin DB9 market, this is a huge step forward in making that a reality.
The convertible top was easy to use.. from start to finish, the top comes down in a scant 15 seconds. When the top is up, there is plenty of headroom, even for the tallest of drivers.
The suspension setup on this model was fairly soft and had some significant body roll.. something I would expect from a luxury ride, but not necessarily in an f-car. Given the market they are going after, it makes sense. I looked at the available options and do see they have the same magneto-rheological dampers that are found in the 599 and the ZR-1 as an option. Not sure if this would make a difference in body roll unless they change up the sway bars and/or springs, but nice to know they have that as an option for more aggressive drivers.
Pricing on this car, fully loaded, will run around 210'ish.
This car has all the creature comforts and features you would expect from a luxury car and the speed and performance you would expect from a Ferrari.
Overall, I give this car a big thumbs up! :thumbsup2: