More details have emerged about the new 453bhp Ferrari California, along with a slew of new pictures. They show the folding roof, which takes 14 seconds to open, in action for the first time.

The new Ferrari California will have sharper performance, better fuel economy and superior luggage space to take the fight to its most-obvious rival, the Aston Martin DB9.

Latest details reveal the two-seat Ferrari to be shorter and wider than the 2+2 Aston while sitting on a 40mm shorter wheelbase.

The California’s 4.3-litre V8 will offer its drive 453bhp and power the new Ferrari to 62mph in under four seconds. Now Maranello has announced a fuel economy of 21mpg and emissions of 310g/km CO2, bettering both the manual and automatic versions of the Aston Martin DB9 and its next obvious rival, the Bentley Continental GT.

Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo confirmed that the California is aimed at everyday drivers: “The California is also exceptionally easy to drive and has a space behind the front seats that makes it supremely flexible in terms of usage” he said.

The ‘easy-driving’ Ferrari will also have relatively compact dimensions, at 4560mm long and 1900mm wide. It sits on a 2700mm wheelbase.

Working at the final production preparations for our USD Corvette Z03 project, Ugur Sahin Design hereby releases the first official images of our new USD GT-S Passionata concept.
The name Passionata refers to the dedicated passion that was used by Ugur Sahin to take his Ferrari Dino concept of last year to a feasible concept study in order to create the ultimate design balance for a timeless piece of Automotive Haute Couture.

Based on the Ferrari 599 Fiorano aluminium space frame chassis and mechanicals, the USD GT-S Passionata is a grand sports tourer which design language brings back the days of Ferrari’s iconic GT and race cars from the sixties.

The USD GT-s Passionata concept has been developed for the select customer that desires a perfect blend of neo-classical body design language and modern technologies and road performance. We present the USD GT-S Passionata as a feasible design concept, which indicates that when there will be a demand for customer conversions, production will be arranged.

Specifications
Engine V12
Power est. 700 hp (514 kW) at 8200 rpm
Max. torque est. 715 Nm (527 ft-lb) at 5800 rpm

Performance

Top speed > 370 km/h (230 mph)
0 – 100 km/h (0 – 62 mph) est. 3.5s
0 – 200 km/h (0 – 124 mph) est. 9.5s
0 – 300 km/h (0 – 186 mph) est. 22.0s

Features

Power increased to about 700 hp thanks to new exhaust headers like on the Ferrari FXX, high-flow catalytic converter, performance muffler, modified intake with ram-air system,
high-flow air filters and ECU recalibration

Stainless steel muffler with adjustable remote-controlled butterfly-valve, new exhaust tips

Exhaust sound level adjustable at the push of a button

Wheels can be custom-painted on request

Tire pressure monitoring system displaying air pressure and tire temperature for each wheel

Sport suspension for the road with adjustable compression and rebound damping like on the FIA GT MC12. Nose lift functionality is retained.

Special lightweight wheels with Michelin tires
Front: 10 x 19 with 265/35 ZR 19
Rear: 13 x 20 with 335/30 ZR 20

New high-performance clutch. Extremely lightweight. Two different friction compounds selectable (strada/pista)

New transmission control unit. Same shift times as on the Ferrari FXX

After last week’s news about Ferrari California, here are some new pictures of this Italian beauty.

Since we still have some time before Ferrari unleashes a driving video of its all-new California 2+ GT, we decided to download the official teaser clip and garnish it with the scrumptious sounds of its 460Hp 4.3-liter V8 engine. The California, that’s equipped with an electric folding hard top, will make its debut at the Paris motor show in autumn 2008 with first customer cars expected to be delivered in early 2009.

Ferrari appears to be a source of inspiration for a number of up-and-coming young designers with the likes of Idries Omar, Emre Husmen and now Luca Serafini all using the Italian exotics as inspiration for some of their best works. The latest design, dubbed the Ferrari Concept 2008, is based on the F430 supercar and shows a possible design direction for the next-gen model.

Drawing on inspiration from both past and present Ferrari models, Serafini wanted something that could stand on its own but would always be recognized as a Ferrari. Serafini next plan is to create a one-quarter scale model of the car and hopefully present it at design competitions in Italy’s automotive design hub, Turin.

One of Serafini’s most popular previous works includes the Lamborghini Embolado concept, a compact supercar loosely based on the Gallardo with a unique cab forward design and plenty of aggression.

Following last Friday’s announcement, Ferrari proceeded to the release of the first official photographs of its all-new California GT model. The Italian thoroughbred that had been dubbed as the GT, California GT and Dino in spy pictures over the previous months will be offered exclusively as a 2+ seater (whatever that means) coupe-cabriolet with an electric folding hardtop.

The California is powered by a 4.3-liter V8 engine that features direct fuel injection and a “flat” crankshaft, generating 460 Hp at 7,500 rpm. The V8 which is mounted for the first time in the marque’s history in the mid-front position supplies power to the rear wheels via a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission. Ferrari says that the California sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 4.0 seconds.

Under its aluminium body, the California hides a new multilink rear suspension system while it is also equipped with the marque’s F1-Trac traction control system which made its debut on the 599 GTB Fiorano along with Brembo brakes featuring carbon-ceramic material discs as standard.

Ferrari’s newest GT model will be officially unveiled to the public at the Paris International Car Show this September. However, over the coming weeks, new photographs and further details will also be published.

A new Ferrari Grand Tourer is in the offing and, in an innovative move, will be revealed to the fans and enthusiasts in a non-traditional way. In the build-up to the new model’s official unveiling at the Paris Auto Show next October, Ferrari will be revealing it bit by bit on the dedicated ferrarigtcountdown.com site. Visitors to the site will be guided through a sensory voyage of discovery which, over the coming weeks, will gradually reveal the new car in its entirety and feature some highly gratifying virtual road tests too.

The new site launched last week and began that voyage of discovery with the sense of sound. The roar of the new GT’s engine is the first bit of it to be revealed to enthusiasts, in fact, and will be followed over the next few days by the first photographs of this eagerly-awaited car whose name will also be revealed.

This is the first time that the Prancing Horse has used this virtual voyage of discovery approach which will allow it to illustrate various aspects of the new GT model’s design and the many, many technological innovations that it sports.

Updates and additions to the site will continue until the Paris Show. To ensure that you are kept constantly abreast of the new content being revealed, simply register with the site and then experience these sneak previews of this latest gorgeous Ferrari creation.

This new approach to unveiling the car will naturally also be flanked by more traditional encounters involving the release of photographs and, of course, the Paris Show. It is, in fact, just one part of a highly focused strategy that puts the web at centre stage as an instant, privileged communications channel through which Ferrari can keep in constant contact with its burgeoning numbers of fans and enthusiasts worldwide.