It\'s what many consider to be the quintessential Italian sports car and for good reason. Ferrari has been known for automotive engineering excellence for decades, producing some of the most inspired rides to ever hit the street. This jaw-dropping 2011 Ferrari California is a great example - a world class head turner that\'s in super sharp condition and packs outstanding power under its hood. Lightly travelled over the past decade plus with only 24,361 miles on the clock, regularly serviced at Ferrari of Tampa Bay, and presented in about as close to \"like new\" as you\'ll ever see in a 12-year-old car, this California is an incredibly rare find. All that power, all that style, and all the panache that comes with it all for a fraction of the original price.

Ferrari has always occupied a singular niche among the exotic car manufacturers, combining cutting edge, almost futuristic styling sensibilities with a great sense of refinement. With its Grigio Titanio Metallic exterior still in top notch condition, this Type F149 California has a magnetism that few other cars could even approach, and it\'s as clean as can be. Take as long and close a look as you\'d like - which in this case is likely to be VERY long and VERY close, and you won\'t find anything to detract from this iconic sports car\'s celestial curb appeal. It\'s one of Ferrari\'s most memorable modern models, but in reality it was only around for about seven years in its First Generation livery, and another three in the 2nd Generation California T iteration, but it took the world by storm as Ferrari\'s highly-anticipated 2+2 hardtop convertible. The California was radical new design for Pininfarina, developed to attract new buyers to the brand with its grand touring personality. It did just that, although classic Ferrari fans loved it too, with a slightly higher ride height than some of it\'s more difficult-to-drive sibling, along with durable and sporty, state-of-the-art Scaglietti chassis underneath. The California was truly a landmark car for the brand, ushering a number of concepts that were roaring successes, including the first front-engine V8, first 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, first hardtop convertible with a folding metal roof (aluminum for that matter), first multi-link rear suspension, and the first engine with direct gasoline injection straight into the combustion chamber. With less than 25,000 miles, everything within exterior view presents exceptionally well on this Silver Bullet, with nary an imperfection to speak of. In fact, we could only find a couple microscopic nicks to report, but they\'re barely visible on the car\'s clear bra, and the finish underneath remains in excellent condition.

With the Grigio paint, the only real choice is black leather, which has that wonderful, sinister look that only the Italians seem to have mastered. Supportive bucket seats up front (of course) are in fantastic condition with essentially no wear on the seating surfaces, and the suede insert accents and bright red stitching boasts the top-flight, hand-made quality that makes all the Italian exotics stand apart. As a true 2+2 front-mid-engine car, there\'s actually space for your more diminutive friends out back, and the front seats are heated in case you want to be the first person to ever take this grand tourer out in the cold. Gorgeous black carpets and a red-stitched dashboard continue the elegant theme inside and a few flashes of carbon fiber trim remind us that this is a lightweight performance car at heart. The fat wheel has thumb nooks and the big tach is mounted front-and-center so that it\'s the first gauge you see when you glance down through the spokes. Essentially every option Ferrari featured in 2011 is available in this \"like new\" cabin, from the great-sounding infotainment system, to the dual-zone air conditioning, to the space-age center console, and the floppy-paddles behind the steering wheel that control the incredibly fun 7-speed dual-clutch automatic below. The aluminum top retracts in seconds for open-air cruising and as a front-engined car, you actually get decent room in the trunk.

Raise the boot and you\'ll be transfixed by the sight of the Ferrari-Maserati 4.3L V8 engine sitting inside. While its outstanding output - 453 horsepower, enough to propel the California from 0-60 in under four seconds - is its main calling card, its presentation in this setting has to be seen to be appreciated. The engine compartment is in showroom condition, allowing the powerplant\'s matte black and red components to really stand out. For a naturally aspirated engine to output 106HP per liter is downright amazing, as other manufacturers use superchargers to reach those kinds of numbers. The California\'s low-profile, road hugging stance combines with the substantial downdraft Ferrari engineered in - as well as Ferrari\'s revolutionary F-1 Trac system, which varies the distribut

Read More

Read Less