The four-time world champion from Heppenheim, who has been driving for the Reds from Maranello since the beginning of this Formula 1 season, visited the Ferrari team in Wiesbaden on July 15th. The three-week “summer break” in Formula 1 makes it possible to visit the German subsidiary of his new employer in his home country. A car enthusiast like Sebastian Vettel doesn't just want to sit and talk, he wants to drive. Ideally, of course, in an Italian sports car and, because the weather in Germany is just so nice, in a convertible. In a California T, painted in red, of course, he drives through the beautiful landscape around Wiesbaden, the Rheingau and the Untertaunus. We know the routes only too well, our editorial office is based in green Taunus, which is criss-crossed with numerous almost Tuscan-style country roads.
And now, just a few days later, the time has come. We are sitting in exactly the Ferrari California T, in which the 28-year-old Formula 1 driver recently turned the valance. As if a Ferrari, the sanctuary of the Italians, even if you don't like to hear it in neighboring Sant'Agata Bolognese, wasn't enough. The dream car not one, but of many generations, including mine, of course. But here it is different again. “The Seb” sat in this sport seat covered with cognac-colored leather and turned the steering wheel, which I am just trying to adjust.
The seating position is not unusual, but the steering wheel is quite high. It's just not a pseudo-athlete, even if the fold-up roof California is often criticized with the image of women athletes, like the Porsche Boxster used to be. But do critics have any idea of the matter or do they not generously criticize everything that is not black or white? And does a "woman's car" have to be bad? Rather no, especially since this term does not really exist and is more likely to suit a brightly colored city car, where a small engine generates 60 HP at the front, which is, at the rear, almost unnoticed, gently disposed of in an exhaust pipe with a straw diameter.
Push the button
The California T is very different. After pressing the start button on the multi-function steering wheel, 560 hp roar their Italian 8-cylinder symphony from four thick tailpipes. The big stage. La Traviata in the Taunus. If you like attention when boulevard cruising, the California T is the place for you.
And there seem to be many. Ferrari sold over 10.000 models of its predecessor, which was still equipped with the mandatory naturally aspirated engine. More than any other model with the black "Cavallino Rampante" on the hood. And it is not just the Ferraristi who are the ones who grabbed it. With the California, over 70 percent of buyers came to the brand who had never owned a Ferrari before.
Fortunately, the weather is with us today and we open the roof, which feels like it takes a long time to enjoy the sun. But also to listen to the sound of the 3,9 l V8 engine even more intensely. And it is enormous what sound we are literally thrown back in the densely overgrown forest in the Taunus. At the front, the California T sucks in the air for the loaders through two nostrils cut into the hood, which then explodes as a gasoline-air mixture in the almost centrally installed engine. And here the word explosion has another meaning. At least it sounds like that. We cannot say where the noise comes from anywhere. Only from the exhaust or does the engine support the orchestral sonority? It doesn't matter either. The small hairs on the arm are all at an angle of 90 degrees from the skin upwards.
A turbo! A turbo? For a long time there was no turbo at Ferrari. It was more than 20 years ago when the legendary F40 saw the two charge air coolers from Behr above through the transparent rear window. One explanation, Ferrari was working on the turbo lag to reduce this shortcoming of a turbocharger, which is known to deliver thrust only after a few revolutions.
Turbo is running
This seems to have succeeded when we started on the first spurts. The engine revs up quickly from below and provides permanent thrust to the rear wheels. A novelty, since many sports car manufacturers have already cut their teeth on this problem. The Ferrari technicians have done pioneering work here and developed a turbo engine that is almost reminiscent of the characteristics of a vacuum cleaner. Last but not least, the manifolds of equal length, which accelerate the flow of the exhaust gases to the turbine of the two twin-scroll loaders, gave success.
The automatic shifts brilliantly and lets us get up to racing speed in seconds on the free autobahn. In just 11,5 seconds we are from a standstill to 200 km / h, the laughable 100 km / h rushes through the California T after 3,6 seconds. Theoretically, it can go up to 316 km / h, which today, as is so often the case, of course cannot be reached on the motorway. Nevertheless, the California T takes us on the “Autostrada” as we rush through a long motorway curve at relatively high speed.
"It doesn't feel like a fast motorway curve, it's more like the" Curva Parabolica "in Monza!"
“Vettel feeling” flows through us, the breath of over 200 GP victories and 16 F1 constructors' world championships surround us. In addition, this direct handling when we allow the California T a little exercise on the winding country roads. Yes, this car is fascinating and is certainly more than the “women's Ferrari”. It has its little flaws. The wind noise on the folding roof and the side windows, which do not fit perfectly. Or the design-related decentralized arrangement of the switches in order to operate the transmission. In Italy you simply overlook that with the words "thats passion". And if you want a partially boring sports car, you can find it at the local premium brands. Perfection down to the last detail, but often without tradition and emotion.
We are in agreement when we will return the California T in Frankfurt, where money is made and the buyers sit. For a vehicle that starts at 183.499 euros, it offers a terrific mix of sports car and cruiser. Nowhere else is there such a great turbo engine right now. Add to that the history of the brand and meanwhile also reliability, which is reflected in a seven-year routine cost assumption by Ferrari itself.
And for the owner this priceless feeling when the F1 transmission is over on Sundays to be able to quickly go to the garage to be a little bit "Vettel".
Text: Bernd Schweickard | © Photo: Ferrari, Björn Habegger, Bernd Schweickard