First drive: Ferrari California

The spectre of flaunting wealth in an area of Victoria recently ravaged by bushfire seems, well, unseemly.

As people gradually start piecing together their shattered lives from the ashes of Black Saturday, one wonders what they'd make of a shiny, black, mega-dollar Ferrari snaking along the bitumen between the burnt-out hillsides.

No, we weren't there in the Yarra Valley and districts for a gawk or to show off behind the wheel of Ferrari's latest model, the California.

As representatives of Ferrari-importer Ateco were quick to point out, they understood the sensitivities but the Yarra Valley and surrounding areas are relying, in no small part, on tourism returning and the economic benefits that flow from it for the communities trying to get back on their feet.

And it was their conscious decision to hold the launch of the California there. And so we went.

The California is a departure from the type of vehicle one would normally associate with the brand that's won more Formula One grands prix than any other.

Rather than some hard-core race-car-for-the-road, the California is entirely civilised, pampering even. Its brief was to be a Gran Turismo - a grand tourer - to swallow big distances comfortably and to be easy to drive.

For starters, it’s both a coupe and an open-air car: it adopts the latest in convertible technology with a push-button folding hard top. In an acrobatic action, the roof lifts, the boot lid unhinges and the roof disappears in a spritely 14 seconds.

The new California also debuts Ferrari’s latest seven-speed automatic, which uses a twin-clutch set-up for the first time on a Ferrari. It's a quantum leap of earlier robotised manuals in cog-swapping speed and finesse.

It also features a three-program Manettino switch that changes the car's dynamic traits at a rotation of a steering-wheel mounted switch, between comfort, sport and (race) track.

In comfort setting, the emphasis is on gentle throttle response, relaxed steering efforts, smooth gear changes, absorbent suspension and progressive braking.

Continued...