Used 2012 Ferrari California Base for sale 

The Ferrari California is available only as a convertible. Furthermore, there are no trim levels to choose from. However, it is well loaded with features like 19-inch wheels, bi-xenon headlights, Manettino now steering wheel knob, full leather interior, hard-drive navigation system, and CD player sound system with a touchscreen interface. 

And being a Ferrari, it comes with a ton of options that can be added including several exterior paint and interior leather color choices, different wheels, adaptive headlights, adaptive suspension dampers, aerodynamic enhancements, different seat designs, and so on.

We Recommend

Since the Ferrari California is available only in one trim level, there is not much to recommend in terms of choice. One can however look at the many optional extras that the company offers and choose from to make the car unique. Recommended options include Daytona seats, covered fiber aerodynamic updates, rearview camera, cruise control, front parking sensors, and the upgraded sound system with iPod interface.

There is only one engine offered on the Ferrari California convertible, and that is a glorious 4.3 L V-8 gasoline engine that generates 453 hp and 357 pound-feet of torque.

The transmission which comes as standard is a seven-speed automated manual transmission. If this is capable of doing 0 to 60 mph in four seconds whereas the top speed is around 193 mph.

The M6 convertible has the most powerful engine in its class file also being much cheaper. But this engine translates the least to real-world performance. Even though the Audi R8 Spyder is down only by a few horsepowers compared to its rivals, it translates better than we expected to real-world performance, due to its all-wheel-drive powertrain. The Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is the slowest car in the segment, while the Ferrari is the second-fastest in terms of real-world performance and is definitely very competitive.

Fuel efficiency is generally not a very strong point in performance convertibles. Even though the gas tank is quite large and 20.6 gallons it returns a low range of 268 miles in the city and 392 miles on the highway. The engine can be considered moderately fuel-efficient because it returns 13 MPG in the city, 19 on the highway, and 15 MPG combined. These are decent figures for this class.

Even though all the cars in the category offered only moderate fuel efficiency figures, the BMW M6 has a minuscule advantage. What’s more surprising is that it is not only the most fuel-efficient but also the most powerful. 

The Audi R8 is the least fuel-efficient despite being turbocharged. The Ferrari and the Aston Martin Vantage offer the exact same fuel efficiency figures but the Ferrari suffers in terms of overall range due to its relatively small fuel tank compared to its competitors.

The interior of the Ferrari California truly justifies its hefty price. It has a very iconic design and is generally playful throughout its cabin.

It is very contemporary and suits the dynamic nature of the car. Material quality is top-notch but the rear seat space is terrible. Cargo space is tight but impressive at 12 ft.³.

Only the BMW and Ferrari offer rear-row seating. It is hard to find details about the interior space of sports convertibles. However, none of the cars feel cramped in the front seats while all of them do in the rear. All of them offer the latest technology and have excellent build quality throughout. 

The cargo space is practically low for every car in the comparison but the Ferrari does an excellent job of providing 12 ft.³. The main interior features of the 2012 Ferrari California convertible include:

• Fire extinguisher
• Keyless ignition and entry
• Dual-zone front air conditioning
• Cruise control
• Leather steering wheel
• Cooled storage compartment
• Dual-color interior

How intuitive is the infotainment system in the 2012 Ferrari California convertible?

The Ferrari has good interiors but terrible in-car entertainment. There is an optional touchscreen upgrade that makes things a little better but infotainment is the least well-executed part of the car. The system is borrowed from Chryslers that are much cheaper than it and does not suit the price point of this car. It offers very basic features and is a pain to operate. Some of the standout infotainment features include:

• USB connection
• AM/FM stereo
• Auxiliary audio input
• Speed sensitive volume control
• Six total speakers
• Radio data system

The Ferrari California convertible is a good-looking car but not exactly by Ferrari standards. Although the quirky design had its fans, it was not well-received by Ferrari purists.

The car has very modest dimensions but does not exactly feel like a piece like Ferraris should. Its rear end is very bulky due to the convertible and does not feel as lean or toned as the rest of its siblings.

The BMW M6 convertible is the heaviest car of the category at a whopping 4508 pounds followed by the Ferrari California convertible which is almost 700 pounds lighter. But the M6 is a much larger car when you compare it to what is available in the segment while the Aston Martin Vantage is the smallest. Ferrari’s extreme weight saving does not apply to the California when you look at its curb weight of 3825 pounds. Major exterior highlights of the hatchback include-

•  Hardtop full power convertible
• Hood vents
• Iconic round tail lamps
• The front license plate bracket

The Ferrari California convertible is a very well-built car that has not cut any corners in terms of safety features, but expensive cars such as these do not undergo crash testing. It also has been loaded in terms of safety features and we should assume that it is very safe indeed. However, the features list does seem very bare-bones. Some safety features include-

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• ABS And Driveline Traction Control
• Side Impact Beams
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
• Low Tire Pressure Warning
• Airbag Occupancy Sensor

The Ferrari California convertible is not the most practical car out there but it is certainly a very desirable car. However since it does not offer the kind of scintillating performance that its siblings offer, it has been receiving a bit of backlash from enthusiasts. However, it is still a great sports convertible that is very competitive in its segment and is definitely a recommended purchase.