German Car Zone

Ferrari bringing folding hardtop to Detroit, set to do battle with V8 Vantage




During Ferrari's press conference in Detroit this January, the Italian stallions will be pulling the wraps of a new 2+2 coupe-cabriolet, complete with a folding hardtop.

Built off a stretched version of the next generation F430's aluminum architecture, the "F149" 430 GT California will have a 450 HP direct-injected 4.3-liter V8 mounted up front, sending power to the rear wheels via Fezza's F1 "Superfast" sequential gearbox. A six-speed manual will also be an option when sales begin in late 2008.

The setup is designed to take aim at Aston Martin's V8 Vantage, making it the least expensive Ferrari in the exotic automaker's stable – around €130,000.

This is not, however, the rumored "Dino" model, as that particular coupe will have a 3.5-liter V6 mounted amidships and will be priced around €100,000 when it goes on sale in 2009.

awesome!!! i never liked rag tops,hard tops are the way to go!

about time

Smart from a business point of view, and could end up looking pretty darn cool (anyone remember the Superamerica?), but in the end there's no way around the fact that it's going to add undesired weight. For that fact alone I'll take the conventional fabric folding top.

Good move. Never understood why a $200K+ car would have a crappy ass cloth "roof"...but hard top is good. As most of you know, I'm not a fan of convertible, no matter the brand, unless it's a hardtop.

^lol do you know that the superamerica has the most stupid roof in the world..
let me demonstrate:



when the roof is down and it rains, it collects water as its like a bowl
when you put the roof up the water gets spilled out behind the cabin ( thank god for that) but the roof is still wet from the inside when its fully up folded

i asked a ferrari rep about this at the IAA.. lol he did not like me after that question

Yeah dude, I read about that some time ago in EVO. No doubt an idiotic after thought; nevertheless, I thought the actual roof unit looked pretty good.

Yeah, I know about the Superamerica problem. I remember Jeremy Clarkson also said that too. But i'm talking about the F430. It looks really cheap and badly designed with the cloth roof. IMO.

yeah im with you guys..
they should go hard top..just a better version than the superamerica

So this new Ferrari model is a mini GT sitting between the F430 and the F599? Does it mean all those spy shots with a chopped 599GTB is actually the new "F149" 430 GT California instead of the Dino.

Is Ferrari going to keep it current production limit to around 4500 cars per year?