  | |||||||
| Home | Register | Search | Today's Posts | Mark Forums Read |
Car and Driver: 2009 Ferrari California vs. 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMGThis is a discussion on Car and Driver: 2009 Ferrari California vs. 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG within the Internal Combustion forums, part of the Website Forums category; Ferrari finally succumbs to the market appeal of a front-engine V-8 in a folding-hardtop convertible—despite a nefarious weight gain. In ... |
 |
| | LinkBack | Thread Tools |
07-15-2009, 02:32 PM
| #1 |
| Contributor   Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Aurora IL USA Garage: 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK430 Cabriolet
Posts: 15,642
Thanks: 5,226
Thanked 9,535 Times in 4,030 Posts
  | Car and Driver: 2009 Ferrari California vs. 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG    Ferrari finally succumbs to the market appeal of a front-engine V-8 in a folding-hardtop convertible—despite a nefarious weight gain. In doing so, it invites a face-off with another prime ‘trophy car,’ the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG. For 54 years while Jaguars, BMWs, and Cadillacs have come and gone, the Mercedes-Benz SL has been the king of the trophy-car convertibles—the sort of car that not only says its owner has arrived but that he’s been around for a while. Ferrari’s latest offering, the California, uses the template of the latest-generation SL: a folding-hardtop convertible and a transmission that does without a clutch pedal. Ferrari is positioning the California as a less expensive companion to the 599GTB and 612 Scaglietti grand tourers, leaving the mid-engined F430 to represent the harder-edged realm of Ferrari’s sports-car ambitions. So the overlap in price—the California’s base price of $197,350 is only $22,810 less than the convertible F430 Spider’s—isn’t supposed to be a problem, but some sales cannibalization is to be expected. Also inevitable are comparisons with other cars in the segment, even if potential owners more likely cross-shop their purchases with helicopters or gold-plated hovercraft. This brings us to the Mercedes-Benz SL63, recently updated for 2009 with revised styling, a new (for the SL) 6.2-liter V-8, and a shift-time-hastening multiplate clutch (in place of a torque converter) between the engine and the seven-speed automatic transmission. The SL65 AMG, which starts at $198,175, might be closer in price to the Ferrari, but the maniacal power of its twin-turbo V-12 and the extra heft over the front wheels in the SL65 make the SL63 a more manageable and enjoyable car to drive. Plus, the SL63’s output of 518 horsepower is closer to the California’s 453 ponies. On paper, it’s a pretty even matchup. And after two days of driving in Bavaria, neither car stood out as clearly superior. So, picking a winner was as difficult as giving back the keys at our test’s end. First: 2009 Ferrari California Second: 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG 2009 Ferrari California vs. 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG - Comparison Tests Car and Driver's "beta" test site isn't working for the pics. M
__________________ Merc1 Allstars: SLS, SL63, S65, SLK55, CL63, SL65 BS, E63, R8 5.2, S5, LP560, LP670, M3, Mulsne, BK, DBS, GT500, Gran S, 911, X6M, Z4, Veyron GS, XFR, XKR, ZR1, CC, GTI, CTSV, 458, 599. |
|            |
| The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Merc1 For This Useful Post: |
| Sponsored Links |
|
07-15-2009, 03:08 PM
| #2 |
| Me for President  Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sweden Garage: Rear Wheel Drive
Posts: 20,558
Thanks: 1,537
Thanked 7,330 Times in 3,005 Posts
| I've seen Ferrari California in real life and its not a beauty. and only one hour ago I saw a grey SL63 AMG 
__________________ BMW M (that’s for Marketing, not Motorsport) Post your BMW Frankfurt photos here: http://www.germancarzone.com/bmw-lou...re-thread.html |
|
| |
|
07-15-2009, 03:12 PM
| #3 |
| Devotee   Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Washington D.C Garage: Bavarian
Posts: 2,787
Thanks: 306
Thanked 1,168 Times in 642 Posts
| They talked slightly more about Ferrari & liked it better! If I've to take one, it would be the Merc! 
__________________ ///M-Power... Mean Power! |
|
| |
|
07-17-2009, 07:00 PM
| #4 |
| Contributor Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Aurora IL USA Garage: 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK430 Cabriolet
Posts: 15,642
Thanks: 5,226
Thanked 9,535 Times in 4,030 Posts
| Pics have posted online.......                                           M
__________________ Merc1 Allstars: SLS, SL63, S65, SLK55, CL63, SL65 BS, E63, R8 5.2, S5, LP560, LP670, M3, Mulsne, BK, DBS, GT500, Gran S, 911, X6M, Z4, Veyron GS, XFR, XKR, ZR1, CC, GTI, CTSV, 458, 599. Last edited by Merc1; 07-17-2009 at 07:17 PM. |
|
| |
| The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to Merc1 For This Useful Post: | Bilal (07-18-2009), BMW Power (08-01-2009), CarGuy (07-18-2009), DaSilva (08-02-2009), martinbo (08-02-2009), NarutoRamen (08-01-2009), ree (07-18-2009), Tarek (07-20-2009), VroomVroom (07-18-2009) |
|
07-18-2009, 06:02 AM
| #5 |
| Moderator  Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Sweden Garage: 2009 MINI Cooper S
Posts: 4,852
Thanks: 2,721
Thanked 1,135 Times in 736 Posts
| The California is lacking the typical presence of a Ferrari...
__________________ Edmunds - Insideline We love a giant killer because it makes great headlines and there's always pressure to deliver an upset. |
| |
|
07-18-2009, 10:32 AM
| #6 |
| Executive  Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sweden Gothenburg
Posts: 17,578
Thanks: 510
Thanked 3,594 Times in 1,710 Posts
| Damn thats one ugly ferrari...
__________________ When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci |
|
| |
|
07-18-2009, 11:07 AM
| #7 |
| Journeyman  Join Date: Jun 2007 AKA: vroom_vroom Location: England Garage: Vauxhall Corsa
Posts: 4,789
Thanks: 4,578
Thanked 1,621 Times in 1,034 Posts
| That Ferrari is f^&*ing ugly! Words don;t even describe the back let alone the front!  SL63 all the way! And its on my favorite combo (White with red leather) 
__________________ Audi - Always Leads, Never Follows. |
|
| |
|
07-18-2009, 11:12 AM
| #8 |
| Global Moderator  Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 9,535
Thanks: 10,359
Thanked 9,867 Times in 4,072 Posts
| Love this pic: Stunning combo of colours - sit a SL 65 AMG at the dealer today…definitely to heavy and big for a sports car would always go for the SLK 55 AMG!!
__________________ "Nothing will make a driver more faithful to a car, than a car that is faithful to its driver." |
|
| |
|
07-24-2009, 06:02 PM
| #9 |
| Devotee  Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Edmonton, Canada
Posts: 2,162
Thanks: 1,020
Thanked 1,043 Times in 583 Posts
| The Ferrari California rear, reminds me of this....  It is a rather strange resemblance...lol
__________________ You're familiar with the phrase "man's reach exceeds his grasp"? It's a lie, man's grasp exceeds his nerve. |
|
| |
| The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to CarGuy For This Useful Post: | bmer (07-25-2009), Centurion (08-01-2009), DaSilva (08-02-2009), hoffmeister_fan (07-25-2009), hu§eindesign (08-01-2009), Merc1 (07-24-2009) |
|
07-24-2009, 10:30 PM
| #10 | |
| Advocate  Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Los Angeles, Ca
Posts: 785
Thanks: 83
Thanked 102 Times in 46 Posts
| Quote:
Ding* !! 
__________________ The SLR is that stunning Outlaw that cannot be reasoned,bullied or negotiated with, this car just wants to see the road burn behind it | |
|
| |
|
| Bookmarks |
| Tags |
| amg, california, ferrari, gt's, sl63 |
| Thread Tools | |
| |
Similar Threads | ||||
| Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
| New Audi A4 Official Thread | Tumbo | A4/S4/RS4 | 633 | 10-24-2008 04:42 PM |
| In Detail: Audi Q5 | Bartek Sikorski | Q5 | 0 | 07-08-2008 10:25 PM |
| BMW 7-Speed M-Double Clutch Transmission in Detail | siko | The BMW Lounge | 8 | 06-23-2008 08:15 AM |
| Official Pics: M3 Convertible with M DKG | south | 3 Series | 108 | 06-01-2008 10:00 AM |
| Wimmer's Testdrives: The Complete List | cawimmer430 | The Mercedes-Benz Lounge | 41 | 11-17-2007 03:55 AM |
