Auto Special: Ferrari riding high in Year of the Horse

California T V8 turbo makes its Greater China premiere

Visitors flocking to the 2014 Beijing Auto Show will easily notice the exclusive logo of Ferrari celebrating the Year of the Horse and interpret the Chinese belief in the success with Ferrari's heritage.

Ferrari is holding the debut of the California T at the auto show shortly after the car's world premiere in Geneva in March.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by Amedeo Felisa, CEO of Ferrari, Enrico Galliera, Ferrari's senior vice-president for commercial and marketing, and Edwin Fenech, Ferrari's Greater China President and CEO.

The California T combines sportiness, exclusivity and versatility in the form of the elegant and innovative design.

It represents styling, efficiency and passion that every prancing horse delivers.

It continues the company's proud traditions yet boasts innovation, most notably in its turbocharged V8, a new power unit that combines the performance, torque and sound of a conventional Ferrari engine with the additional benefit of the fuel efficiency afforded by turbocharging.

The new mid-front eight-cylinder is practical due to its retractable hard top and the signature 2+ concept that provides additional versatility for using the cabin.

A seamless blend of sportiness and elegance, the California T is powered by a direct-injection 3855cc V8 turbo engine that punches out a massive 410 kW at 7,500 rpm as well as maximum torque of 755 Nm in seventh gear.

That power enables the car to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds and deliver extraordinary acceleration - even in higher gears - while delivering excellent fuel efficiency.

For the first time on an engine using this technology, turbo lag has been virtually eliminated by reducing inertia and adopting an F1-derived flat-plane crankshaft in addition to innovative twin-scroll turbines.

Its proprietary Variable Boost Management software adjusts torque delivery to suit the selected gear and cut fuel consumption.

Compared to the previous California, the car uses 15 percent less fuel despite an increase of 50 kW in power output and a jump of 49 percent in maximum torque in seventh gear.

The car's range is also extended by 15 percent, but emissions have been reduced.

The California T also boasts true sports car dynamics, thanks to reduced steering wheel activity and improved response courtesy of a new steering box and new suspension setup.

New springs and latest-generation Magnaride dampers combined with body motion accelerometers reduce roll and pitch to deliver more precise handling while still guaranteeing a comfortable ride.

Alongside the California T is the rest of Ferrari fleet at the booth of the auto show, echoing the "different Ferraris for different Ferraristi" philosophy. The display includes the FF, the revolutionary four-wheel-driven Grand Tourer, the 458 Spider and 458 Speciale V8 twins and F12berlinetta, the most powerful V12 Ferrari unlimited edition.

Initiatives for Year of the Horse

Ferrari China has a series of initiatives this year to share the prancing horse brand spirit in Chinese cultural way with the Year of the Horse now underway.

Its only training center outside the automaker's home base Maranello will be opened in Shanghai as the Ferrari Academy offers extensive training to Ferrari staff in China, a reflection of the auto legend's full commitment to providing the best products and service.

A Tailor Made center will also open in Shanghai this year, the only one in China. The innovative personalization program allows each client to tailor his own Ferrari according to his preferences in colors, materials and finish.

Ferrari will also continue its Million Tree project to neutralize its carbon footprint in China.

Ferrari is the first luxury automobile brand in China that offset carbon by planting trees. Each tree donated by Ferrari offsets 250 kg of carbon dioxide in its lifetime and will re-anchor sandy soil that has been lost to decades of erosion in Inner Mongolia.

The measure offsets all Ferrari's operating carbon emissions, including car manufacturing, transport from Italy and a year of driving.

zhangzhao@chinadaily.com.cn