What better setting than the Grand Palais in Paris for the California T, Ferrari's latest creation, to make its debut on French soil? The new Grand Tourer from Maranello was a magnet for the over 200 journalists who attended the premiere this afternoon on the opening day of the Tour Auto Optic 2000 rally.

Wiesbaden, April 7 - On Friday 400 enthusiastic guests from all over Germany celebrated the latest model from Maranello, the Ferrari California T, at the national premiere in the heart of Frankfurt.

The Ferrari California T has officially made its debut in Tokyo, the very first appearance in Asia following the International Motor Show of Geneva in March. Over 400 passionate VIP guests attended the Japanese Premiere held in an exclusive location in Tokyo in the beautiful traditional Japanese garden.

The new Ferrari California T made its UK premiere at an exclusive VIP event at Somerset House in London with over 400 Ferrari clients, media and celebrities in attendance for the unveiling of the new car.

New engine, new looks: we drive Ferrari's 560bhp turbocharged GT star

California T. T for...?

Turbo. But you knew that, because the idea of turbos on a Ferrari engine is such a revolution that there's been an avalanche of advance hype and uninformed opinion. How would a Ferrari be if it had to do without sky-high revs, scalpel-sharp throttle response and an unmuffled scream?

So what's your opinion, informed as it now is by a drive?

That a turbo engine is just about right for a car like the California, a fast suave effortless GT.

Any old turbo engine?

Nope. Ferrari has done some clever stuff. And it does meet the aims above: little lag, nice noise, and torque that rises with revs.

How they do that?

It's an all-new 3,855cc V8 of a stonking 560bhp, power that's enough to see off that pesky AMG SL63. The engine is nothing to do with the Maserati Quattroporte's unit by the way. It's extremely compact, and tucks its turbos low down on the outboard side of each bank. They use normal anti-lag techniques: they're small, they are twin-scroll units, and the engine itself is direct injection with variable cam timing.

To make sure the thing sounds right, it has a pair of insanely complex (read: expensive) exhaust manifolds that look like a nest of vipers. This keeps each tract the same length, and from that issues sweet harmonics.

And as for the torque business, well the engine is capable of 557lb ft in seventh gear, over a range of 2500-5500rpm. But in first, second and third, the torque is limited at low revs to about 410lb ft, and then rises towards a peak at 6000 - just like a normally aspirated engine. (The curves for fourth, fifth and sixth are progressively more like the one for seventh). This sounded a bit silly to me at first - why limit the performance of an engine with a rampant horse on the red-painted heads?

So er, why?

Well, when you drive it, things become clear. For a start, lag is inconsequential at anywhere above 2500rpm. When you go peacefully in the upper gears, the things works like a normal turbo engine. You just surf along relaxedly on a wave of torque. And save gallons of fuel. But when you drop gears and drive with a bit of passion, you have to concentrate, use the right gear, and use the throttle with determination. Then you get that lovely feeling of more and more urge coming as the needle passes each notch on the rev-counter's circumference.

Still, sounds like a bit of an artificial game

Well yes, but driving is artificial innit? It's called character. If you want instant, silent, level torque, go drive an electric car. The other thing is, with torque limited in the lower gears, it's much easier to meter out the effort at the rear wheels. Anyone who's driven an AMG SL will be very familiar with the blinking of the traction light. Or the eye-widening jolt of sudden oversteer if you switch it out. In the Cali T, things are easier to control. But still, if you travel to 7500rpm, its blisteringly rapid. Ferrari says it'll do 0-62 in 3.6 seconds, and 0-125 in 11.2. Which from where I sit is both entirely believable and very much not hanging about.

And the sound?

Well the variety of sound effects isn't as wide as Ferrari's NA V8's, but it has a fruity and musical quality. And the fact it's quieter isn't at all a bad thing in what's supposed to be an everyday GT car. It does a bit of a cackle on gearshifts in sport mode. But in the end I wanted more vocals when I was really going for it.

This is a Ferrari. If I wondered before about the turbo engine, I was never worried about the chassis

Indeed. It's got amazing traction, heaps of grip and wonderful composure. But for a car that'll be driven as a GT, I think the steering is either a bit too quick (likely), or not progressively weighted (less likely). Whatever, I found myself taking too many corners in a series of bites not a smooth arc. And I spoke to others who found the same. Nor is there anything like the delicious steering feedback of the other Ferraris. Actually the best thing about the chassis is the amazing ride. Despite all that control, the way the car absorbs both big road-turbulence and little pineapple-textured roughness is a revelation, and a real asset for a GT.

Looks better too...

Yup. Every panel is new except the roof and glazing. The sides are maybe still a little overdone, but the designers have done a great job on the tail, killing that old tall pinched look and drawing it down to the road.

And inside?

Big change: a new satnav/ents system at very long last. TBH it has glitches, but they say it's still in beta. Also, they're due to add Apple CarPlay soon. In other interior news, you'll note a fresh dash and seats, looking good and working well, plus some slightly dodgy plastics (probably included as standard so as to nudge you into upgrading to expensive optional carbonfibre decor). Very nice aromatic leather. Low turbulence with the roof off. Half decent boot even roof down.

The boring numbers?

Price is £154,490, CO2 is 250g/km. The former number much like the old California, the latter some 49g/km better. And it's not like no-one bought the old Cali; it was one of the best-selling Ferraris ever, even though it attracted a bit of derision from hardcore fans.

OK, if the old one was sneered at, is this one the real Ferrari deal?

Hmmm. Well I felt like I was driving a Ferrari with very thick gloves on and earplugs in. It feels rather remote for a Ferrari, even if it's more engaging than an SL. Maranello's marketers would no doubt argue that this muted character is appropriate for their everyday car. But the FF is for everyday, and that's a wonderful sensory experience.

Matt Prior puts the new and improved version of Ferrari's folding hard-top grand tourer to the test in Siena, Italy.

Improved version of Ferrari's drop-top GT gets a 552bhp twin-turbocharged V8 but light steering curtails its outright driver appeal

What is it like?
Better. Leagues better. The old California wasn’t a duffer, but it never quite pulled off the trick of either riding properly or maintaining correct control of its body movements. This one does both, at the same time. In fact, it rides particularly well, regardless of in which position (Comfort or Sport) you place the manettino, which brings stiffer damping.

It’s not as tied-down as a 458 Italia, say, but then it’s not meant to be. Some 70 per cent of California buyers are new to the brand and “they’re not the same type of guys” who buy mid-engined Fandangos, so there’s precious little crossover.

But whereas you’d wonder if the old California really represented Ferrari, or whether it was an extension too far for the badge, the California T feels like a product of Maranello should.

So it’s responsive; eager. The engine, you could argue, is a bit on the quiet side, perhaps inevitably given it’s a turbo, but it still has a flat-plane crank and quite a lot of work has gone into creating equal-length exhaust manifolds. That means it still sounds raw and clean and crisp like a flat-plane V8 should, rather than like a Subaru, as far as I can tell from the simulation Ferrari played us. But it is fairly quiet.

And in those lower gears the sensation of increasing urge really is there. Peak power is present right through the last 1000rpm to the 7500rpm redline (high for a turbo), so there’s pleasure to be had from wringing the Ferrari's engine out.

There’s not a lot of turbo lag in lower gears (you notice it a little, but that’s inevitable), and while there’s more lag in higher gears, you’re rewarded with more urge without having to shift down or work the engine hard, so it makes for a fine grand tourer. But for what noticeable lag there is, this isn’t a frustrating engine. Response, at higher revs, is genuinely impressive whatever the aspiration.

Less satisfactory, to me, at any rate, is the steering. I found it a bit light; a bit quick (at around 2.3 turns lock-to-lock it might not sound super-fast, but the turning circle’s good so the ratio is rapid). I wasn’t alone. You get used to it, it makes the car seem lighter than it is, and there’s a fair degree of self-centering, but I’d prefer a system that felt more natural.

Still, it allows you to exploit the California’s fine handling balance. The T does what a front-engine, rear drive car with a slight rearward weight bias ought to. There’s a touch of understeer, which you can neutralise with a trailed brake on turn-in, and then there’s ample power, and a limited-slip differential, to loosen the tail. Oppo, dab, away, etc.

Other notables? The price is still around £150,000. Diddy rear seats are now the only option because only one per cent of the old model’s buyers chose a rear bench. The raw stats say 0-60mph in 3.6sec (launch control, see) and 196mph flat out. And it’s quite easy to spend an awful lot of money on options.

Should I buy one?
You might well. The Ferrari California T can hold its own against anything that’s meant to do a similar job: Mercedes SL AMGs, a Bentley Continental, whatever.

And whatever you pick, the Ferrari California T has some relative merits against it. It does things differently to any other GT but now that ‘different’ includes a greater dose of finely honed Ferrari character, different is no bad thing at all.

A new turbo V8 engine and revised handling mean the new Ferrari California T should be a sales success

Verdict
Despite its sales success the California was beginning to show its age. Retaining the same roof and chassis, the new Ferrari California T revitalises the popular cabriolet. It’s still not the most thrilling Ferrari but it strikes a better balance between comfy grand tourer and sportscar than ever before. Improved handling, an updated cabin and smarter looks all help, but it’s the new turbo engine that’s the star of the show.

Verdict

The new 2014 California T might not be your pick of the Ferrari range, but it has been a massive success for the company, which sold 10,000 in five years, and - just as Ferrari hoped - 70% of those cars went to first-time Ferrari customers.

Having sucked those people in, Ferrari has now delivered a car that looks and feels closer to what existing Ferrari fans might want from a Ferrari. And for this application, the turbo engine works pretty well. Accept that its rivals are not the 458 Spider, but cars like the AMG SL65 and Aston DB9 Volante, and you have to conclude that this is a strong package.

If there’s a concern, it’s that, as it stands, I wouldn’t be satisfied with this engine in a 458. The expectations are so much higher when it comes to Ferrari’s sports cars. It needs to sound more exciting and kick that bit harder at the top end. Ferrari says not to worry, it has some tricks ups its sleeves. We’ll find out what they are in 2015.