California goes head to head with Supersports

1.654284-1942144471 — Bentley Supesports Convertible and Ferrari California Image Credit: Christopher List/ANM

When you have two convertibles of such muscular, and yet lithe demeanour, as embodied by the Ferrari California and the Bentley Continental Supersports Cabrio (all important Britons have impossibly long names) the tiny, lizard-brained backseat driver in all of us tends to seize control, resulting in rather poor decision making. To wit, there we were, wheels' brain-trust, surrounded by rolling sand dunes in a sweltering heat that clings mercilessly to the body. As our faithful intern Julius snored tonelessly in the air-conditioned cool of the camera car, we important editorial types took turns in the two modern engineering marvels that currently grace the cover of this magazine.

But here's where logic failed us, as we proceeded to test each car in the dead of summer with the top down. Sure, we have a number of temperate months here, at which time it's an absolute pleasure to go topless, but this wasn't that time. You'd think that one could reach a suitably cooling speed in the Ferrari, but in July in the UAE you're more likely to relocate your hairline, than to actually cool yourself down.

Ferrari California

The California has a slightly more laid back look than, say the 599 GTO, and to be fair, a smaller motor in the form of a direct injection 4.3-litre V8, which has enough available power to reward even the most aggressive driving inclinations.

This engine is an evolution of the unit found midship in the F430, but with higher compression ratio. The displacement is slightly reduced courtesy of a wider bore and shorter stroke. It sounds raw and guttural but doesn't have the ear-shattering wail of the 430. Just.

The Cali manages to be macho, with its crouching good looks and unmistakably Italian exhaust note, while cultivating the maximum amount of chilled out reserve that you can expect from a red convertible with that famous black stallion prancing atop the bonnet.

A first, among many others, for the California is a new seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. The paddle shift array allows the driver to get the most from the car's lightning fast transmission to achieve 100kph in less than 4 seconds. With ‘just' 454bhp and 485Nm of torque on tap it's not the most powerful car around, but the California is rapid for something that weighs 1,735kg.

It packs Launch Control for the quickest possible getaway off the line and it's remarkable how efficiently Ferrari has made each and every horsepower count.

A very handy LED display, mounted in the centre of the steering wheel, alerts the driver to the optimal shift points, allowing you to experience the full fury of its V8 without worrying that you're short shifting or over-revving.

The straight line pace is indeed impressive but it's what the California can do in corners that boggles the mind. The steering, like other Ferrari GTs, namely the 599 GTB, is much lighter than any other supercar, but vague it's not. It constantly conveys to your sweaty palms — if you too happen to be driving topless at midday — everything the front tyres are up to. It isn't a diminutive car but drive it quickly and the California virtually skrink-wraps itself around you. It revels in sporty driving.

However, even a Ferrari has its limit. You know you're near it when the back begins to get lively. Continue taking swipes at it, and eventually the California will slide. Nothing that can't be effortlessly wrapped up, but abrupt weight shifting — if you back off the throttle mid-corner — will probably not be pleasant or inexpensive.

That said, its abilities are much higher than most drivers'. But here's the rub, the California is a GT, a Grand Tourer, something most people don't seem to have grasped. It's not designed to be an out and out racer. The suspension is engineered with ride comfort in mind and the Manettino, unlike the F430, has an option for comfort setting. That's not an oversight. The car handles beautifully and is super comfortable when you're dawdling around town.

Having made our hot, windy sacrifice to beauty — actually, in all seriousness, driving this car is never a real sacrifice, we can finally put the top up. It takes about one quarter of a minute and can't be done on the move, but no biggie. Right off the bat, the AC kicks in and cools the car right down, making the supple black leather interior a much more inviting place to be.

The controls are well thought out, and tread the line between sporty and luxurious with admirable taste. While the back seats (parcel shelf in our tester) bring that term under ontological scrutiny, it's definitely large enough for the type of little yappy dogs that are so in fashion now, especially in Hollywood. Bipeds may wish to look elsewhere for accommodation, but that's the life story of the little red sportscar.

The hardest thing about testing a car like the California is the knowledge that you'll have to return it one day soon. The second hardest thing is reining in that reptilian urge to go all out, as you just can't afford that many speeding fines on a journalist's salary.

The California is a very special Ferrari. It's everything you expect a Maranello creation to be — fast, loud, beautiful — but it's also comfortable and user-friendly enough to drive everyday. Yes, it still feels like a Ferrari, but one that has smoother edges and that, by no measure, is a bad thing.

Specs & rating

Model: California
Engine: 4.3-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto, RWD
Max power: 454bhp @ 7,750rpm
Max torque: 485Nm @ 5,000rpm
Top speed: 310kph
0-100kph: 3.9sec
Price: Dh770,000 (base)
Plus: Superb driving dynamics, badge appeal
Minus: Roof mechanism

Bentley Supersports cabrio

The Bentley Supersports coupé that we first drove a few months back is a remarkable car even though it is a bit baffling. It doesn't have rear seats as standard for the sake of lightness, but the doors still weigh a tonne each. There's no power assist for the seats, but the stereo still has a few hundred speakers. Not literally, of course.

The coupé tips the scales at 2,240kg, that despite being lighter than the ‘standard' Speed version, is not exactly featherweight. And it shows in the way the car feels. It's fast but it never becomes one with the driver, the way a much lighter car like the California does.

Since at 2,395kg the Supersports Convertible is heavier than the coupé it feels exactly that — heavy. But there are some things that the droptop SS does better than any of its rivals could ever hope to. Most notable being the tectonic plate shifting grunt. Sure it weighs the same as a small lorry, but the SS cabrio has a twin turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 engine that develops a meaty 621bhp and a stupendous 800Nm of torque. That makes it as quick as the Fezza to 100kph, but a remarkable 10kph faster with its top speed of 325kph.

Everything about the SS cabrio is superlative, driven back to back with the California, it feels muscular and brutish. No matter where the rev needle rests, there is always enough torque to translate the slightest twitch of your right foot into gratifying forward progress.

The interior is equally astonishing. Despite this being a track-orientated offering there is plenty of leather and carbon fibre in the cabin. But it's the under the skin wizardry that makes the Supersports cabrio special. It sits 10mm and 15mm lower at the front and the back respectively. The front and rear anti-rollbars are stiffer by 8 per cent and an unspecified amount respectively. The bushings are 35 per cent stiffer and the steering is retuned for more directness. Even the software controlling the dampers has been revised for sportier driving. Couple that with wheels that save 2.5kg each and you have a car that can devour the most fearsome tracks. But despite a revised suspension set and a reworked steering, it is still not as informative as the California.

It may be portly but the SS cabrio is extremely sure-footed. There is no perceptible understeer and the four-wheel drive does a stellar job of keeping the car's nose pointing in the right direction as you power out of a corner at ludicrous speeds. Roof up or down the SS Cabrio feels satisfactorily sporty, but it is never going to give a Porsche 911 GT3 or a Ferrari Italia sleepless nights.

Then again this car is built for a completely different type of buyer. Some one who appreciates a great sportscar, but not at the expense of comfort or luxury. And with the optional rear seats the SS cabrio is almost practical too. Actual humans can sit in the back as long as it's not a very long journey and the human in question isn't Arnold Schwarzenegger. In essence, the SS is a GT that can turn into a sportscar when you get the urge to drive fast, but it does it with grace and poise that few can match.

Verdict

The California and Supersports are dream cars for significantly differing dreamers. The Bentley is more well rounded, comfortable and hugely quick, but the Ferrari is a better track weapon; if not quite as sharp as a Scuderia. If it's driving thrills you seek the Fezza is the better bet, but for everything else the big Brit coupé is unbeatable. We'd pick the Ferrari, but (and this is a big but) there is another contender that's just as quick and much cheaper: the gorgeous Audi R8 Spyder. Now, that's made it complicated...

Specs & rating