Ferrari CaliforniaMarch 2009

Ferrari calls the California its 'completion' model, a car that gives its entry-level buyers more choice.

It's powered by a high revving 4.3-litre V8 engine which is adapted from the F430 with a few notable inclusions. Firstly it's directly injected, allowing the California to return a good-for-a-supercar 21.6mpg on the combined fuel economy cycle. At 305g/km the California's CO2 rating is also significantly lower than its rawer F430 sister too, despite the California being a good bit heavier than its racier relative.

The extra weight is down to a number of reasons, most obviously the California's folding hardtop. It's the first ever Ferrari to feature a folding hardtop - if you ignore the odd flip-over number on the 575 Superamerica - and it's resulted in a V8 Ferrari that weighs more than the larger 599.

Ferrari wants to attract more women buyers with its more versatile California (the brand is traditionally dominated by male customers). And, although nobody at Modena will admit it, the Mercedes SL was something of a benchmark model - even though no SL, not even Merc's most extreme AMG models, can deliver the sort of pace that the California offers.

Unlike the F430, the California's V8 is placed in front of the driver. That makes it a less edgy, friendlier car to drive. The Manettino dial which allows you to tailor the traction stability systems, shift speed and suspension on the steering wheel reflects this: the California doesn't offer the range of hardcore settings available on Ferrari's other models.

Adding to the California's user friendliness is an all-new seven-speed dual-clutch paddle-shift transmission which betters even Ferrari's F1 Superfast system for speed and smoothness; it's almost certain to appear on future Ferrari models.

It's not just fantastically quick to react to your inputs on the paddle-shifters, but, importantly, it's slick when left to its own devices in automatic mode.

So this is an overweight, automatic, drop-top for the American market then? Certainly the California's specification and name does hint at that but this is so much more than a boulevardier - it still has all the fire of its thoroughbred stablemates.

The beautiful-sounding 4.3-litre V8 delivers 454bhp, which allied with its decent 357lb ft torque figure and that trick transmission makes for one seriously rapid way to enjoy the sun.

Sixty-two miles per hour arrives in under 4 seconds and if you're prepared to risk the jail time it'll do 193mph. What's remarkable though is the California's poise and nimbleness. It's blessed with the sort of agility that's not so far removed from the F430.

That the California can achieve this while still delivering a compliant, composed ride quality and excellent body control is doubly impressive. The steering is light and direct, though there's not quite the richness of information through the steering wheel as you might desire in something with so much performance potential. There's no doubting the repeated retardation ability of the F1 material brakes either, but there's a slight lack of feel through the pedal that takes a bit of getting used to. These are small gripes, however, in an otherwise sensational dynamic package.

You might be disappointed when you do see yourself reflected in a shop window though, because the California not an immediately attractive Ferrari. It's classically proportioned at the front, but the need to house that folding hardtop does result in a fairly large rear.

It's better roof up, though even here Ferrari hasn't helped with some fairly chintzy details - the engineers can say what they like about how the stacked tailpipes allow better airflow under the rear: they look awful.

The upside of that big rear is plenty of space in the boot and a fairly generously proportioned interior. Just don't expect to seat anyone in the back - Ferrari can't bring itself to call the California a 2+2, instead calling it a 2+.

A consummate GT and involving, invigorating supercar too, the Ferrari California really does pull off that tricky task of being everything to everybody, it least for the those that can afford it.