Autoline Reviews

Whoever had a look at new Ferrari California in real, said “Ferrari California looks absolutely stunning”. My curiocity increased to take a sneak peak of this new Ferrari baby and here I could bring you exclusive photos of Ferrari California.

Just have a look at some of the non-technical features:

• A brand-new model complementing and similar in size to the racier F430 with more flexibility in packaging
• Can be ordered in a 2+2 configuration, or more storage space for weekend outings
• Large air intake on the hood, the side gills just aft of the front wheels.
• Has a true retractable hardtop; that means when the top is down, the rear deck is completely flat - it’s like what the Mercedes-Benz SL has.
• It’s a 4.3-liter direct-injected flat-crank V-8 engine that produces 460 bhp.
• Even more important is the car’s use of Ferrari’s first dual-clutch gearbox with seven forward gears and not six like other Ferraris.
• As per claim by Ferrari, the Ferrari California car will be able to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 4 seconds.
• Production should start in late summer in a brand-new building in Maranello. We should see them on sale in Europe by the end of the year 2008, and in U.S. sale in following 2009.
• It should have a price range of Ferrari F430

Ferrari California is being unveiled bit by bit online on a special website - www.ferrarigtcountdown.com but meanwhile take a look at the exclusive photo of Ferrari California we have in here.

While technology take us ahead in our life, sometimes it confuses us as well. It’s simply nothing but a double-edged sword. Automobile Technology has the potential to greatly benefit what and how we drive, it also has the capacity to confuse us as to which features most benefit our particular driving needs and style.

We will talk about the what is similar and what is different in All-wheel drive and Four-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is often confused with four-wheel drive because they are somewhat similar in design. A second reason for our misunderstanding is that four-wheel drive has been available in the market for much longer, so we naturally associate the two when discussing this technology.

All-wheel drive vehicles are designed to operate using all four wheels to propel the vehicle in the desired direction under all driving conditions. But there are also many part-time all-wheel drive vehicles available in the market. Two current examples of this are the 2008 Honda CR-V and Volvo S80. All-wheel drive allows the front and rear wheels to rotate at different speeds. In this way, traction can be maintained while vehicle handling is improved.

The all-wheel drive systems found on these vehicles work seamlessly when activated, but require slippage in order to engage. Because of this, part-time all-wheel drive can leave the driver feeling somewhat powerless. Just when you need grip the most, your request may take a few seconds to register with the system. This lag time can be a serious determent to getting unstuck or gaining control as quickly as possible.

Four-wheel drive, on the other hand, is best suited for poor traction surfaces such as off-road driving. That said, four-wheel drive is limited in ways many drivers simply don’t anticipate. Surprisingly, should one axle lose traction on hard road surfaces such as ice or packed snow, it is easy to suddenly find your vehicle pointed in the wrong direction.

The Suzuki SX4 Crossover is a great example of superb all-wheel drive technology at an affordable price. Suzuki’s 3-mode Intelligent All-Wheel-Drive, (i-AWD) provides excellent control over the traction characteristics of the vehicle. On dry paved roads, two-wheel drive operation is the standard setup. Switching to i-AWD on snow and ice allows power to be delivered to the wheels in need of traction. An additional feature allows for locking the i-AWD system on extra slick road conditions.

All-wheel drive is a technology well suited for the vehicles of today. Consider it the next time you purchase a new or used vehicle. Chances are excellent you’ll be pleasantly surprised and wonder why you waited so long.