Ferrari California vs. 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG – Comparison Tests

Ferrari finally succumbs to the market appeal of a front-engine V-8 in a folding-hardtop convertible—despite a nefarious weight gain. In doing so, it invites a face-off with another prime ‘trophy car,’ the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG. For 54 years while Jaguars, BMWs, and Cadillacs have come and gone, the Mercedes-Benz SL has been the king of the trophy-car convertibles—the sort of car that not only says its owner has arrived but that he’s been around for a while. Ferrari’s latest offering, the California, uses the template of the latest-generation SL: a folding-hardtop convertible and a transmission that does without a clutch

pedal. Ferrari is positioning the California as a less expensive companion to the 599GTB and 612 Scaglietti grand tourers, leaving the mid-engined F430 to represent the harder-edged realm of Ferrari’s sports-car ambitions. So the overlap in price—the California’s base price of $197,350 is only $22,810 less than the convertible F430 Spider’s—isn’t supposed to be a problem, but some sales cannibalization is to be expected. Keep Reading: 2009 Ferrari California vs. 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG – Comparison Tests No related posts.

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Ferrari California vs. 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG – Comparison Tests