A 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible would indeed be a grand car to own. It’s quick, powerful, and carries a lot of prestige, and it would certainly turn some heads on your driveway. But it still doesn’t carry the same type of prestige as something that comes out of the Ferrari stable, and it may be more tempting and might turn more heads if you had an early Ferrari California out front.
Intriguingly, you’re looking at about the same type of money for both these vehicles, which could make the California the bargain of the decade. But in reality, that value proposition may not be entirely clear-cut.
Corvette Money Can Now Buy You A Ferrari California
2009-2014 Ferrari California Top Down Red Front View DrivingFerrari
Specifications
2010 Ferrari California
2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible
Engine
4.3-liter naturally aspirated V8
6.7-liter naturally aspirated V8
Transmission
Seven-speed dual-clutch
Eight-speed dual-clutch
Drivetrain
Rear-wheel drive
Rear-wheel drive
Power
453 hp
535 hp
Torque
~358 lb-ft
520 lb-ft
Down at your Chevrolet showroom they’ll be perfectly happy to sell you a 2027 Corvette Grand Sport 1LT Convertible for $95,495, including the destination charge. You’ll obviously be getting a brand-new vehicle with plenty of performance, and it’ll also be protected by a factory warranty. However, in the used car market, you’ll probably find a number of early Ferrari Californias in the same basic price bracket. Indeed, a few of them, such as a recent 2011 California with 41,272 miles on the odometer and listed for $79,850, could be much cheaper.
Other examples include a 17,000-mile version for $89,000, and a 2014 California that had approximately 13,000 miles, going for $94,900. Of course, everything will depend on service history, accident repairs, specification, mileage, title status, and the thorny problem of deferred maintenance. But the broader point appears to be that if you have the money for a new Grand Sport Convertible, there are multiple Ferrari Californias within your reach as well.
This underlines the depreciation drama for the California. After all, in 2010, it had a base price of $192,000, so if one is for sale today at $80,000, it’s lost around $112,000, or about 58% of its value. Some of that drop may be due to more than standard depreciation, though, and may also reflect the model’s awkward place in Ferrari history.
The California Was Almost A Maserati But Became A Real Ferrari
2010 Ferrari California Manual Tan Interior Front CabinBonhams Cars
When it was new, the Ferrari California had something of an identity problem. According to reports from that time, decision makers considered the project as a potential replacement for the Maserati Coupe and Spyder. This was a time when Ferrari and Maserati were going through a period of reorganization within the Fiat group, which led to this kind of conversation at boardroom level. But in the end, a combination of the project’s aluminum construction, folding hardtop, transaxle, and expensive powertrain apparently pushed the cost beyond what might have been acceptable in the Maserati market. This meant that the project evolved into an entry-level Ferrari, even though some critics dismissed it as a rebadged Maserati.
In any case, the finished California did have plenty of Ferrari DNA. It had a Maranello-built 4.3-liter naturally aspirated V8 that produced 453 hp at 7,750 rpm. The maximum torque was about 358 lb-ft and power went to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle.
This was also Ferrari’s first production front-engined V8 road car and the first one to have direct injection. It also broke ground for Ferrari in having a new dual-clutch transmission and was also the first with a fully retractable folding hardtop across the company’s model range. Eventually, some of those features would go on to grace other Ferrari winners, such as the California T, Portofino, Roma Spider, and other front-engine V8 grand tourers.
Ferrari seemed to want the California to be somewhat less intense than the contemporary F430 and later 458 Italia, so designers gave it two small rear seats and a more compliant grand touring character. Owners could deploy its metal roof to turn it from a closed coupe into a convertible in around 14 seconds. And this was perhaps one of the more usable Ferraris for weekend getaways, as it could accommodate up to 12 cu. ft of luggage capacity with the roof raised and 8.5 cu. ft when folded.
While many of those qualities may have made it an easier Ferrari to live with, some thought that the company had simply gone too far. Even former Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne said that the California had a hard time seeing itself as a “full-blown Ferrari.” But perhaps the California didn’t really need to be a full-fat Ferrari. As CarBuzz senior editor Gerhard Horn puts it, “it was built to offer a more pleasing everyday experience, while still delivering the pantomime that comes with owning a Ferrari. Some call it a poser, but I don’t see a problem with that. For a large chunk of people, there’s joy in simply owning and driving a drop-top Ferrari slowly.”
The Grand Sport Makes The Old Ferrari Look Slow
2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand SportChevrolet
Back in its day, the Ferrari California was quick enough. It could get to 62 mph in 4.0 seconds and had a top speed of approximately 193 mph, which were perfectly respectable numbers for a comfortable 2+2 convertible. But those figures look modest alongside Chevrolet’s 2027 Grand Sport. With its 6.7-liter naturally aspirated LS6 V8, this car produces 535 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque, which gives it 82 more hp and about 162 lb-ft more torque than the original California. An eight-speed dual-clutch transmission drives the Corvette’s rear wheels, and the car has Magnetic Selective Ride Control 4.0 as standard.
In the acceleration stakes, the Grand Sport should get to 60 mph in under three seconds. Certainly, there’s a difference in how these separate acceleration figures are measured, with the California’s official acceleration figure recorded at 62 mph due to the company’s use of kilometers as its base, but the gap between the two is nevertheless significant.
Meanwhile, the Grand Sport looks the part, with its wider stance and the kind of visual aggression that you’d expect from a serious C8. You can also buy the car with a Z52 Sport Performance Package, which features Z06-derived iron brakes and firmer chassis tuning. There’s even the more extreme Z52 Track Performance Package that swaps those brakes out for carbon ceramic material, offers carbon fiber aerodynamic components, and has a center-exit exhaust.
Still, the standard California does stand up for itself in some areas, and it also has its own carbon ceramic brakes. But the Chevrolet is a quintessential example of modern-day performance technology. It has far newer chassis electronics than the older California, accelerates harder, and produces substantially more torque.
Depreciation Only Changes The Purchase Price And That’s The Catch
2009-2014 Ferrari California Top Down Blue Front Angled View DrivingFerrari
Buyers of that new Corvette will drive out of the dealership with lots of peace of mind and a nice warranty document in their glove box. Those who buy the California, however, will need to understand that their $95,000 Ferrari is not the same kind of maintenance proposition as a $95,000 Chevrolet.
Ferrari avoided some of the regular timing belt replacement issues linked to older Ferraris by using timing chains, but potential bills remain enormous if issues arise with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. That could be one of the biggest financial exposures, as issues involve removing the transaxle, and there is a particularly tricky procedure for diagnosing and replacing internal DCT speed, pressure, and temperature sensors.
The folding metal roof is impressive but potentially problematic. Shoppers should be very wary of this and conduct a very thorough pre-purchase inspection of this particular feature. They should also conduct a proper inspection of the vehicle’s carbon ceramic brakes, which can be particularly expensive when they wear out or if there’s any hidden damage.
There is also one other element to the potential ownership and value equation, and ironically, it is also a Maserati-related problem.
The California’s real problem is that the Maserati GranTurismo also exists, and it’s even cheaper. And it sounds nicer. It will also take a large chunk of money to maintain and repair, but it won’t be Ferrari ownership levels of cash.
The Ferrari Badge Is Still A Powerful Argument
2009-2014 Ferrari California Tan Interior Driver AreaFerrari
Nervous buyers, or even those who may be thinking purely rationally, may always opt for the Grand Sport Convertible. After all, there’s a broader dealer network to lean on, and a parts supply that’s less exotic than that of Ferrari. Buyers can also enjoy the Corvette without worrying whether an unexpected warning light could consume a meaningful percentage of the car’s value.
However, the California still makes a strong case with its traditional grand touring experience, a beautiful Ferrari V8 that delivers peak power at 7,750 rpm, and that Pininfarina-designed body. It may not be one of the company’s most celebrated creations, but that may be why it’s so attainable today. And due to its confused upbringing and early association with Maserati, this may be the Ferrari that depreciation was always meant to catch.
Sources: Ferrari, Chevrolet, Cars.
