A pretty Ferrari California, seen in China’s capital Beijing in 2011. The good Ferrari was painted in red, and that is the only proper color for a sporty car in Red China. The California was further sexed up with darkened windows, gray alloys wheels, and red brake calipers.
The Ferrari California was made from 2008 until 2017. It features a classic sports car design, with a long bonnet, rear wheel drive, and a convertible hard top for driving in the summer sun. Power came from a 4.3 liter V8 engine with an output of 490 hp and 505 Nm, good for a 312 km/h top speed and a 0-100 in 2.8 seconds. Gearbox was a seven-speed DCT.
Back in 2011, the California was still a very rare car in China. Any Ferrari was, really. Later on, around 2015 or so, there were so many of these things around that I didn’t always bother to take photos anymore. Price in 2011 was a very steep 3.52 million yuan.
The SCC badge on the left refers to the Sports Car Club. These clubs were very popular in the 2000’s. They had chapters in every major Chinese city. The club’s Beijing clubhouse was at the Workers’ Stadium, which can be seen in the background.
The stadium was a great place in the center of town, with lots of bars, concerts, football matches, and many speedy cars. Sadly, in 2020 the entire stadium and surrounding area were demolished. A new stadium is currently under construction but the unique atmosphere of the place is unlikely to return. Too bad. But hopefully there will be Ferrari’s again!