Ferrari California revealed

MARANELLO, Italy — The official name of the Ferrari GT was revealed on Tuesday, along with three photographs. The new Ferrari California, which will make its official debut at the 2008 Paris Auto Show, is undergoing a slow striptease that seems to be working to the advantage of the Prancing Horse brand.

The reveal of the name of the GT comes on the heels of yesterday's word that Lamborghini will set up its U.S. operations in Santa Monica, California. Apparently, the West Coast has become the darling of the Italian exotic marques.

Ferrari bragged in a statement that "the Ferrari California site has been up and running under theferrarigtcountdown name since last Friday and, purely on the strength of word of mouth between Ferrari fans on the Web, it attracted more than 60,000 hits from all over the world in just one weekend." Most of the visitors, the company noted, were from the U.S., followed by Italians.

Enthusiasts got a peek at the car today via three photographs, showing front, rear and side views of the car. Ferrari says new photos of the cabin and other details will be posted in the coming weeks.

Ferrari says the new model "will be available exclusively as a convertible with a folding hardtop. Both chassis and bodywork are aluminum, in line with the rest of the current range. The California will be powered by a new V8 engine mounted for the first time in the marque's history in the mid-front position."

The California's 4.3-liter V8 features direct fuel injection and a "flat" crankshaft. It generates 460 horsepower at 7,500 rpm. The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Ferrari California sprints from zero to 60 mph in less than 4.0 seconds. The California also gets the F1-Trac traction control system that debuted on the 599 GTB Fiorano and a new multilink rear suspension system, as well as Brembo brakes with carbon-ceramic discs.

What this means to you: Take two in the slow reveal of the latest Prancing Horse GT. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent