| All-new car | 2008 Paris Motor Show | 2009 Ferrari California |
For most of us, retirement holds the promise of some gardening, bowling, golf and a free bus pass. Not so for Michael Schumacher who, in between racing a motorbike for fun, finds time to develop Ferrari's latest road cars. I guess at 39 years old, with millions already banked and seven Formula One world titles a chap has to keep busy. He's too young for the bus pass, too.
So Schumacher participates in Maranello's road car development. He has been involved in many of Ferrari's recent cars, most notably the Enzo and
430 Scuderia, the Ferrari star now helping polish the new California before it reaches production. With all that free time on his hands he's been part of the California's development team since its inception, working with Ferrari's engineers, technicians and test drivers to hone the car and its performance parameters.
Describing his role as "really fascinating and great fun", Schumacher underlines the differences between the California and the 430 Scuderia. He says: "Although the cars are very different, they both offer absolutely unique driving pleasure because of the inherently sporty character of all of the cars that come out of Maranello. The 430 Scuderia is, of course, a more extreme model with a focus on absolutely cutting-edge performance. However, although the Ferrari California is very much a Grand Tourer in terms of its usability and high level of interior comfort, it is still surprisingly sporty and fun to drive under any kind of conditions."
'Surprisingly sporty' for a man used to a screaming 800bhp V10 engine in a car weighing around 500kg, the California sounds very promising indeed. With a 0-62mph time of less than four seconds, a seven-speed, twin-clutch, paddle-shift transmission mated to a 453bhp 4.3-litre V8, all wrapped up in a folding hardtop package we can think of worse things to do in our retirement. I wonder if he ever pinches himself...
Kyle Fortune - 24 Jul 2008