Auto Trader NZ
Published 3 September 2020
The Ferrari California HELE has landed on our shores, offering a CO² figure better than some family cars, but with no loss of performance and unique driving experience for which Ferrari is renowned.
Ferrari says that in real life usage an owner can expect a 23% drop in CO² emissions compared to the standard Ferrari California.
But the improvement in emissions has had no effect on performance, with the Ferrari California HELE still capable of making the dash to 100kmh in less than four seconds and going on to a top speed of 310kmh.
Ferrari’s engineers are reportedly tackling the emissions challenge by “optimising the existing technological content of the car and by introducing innovations designed to reduce its energy requirements (vehicle efficiency) and increase the amount of power generated (engine efficiency)”.
In short, the California HELE uses less fuel to produce its energy and then uses less of that energy to provide its remarkable performance – with an extra 25Nm freed by the HELE technology, this new variant is apparently even more responsive than the standard car.
Together with the Stop&Start system, HELE incorporates new intelligent engine fan and fuel pump control, electronic air-conditioning compressor displacement control and a gear-shift pattern that adapts to driving style.
In terms of the cooling system, the introduction of the brushless motor and continual fan speed control has allowed the Ferrari technicians to decrease current absorption and cut the system’s weight by over 2kg as well as reduce aerodynamic drag by 5% at high speeds.
The fuel pump capacity is controlled constantly by the engine CPU to limit power demands on the alternator, while intelligent air-conditioning compressor displacement control slashes the amount of torque absorbed by the system by 35%.
The result of these refinements is that, under normal running conditions, the engine can avail of an extra 25Nm of torque which in turn boosts responsiveness.
With regard to the transmission, in automatic mode the gearbox CPU automatically identifies the driving style being used and adapts the gear shifts to match. If, for instance, it recognises a driving style that demands moderate torque at low engine speeds (typical of city driving), it optimises the gear shifts to cut fuel consumption. If, however, a sportier driving style is adopted, then gear shifting becomes more high performance too. There is also a pedal map for each gear.
The California is the first Ferrari to sport the Stop&Start system, which restarts the car in just 230 milliseconds, so that there is no impingement at all on driveability. Once again, the technicians’ goal with this technology was to improve fuel consumption levels and sportiness in tandem. They have done so using features designed specifically to allow the driver to restart the engine not just by releasing the brake pedal, but also by using the accelerator pedal or the UP paddle mounted on the steering wheel.
The Ferrari California is now available with the HELE system as a factory-fit option with a price of $$2650 in New Zealand excluding statutory charges, delivery costs and dealer charges.
Stay tuned for a review of the Ferrari California on Autotrader soon…
