Ferrari says the blown 3.9-liter V8 in the California T is the “first turbocharged engine with zero turbo lag.” You would think that a company that makes championship-caliber Formula 1 racers, famously red sports cars that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars would be soft-spoken and modest. Go figure.
Automakers and tuners have been turbocharging vehicles for decades under the dark cloud of delayed right-foot satisfaction. So, how has Ferrari managed to outrun it and do the seemingly impossible?
By using what it always uses to make its models bad-ass: lots of trick hardware chosen by engineers who know what to do with it.
The low-inertia, twin-scroll turbochargers’ turbines capture the exhaust gases at their peak pressures. A flat-plane crankshaft with low rotating mass ensures even firing between both banks of cylinders and sharpens throttle response, even when the tach needle is low on the left. Equal-length pipes on the exhaust manifold optimize the pressure waves crashing into the turbos. All of those parts come together to help eliminate “perceived turbo lag,” which means response time will be less than one second.
Will that be quick enough for the California T’s eventual road-testers? We’ll have to wait to see.
You can see Ferrari’s cool animations showcasing its 552-horsepower motor’s turbo tech right now, though. Just click the link below. You’ll also discover how the Italian wizards maximized the efficiency of their new power plant’s combustion and mechanical processes.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
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