Novitec Rosso's California

Carbon on a White Ferrari? 606 hp and 603 Nm / 445 lb-ft of torque at 0.4 bar? Very, very nice.... (^_^)

Novitec's take on Ferrari's California goes something like this: one 4.3 liter V8 boosted by a supercharger system that ends up pumping output to 606 horsepower. That's a 166 horsepower increase thanks to a boost pressure of 0.4 bar, making the Novitec California good for a 60 mph sprint in 3.8 seconds.

Top speed comes in at 325 km/h or 202 mph, while torque grows from 485 Nm (358 lb-ft) to 603 Nm / 445 lb-ft.

The entire supercharger system includes a crank-driven supercharger, water-to-air intercooler, bigger injectors, and a unique intake manifold, while Novitec's own stainless steel exhaust system is enhanced with a butterfly mechanism similar to edo's DBS and myriad other offerings throughout the exotic car market.

This allows owners to tune the exhaust note, from calm and burble-y when pulling up to the valet to raucous and rowdy when braking up a wedding Graduate-style.

The body gets what Novitec calls a "designer suit" in the form of some (optional carbon fiber) highlights around its edges, like a chin spoiler, rocker panels, rear lip spoiler, and rear diffuser.

Novitec also offers an upgraded suspension setup for the California which lowers the car by 35 mm, while a button-operated hydraulic lift system is available for tackling speed bumps and the like. It raises the front end by 40 mm and then goes back down either when the button is pressed, or when the car hits 80 km/h.

The NF3 rims on the floor model are 21 inches and 22 inches, front to back, and come wrapped in Pirellis. As for me personally, I'm no fan of the California's creases and plump rear end, so I'd have to pass on the whole package entirely or make a serious investment and have this puppy taken over to a coachbuilder for some new digs, designer suit or not.

- By Phil Alex