Ferrari president President Luca di Montezemolo recently put the California through its paces at the Fiorano circuit and went on to praise the retractable hardtop system, seen in use for the first time in the accompanying images for an Azzurro California blue-liveried model.

The compact system closes in 14 seconds and has minimal impact on storage - when the roof is up, the boot has a 360-litre capacity and a 260-litre capacity when it is down.

This is the first time too that the new 7-speed dual clutch has been used on a Ferrari car, a payback of the research for the Scuderia Ferrari. The system utilised on the California cuts gear shifting time to zero and enhances to the car’s performance in terms of comfort and driveability.

Performance is further boosted by the new Launch Control button which, when selected, delivers rapid high performance starts, ensuring correct torque delivery and preventing tyre spin.