Geneva 2012: Ferrari California

• New car to make debut at show
• Lighter and more powerful
• Sporty handling pack offered

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The new Ferrari California will make its debut at the Geneva motor show at the beginning of next month.

See also: All Geneva motor show 2012 news

The California's 4.3-litre V8 engine gets a 30bhp boost to 483bhp thanks to new exhaust manifolds and engine mapping, while Ferrari has cut the grand tourer's overall weight by 30kg.

This has all resulted in improved handling and performance figures, says Ferrari. The car's 0-62mph time of 3.8 seconds shaves a tenth off that of the current car.

Ferrari has also developed an optional handling pack – called Handling Speciale – which included upgrades to the steering and suspension.

The pack is designed to give the grand tourer a more sporty demeanour. It will allow the suspension to offer faster response times to bumps, while tweaks to the steering system make it 10% quicker.

Along with the mechanical upgrades, the new California will get a wider range of colour choices, including two-tone finishes and three-layer paint technology.

Pete Barden