I drove the California about a month ago up and down a windy canyon road and I have to say I was utterly surprised and impressed. I had expected it to be a lazier and softer and slow steering ratioed Mercedes SL500 type vehicle but I was pleasantly mistaken.
The new dual clutch transmission shifts like butter. You can still feel everything, but it's perfect in every sense. The traditional problem with these dual clutch systems is the downshift. If you do an unexpected downshift when the computer is expecting you to upshift, the downshift is rough and erratic because the gear is not preselected (as is the concept of the dual clutch system). However, I'm pleased to say that the Ferrari's transmission remained unfaltered with my tiresome attempt to fool the computer (I was stuck behind a slower driver during part of my mountain driving during this testing).
The car is very good, and although I wouldn't call it a thoroughbred Ferrari, it's definitely got the Ferrari DNA. The one thing that surprised me is the taillights. The brake lamps are not where you expect them to be. I find this to contribute to the overall unappealing rear trunk/bumper design of the car. The handling is very neutral and the body feels very stiff. I think it will be an easy car to live with both day to day and on the weekends. I first saw a functioning prototype of this vehicle thirteen months ago. It was a true pleasure to see the car come into realization only one month ago.
Here are some pics of the California I drove and the California I would like to have...