Fined over Ferrari test drive

An Australian motoring correspondent was fined and banned from driving for six months Monday after he was caught speeding in a rare Ferrari at 231 kilometres (144 miles) per hour.

Rod Easdown, 58, faced reckless driving charges following the July incident, when he drove more than twice the 110 kilometres per hour speed limit on a public road northeast of Perth, national news agency AAP reported.

Easdown, who lost his job as the Australian Financial Review's motoring writer over the incident, was fined 1,900 dollars (1,615 US). He was described in court as "Australia's oldest hoon," or illegal car racer.
Outside court, Easdown called the incident "the dumbest thing I've done" and pledged to promote road safety in future.

The car he was driving, a Ferrari California, was reportedly one of only two in Australia and worth about 397,000 US dollars.

2010 Ferrari California

California is where trends start and the new Ferrari California offers
some new trends. It’s Ferrari’s first front engine V8, the first with direct
fuel injection, the first with a seven-speed transmission, the first with real
launch control, the first with a retractable hardtop, and the first with a
stacked exhaust. Regardless of these new additions, the California has
the goods - a real Ferrari it is indeed! See the Slideshow of this excellent
GT below.

Past Ferraris have had front engine V6s and V12s but with its 4.3-liter
8-cylinder, Ferrari has made this entry level a great sports car. It shares the
same engine with the F430, however, it is heavier than the F430. Therefore,
the horsepower was dropped a bit to 457 hp but torque was upped to 357 ft- lbs.

The Getrag dual-clutch seven speed gearbox is marvelous in that it provides
continuous acceleration and it allows a great sounding power note between
shifts.

So what will the California do with its seven-speed transmission and
a heavy breathing Ferrari engine? It does 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and the
quarter mile in 11.9 second at 117.4 mph. The top speed is 193 mph.

Ferrari chose not to go with a ragtop but rather a retractable hardtop.
Even with the top down, the body structure is rigid as is Ferrari customary.
Another feature about the top is that it will not raise or lower if something
like a garage door opening does not provide the necessary clearance.

The California is equipped with ceramic brakes, however, Ferrari has
adjusted the brake system so that the brakes are not overly aggressive
and annoying for road driving. The brakes are compliant and easy to
use and provide stops from 60 mph in only 100 feet.

Ferrari 458 Italia

Ferrari 458 Italia Photo