Ferrari California HELE: Paris Motor Show 2010

The Ferrari California HELE

Not surprisingly, most of the Ferrari focus at the Paris Motor Show has been on the Ferrari SA APERTA, the 599 Roadster making its first appearance. But the SA APERTA isn’t the only new Ferrari on Ferrari’s stand in Paris.

Ferrari has brought along the Ferrari California HELE to Paris (and no, we don’t know why Ferrari suddenly find it necessary to SHOUT their car names), which is about as close as you’ll get to an Eco Ferrari.

The California HELE (HELE stands for High Emotion Low Emission. Good grief.) is the next step in Ferrari’s quest to cut fuel consumption and emissions across its range. Not for any great desire to ‘Save the Planet’, and nor because their customers really care how much fuel they use, but because barking mad legislation round the world insists upon it.

So the California HELE gets stop/start which helps reduce fuel consumption by 23% and CO2 emissions by 29g/km. Other stuff on the HELE contributing to the not insignificant drop in fuel consumption and emissions include new controls for the cooling system and AirCon.

The HELE also gets improvements to its dual clutch ‘box which is now said to adapt to the driving style at any given moment, adapting instantly as revs change. Be interesting to see how this works, because most ‘learning’ boxes remember what you wanted to do and ignore what you want to do. Or maybe I expect too much.

Despite irritation at the motivation for these changes it’s hard to argue with a better driving experience and lower fuel consumption.

If indeed that’s what the HELE gives.

By Cars UK