Kansas man buys the Ferrari that car enthusiasts 'hate' to prove why they're all 100% wrong about it

A Kansas man has bought the Ferrari that car enthusiasts love to hate, and he thinks everyone has been getting it completely wrong.

Tyler Hoover of Hoovie’s Garage has picked up a Ferrari model long criticized for its styling and reputation as a watered-down Ferrari.

But after paying $69,000 for his example, Hoovie thinks the much-maligned grand tourer might actually be one of the smartest modern Italian supercars you can buy.

And with other modern supercars from the brand now commanding eye-watering prices, its bargain price makes its case even more convincing.

The car everyone loves to hate

The Ferarri California supercar has never enjoyed the same status as Ferraris like the 458, 430, or 360.

Enthusiasts have criticized its styling, relatively relaxed driving experience and practical grand touring character, with some even questioning whether it deserves to wear the iconic horse badge at all.

And Tyler Hoover from Hoovie’s Garage admitted that he used to feel much the same way.

But prices for the supercars have changed the question dramatically, because supercars such as the 360, 430, and 458 have become seriously expensive in recent years, while the California has largely been left behind.

That meant Hoovie could pick up a 27,000-mile example with a clean Carfax for just $69,000.

Unlike some of the cheaper Californias on the market, this one also came with desirable Daytona seats and was in generally good condition.

It’s still a Ferrari – just a more usable one

The Ferrari California was never supposed to be a 458 with a different body.

It was designed as a grand touring car, complete with a folding metal roof, a usable trunk and two small rear seats.

That makes it considerably easier to live with than some of Ferrari’s more focused offerings, and it also has plenty of genuine bits and bobs underneath.

The California was the first from the Italian designer to use a front-mounted naturally aspirated V8 and the company’s first dual-clutch transmission.

That transmission is mounted at the rear, helping give the car a more balanced weight distribution, while the engine sits far back behind the front axle and it also sounds exactly how you’d expect a V8 to sound.

And despite the California’s reputation as the ‘boring’ one, Hoovie found it plenty of fun when he took it out on the road.

The car can happily cruise around like a comfortable GT, but switching to the paddles brings out the supercar character with quick shifts, a responsive car and plenty of V8 noise.

A former Ferrari tech puts it to the test

Of course, buying an inexpensive Ferrari doesn’t mean you’re completely escaping supercar-sized repair bills.

Hoovie took his new car to a former Ferrari technician for an inspection, expecting him to uncover a long list of expensive problems, but instead, the car turned out to be in surprisingly good shape.

There were still a few things to deal with, including cracked belts and blown rear shocks, along with some minor underbody damage and missing panels.

The California also has some known issues, including potential transmission sensor failures, carbon buildup and problems with its complicated folding roof.

But the technician didn’t find anything that looked like a catastrophic problem, and Hoovie estimated that getting his example fully sorted should cost less than $2,000.

That is ultimately what makes the California so interesting, because it is the most hated of the supercars.

You can spend several hundred thousand dollars on a newer one, or you can spend around $70,000 on a California and still get a genuine experience, but it might never become the enthusiast favorite that the 458 is.

But when you have the right logo, a naturally aspirated V8, a folding hardtop, usable back seats, and a price that looks more like a new SUV than an exotic supercar, maybe being the car everyone loves to hate isn’t such a bad thing.