The American market; to British car enthusiasts it can seem a strange and confusing place. Its size and profit potential force it into the forefront of the thinking of every car manufacturer that sells its products across the pond and give it a significant influence on the make-up of the vehicles in our showrooms. Despite this, it can be genuinely tough to get a handle on what makes those Americans tick. Ferrari's California is a good example, a car that represents a subtle shift in focus for the legendary Italian marque, one that can be explained away in three words; the American market.

We have the US of A to thank for more than just the California's name. The car enters Ferrari's eight-cylinder range, traditionally the home of the marque's highly-strung sportscars with their screaming V8 powerplants, but its front-mid-mounted engine, dual-clutch automatic gearbox, folding hard-top roof and the optional presence of rear seats suggest a somewhat softer focus. The California will line-up alongside the mid-engined F430, priced at broadly similar levels. It's, therefore, reasonable to view it as a more manageable alternative to the hardcore F430, with greater practicality and less of an aggressive edge. Now, who might want a Ferrari like that?

Everything is relative and the California's remit as a less extreme eight-cylinder Ferrari still leaves wriggle room for it to pack a 460bhp V8 engine under its bonnet that will fire the car, folding aluminium roof and all, to 62mph in less than four seconds. The engine utilises Ferrari's characteristic 'flat-plane' crankshaft with a direct fuel injection system and delivers a flatter torque curve that increases flexibility across the rev-range. It's 30bhp down on the unit in the F430 but as you launch through the gears with the 7-speed dual clutch transmission, it's unlikely that this will seem like a pressing problem.

"Ferrari says that the California harnesses the sporty flavour of the prancing horse brand"

The rear suspension system is a multi-link affair that's designed to enhance ride comfort and buyers can expect a ride that's notably less lumpy than that in the F430. The F1-Trac traction control system which first appeared on the 599 GTB Fiorano is also included but it's been adjusted to suit the California's more relaxed style and 'grand touring' focus. The braking system is from Brembo and features carbon ceramic discs as standard.

Ferrari describes the California as a '2+' which is a reference to the fact that the area directly behind the front seats can either play host to a couple of tiny occasional seats or some extra luggage space. Ferrari tells us that the California is "in the same vein as the 612 Scaglietti in the prestige sporty grand tourer segment" and this is reflected inside where there's a lot of leather and quite a bit of standard equipment. The car gets a unique instrument panel, infotainment system and a specially designed seat and steering wheel combo. The car's chassis is aluminium and designed to compensate for the extra weight of the folding hard-top roof. As a result, the California only weighs slightly more than the F430 despite being longer and having that folding tin-top on board.

There's a lot going on with the Ferrari California from a styling perspective. One of the first things that stands out is that the folding hard-top roof looks to have been well integrated. The rear of the car does appear to be slightly elongated but when the roof is down, the compromises made to accommodate its motors and metalwork are not obvious. The signature feature is the vent behind the front wheelarch from which an indentation sweeps back over the car's haunches rising over the door release en route. At the front, there's a slim bonnet scoop and a wide grille with the prancing horse at its centre.

The California squares up to the likes of Aston Martin's DB9 Volante and the Bentley Continental GTC, appealing to well-healed buyers looking for a Ferrari without the rough edges and hairy moments. Rumour has it that this car was originally intended as an entrant for Ferrari in the sub-£100,000 sector, possibly reprising the Dino badge, but the decision was taken not to stretch the brand down market. The California's advanced aluminium chassis was specially developed as a result and the car found its natural niche as a slightly racier alternative to the blue-blooded drop-tops from Aston and Bentley.

Ferrari purists are unlikely to be overly keen on the California. They may well see it as a softening of the brand's sporting focus for the benefit of buyers who want a pretty Ferrari convertible at a sub £150,000 pricetag. Ferraris, especially the eight-cylinder ones, are supposed to be a bit scary and the California is unlikely to be that. A good proportion of them seem destined to turn up in the land of their name, parked outside salubrious Hollywood restaurants, casinos and nightspots whereas Ferrari's fanatical fan base would like to see them bashing round race circuits and screaming up Alpine passes. The problem is that Ferrari fans don't tend to buy too many £130,000 Ferraris whereas Hollywood producers and Silicon Valley millionaires do.

It should not come as a shock to you that the Ferrari California will prove expensive to run although emissions of 310g/km are lower than some cars with the California's kind of performance. Those ceramic brake discs will also be costly items to replace along with virtually every other component on the car. Happily, the average Ferrari California customer won't give two hoots.

Ferrari says that the California harnesses the sporty flavour of the prancing horse brand while also adding greater versatility and comfort that we've come to expect at the more affordable end of its model range. Others will see the car as a step away by the brand from its high performance heritage in an effort to sell cars to wealthy Americans, and Europeans, with a taste for the finer things in life. Who's right may not be particularly important. The California is a seriously quick car by any standard and if it sells in sufficient quantities, it will help provide the funding for the kind of focused performance cars that Ferrari fans can really lust after. Everyone's a winner.