.

Oh-so-sexy Ferrari 2+2 GT drop-top has lost 30kg and gained 22kW for 2012.

Making its official debut at the Geneva motor show will be the upgraded Ferrari California - lighter, more powerful and with a new 'handling speciale' package - which is actually already in production.

Its direct-injection, 4.3-litre V8 gets new exhaust manifolds and engine mapping, boosting power from 338 to 360kW, with peak torque up from 385 to 505Nm, a little further up the rev range at 5000rpm.

The Scaglietti Centre of Excellence, which builds the California's all-aluminium body shell, has revised its fabrication and assembly techniques to knock off 30kg without compromising torsional rigidity.

All of which has reduced the car's 0-100 sprint time to just 3.8 seconds, which is close to superbike territory - in a 2+2 GT with a retractable hard top.

MAKING THE MOST OF THE EXTRA PERFORMANCE

There's also a new power-steering set-up with a 10 percent quicker steering ration to improve turn-in.

And, for Ferrari enthusiasts who want to make the most of the extra performance, there's the optional 'handling speciale' package, minimising body roll and sharpening the car's responses.

It includes stiffer springs and magnetic dampers, modulated by a new ECU that runs patented Ferrari software to reduce its reaction time by 50 percent.

Cosmetic changes for 2012, however, are limited to a new, more extensive choice of colours, including two-tone finishes, three-layer paint technology and modern re-interpretations of classic colour schemes to make your California unique.

Availability of the upgraded California will vary according to specific markets with the first deliveries scheduled for Europe in mid-2012.

Motoring newsletter - click here to keep up to speed with the best in motoring