The California was featured on the British TV show Top Gear (November 2009). The episode centered on a cross country challenge to determine the best grand touring vehicle. The California was matched against the Aston Martin DBS Volante and the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. The tour went through the Romanian countryside from the Black Sea to the Carpathian Mountains and across the acclaimed Transfăgărăşan Highway. The results of the challenge were inconclusive.