Ferrari’s first V6 since the beloved Dino has a few tricks up its sleeve, notably its ability to slip below the radar. Ian McLaren got behind the wheel of the 296 GTB to find out what the Prancing Horse’s entry-level supercar has to offer!
Looking for a new or used vehicle? Find it here with CARmag.
- Price: R8 195 000
- Powertrain: 2.9-litre, turbocharged V6 + electric motor
- Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch
- Power: 610 kW @ 9 000 r/min
- Torque: 740 N.m @ 6 250 r/min
- 0-100 km/h*: 2.9 sec
- Top speed*: 330 km/h
- Fuel consumption*: 6.6 L/100 km
- Emissions*: 149 g/km
- Rivals: Porsche 911 GT3, McLaren 750S, Lamborghini Huracán
*Claimed figures
When I was young, only the coolest things in my life had a stealth mode. From a certain talking Pontiac Trans-Am in Knight Rider to a helicopter named Airwolf, and the Top Trumps card with a Lockheed SR-71 “Black Bird” on it, somehow, the idea of these otherwise menacing-looking machines being able to hunt in silence made at the flick of a switch made them all the more appealing. My first sighting of a Ferrari 296 GTB prowling the streets of Monaco in its respective stealth – namely EV – mode took me back to a time when I would rush through my homework ahead of a weekly televised rendezvous with my favourite covert crew.
As its name suggests, the 296 GTB (and its drop-top GTS sibling) is powered by a 2.9-litre, six-cylinder engine. This is the first time a V6 powertrain has been installed into a Maranello-made product since the Dino and, in this application, the mid-mounted engine is force-fed via twin-turbochargers sited within the 120-degree V. With power sent to the rear wheels exclusively, Ferrari’s first mainstream hybrid features an electric motor positioned between the engine and the transmission. Capable of adding 123 kW of instant performance to 296’s already stellar outputs, the main advantage of this setup is that via a 7.45 kWh battery pack, an owner can travel up to 25 km at a time in all-electric mode. Sold with the appropriate cables required for an overnight charge, a boon for Maranello’s hybrid solution is that the relatively compact battery can be recharged while driving.
Related: Road Test: Volkswagen Tiguan 1.4 TSI R-Line DSG
Compared with the brand’s new halo F80, the 296 GTB’s exterior styling is an exercise in restraint and elegance that blends modern influences and subtle yet effective aerodynamics with beautifully crafted nods to this marque’s proud heritage models. From the so-called “tea-tray” front diffuser to the air ducts to the integrated roof-mounted spoiler designed to force a cooling current onto the engine bay, there’s no better example of this past-meets-present styling than the driver’s-seat view in the side mirrors of the car’s legacy-inspired moulded rear wheel arches towering above the crafted intake pods. I love that the active wing only appears when deemed necessary and that the floor of the car is as intricately designed as the rest of the package; each component playing a pivotal role in keeping the 296 planted on the asphalt.
I tried hard, having spent more time than usual in Ferrari South Africa’s Cape Town showroom admiring the intricacies of this Grigio Silverstone-painted 296 GTB’s exterior, to hide my disappointment at the realisation that the electrically adjustable driver’s seat reached its bump stop still a few millimetres away from my preferred driving position. With the hybrid system’s battery packaged behind the front seats, I suggest drivers taller than 186 cm might need to “try this car on for size” before committing. Even so, forward visibility from the driver’s seat is excellent.
Getting any negatives out of the way in one go, I’m also not a fan of outer door handles guaranteed to snap a manicured fingernail, or the fussy haptic controls for the digital instrument cluster, mounted on the multifunction steering wheel.
Related: Ford Mustang Dark Horse in SA: 2024 Allocation Already Spoken For
The wheel also houses the haptic starter switch, indicator controls, a manettino (little lever) to toggle through the car’s driving modes (including wet, sport and race) and a so-called eManettino setup managing the hybrid setup.
Helped by this car’s subtle exterior paint finish, I saw my initial reaction to witnessing a 296 GTB in stealth mode mirrored in the faces of pedestrians and fellow road users as I glided through Cape Town CBD’s congested road network en route to our photo location. Even when not locked into its all-electric driving mode, in these driving conditions the default hybrid setup favours emissions-free propulsion until a purposeful prod of the throttle awakens what Ferrari has dubbed its “piccolo V12” (baby V12).
Developed with optimal refinement and weight distribution within this “entry-level” package in mind, while 488 kW @ 8 000 r/min is certainly newsworthy – and would be impressive even without hybrid assistance – it’s the corresponding soundtrack of this powertrain that Ferrari is justifiably proud of. Compete with subtle swishes and swirls from the hard-working turbos, this is one of the most characterful six-cylinder engines I’ve experienced, including a welcome level of audible drama on hand from midway on the rev band.
Operated via tall, easy-to-reach paddles mounted to the steering column, the 296’s 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is one of the best in the business, with upshifts encouraged in this test unit via F1-style lights incorporated into the steering wheel rim. On the right surface, and with the bespoke 305/35 R20 Michelin rubber on the rear wheels up to temperature, the 1 660 kg 296 GTB feels every bit good for its claimed sub-3-seconds 0-100 km/h and 7.3-second 0-200 km/h sprint times.
While you’re certainly aware via the cushion of the bucket seat that there’s up to 740 N.m of combined torque being directed to the rear wheels of a car with a relatively short (2 600 mm) wheelbase, rather than needing to tiptoe around these figures, I relished each opportunity to lean on the car’s impressively sharp front-end before easily modulating the 296’s mighty reserves of performance to scythe my way around a favourite set of sweeping corners.
An electronically controlled rear differential, a two-chamber adaptive damping system (that includes a more forgiving “bumpy road” setting) and massive carbon ceramic brakes play a role in building confidence behind the wheel. A mid-engine, rear-wheel drive setup that, on paper, should be intimidating to push to its dynamic limits (and could still bite an inexperienced or careless driver), and indeed there’s a welcome level of engagement and cohesion in the way this newest piccolo Ferrari behaves.
Adding to the allure of this modern Maranello-built product is its ability, once you’ve finished exploring its 8 500 r/min redline, to all but disappear from the radar – its battery seamlessly self-charged during the proceeding ruckus.
Together with a beautifully crafted and material-rich interior, the 296 GTB’s sleek, elegant and perhaps even understated stance certainly belies the potency of its hybrid powertrain. Like the Purosangue sampled on this same test route for our August issue, where Ferrari continues to impress is its ability to incorporate future-focused technologies – including powertrain and suspension – within products that manage to find a compelling middle-ground between real-world usability and outright performance.
Find the full feature in the January issue of CAR Magazine.
