Don’t make the error of shopping for the Ferrari 296 GTS. I understand it’s tempting, because this $366,139 centerfold has a V6 hybrid powertrain relatively than the 8- and 12-cylinder engines that made Ferrari NV famous. There’s loads of pride and brand identity in those internal combustion engines. “Ferrari doesn’t build cars, Ferrari builds engines,” because the saying goes.
The smaller engine just isn’t without precedent. The company made road-going V6 engines within the Seventies, but to today doesn’t recognize these “Dino” models as official branded Ferraris. It’s a protracted story that has to do with Enzo Ferrari’s late son, nicknamed Dino, and a form of weird machismo about what number of cylinders an engine will need to have for it to be considered masculine. (The models were designed and built by Ferrari, but marketed as a brand new entry-level brand called the Dino.)
Be that as it might, with Ferrari moving toward its first all-electric automotive next 12 months, it’s logical that it could also make a hybrid or two. The 296 GTS is the open-air version of the superb Ferrari 296 GTB plug-in hybrid, which debuted in 2021 following the 2013 LaFerrari mild hybrid.
I drove the 296 GTS through South Beach and Miami’s Design District, across the Rickenbacker Causeway and to the Hard Rock Stadium through the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. It was a Ferrari-heavy weekend: the brand was celebrating 70 years of sales within the US and had unveiled an important latest pair of 12-cylinder sports cars. I attempted to not get too distracted. Here’s what I believed.
The most crucial
The two-seater with mid-engine and rear-wheel drive has 819 hp and 650 Nm of torque. It has a purely electric range of 11 kilometers and a combined petrol and electric consumption of 6.5 l/100 km. Thanks to the graceful eight-speed transmission and very smooth handling, it accelerates to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 330 km/h.
The good
This stunning Spider is characterised by a fascinating, eerie beauty. I drove one in Blu Corsa, a decadent shade that accentuated its most seductive angles and highlighted its rear buttresses worthy of an article in Architectural Digest. This is one in every of those rare convertibles that appears just nearly as good with the highest down because it does with it. (The roof folds down in 14 seconds at hastens to twenty-eight mph.) Either way, this Italian treat exists not within the realm of fashion, but within the realm of favor.
Perhaps much more exciting is that the 296 GTS is quicker than almost the rest you may buy – but the way in which the automotive’s handling, suspension and balance control that speed so elegantly makes it an unforgettable experience to drive. The hybrid powertrain shone as I slowly drove along pedestrian-filled Collins Avenue; its all-electric mode kept the automotive delightfully quiet so I wasn’t the one with a screaming engine disturbing joggers and cyclists having fun with the seaside atmosphere.
As I drove over Miami’s many bridges and overpasses, it felt like I used to be flying. Then the total power of the unique Ferrari engine sent the automotive soaring. In those exhilarating moments, my only concern was obeying the legal speed limits.
The bad
The silly infotainment system. The wacky setup encompasses a postage stamp-sized haptic touchscreen on the steering wheel to regulate easy things just like the radio station. I needed to depend on my passenger and his own small dash-mounted control screen to regulate climate and audio and sync my phone to the automotive, which was almost as complicated and annoying for him because it was for me. Anyone who has tried to reason with the old-fashioned Italian mentality of time and order will understand. (An American working for an Italian company once told me, “Italians are great at making simple things complex and complex things simple.”) We love them for it.
If you’ve gotten long legs or large feet or each, one can find the footwell relatively claustrophobic.
If you remember one thing
There’s a reason Ferrari’s order books are full years prematurely, regardless that the typical price of its cars is 4 times higher than Porsche’s. The company sets the usual for sexy sports cars which can be fun to drive and look incredible even when parked. The 296 GTS is one in every of those cars.
Still not convinced? Drive it around for a day, benefit from the appreciative looks out of your passengers and the sheer driving pleasure, and just keep quiet about what’s under the hood. No one must understand it’s only a V-6.
