Don’t make the error of patronizing the Ferrari 296 GTS. I do know it’s tempting, as a result of this $366,139 centerfold packs a V-6 hybrid setup quite than the 8- and 12-cylinder energy vegetation which have made Ferrari NV well-known. There’s loads of pleasure and model id constructed into these inside combustion machines. “Ferrari doesn’t make cars, Ferrari makes engines,” because the saying goes.
The smaller engine just isn’t with out precedent. The corporate made road-going V-6s within the Seventies, although it doesn’t acknowledge these “Dino” fashions as official, brand-name Ferraris, even immediately. It’s a protracted story having to do with Enzo Ferrari’s deceased son, nicknamed Dino, and a few kind of bizarre machismo about what number of cylinders belong in an engine earlier than it may be thought-about manly. (The fashions have been designed and constructed by Ferrari however marketed as a brand new, entry-level model referred to as Dino.)
Anyway. As Ferrari rolls towards its first all-electric automobile, arriving subsequent yr, it is sensible that it will additionally make a hybrid or two. The 296 GTS is the open-air model of the superb Ferrari 296 GTB plug-in hybrid, which made its debut in 2021, following the LaFerrari gentle hybrid of 2013.
I drove the 296 GTS round South Seashore and Miami’s Design District, over Rickenbacker Causeway, and out to Exhausting Rock Stadium throughout the Formulation 1 Miami Grand Prix. It was a Ferrari-heavy weekend: The model was celebrating 70 years of gross sales within the US and had unveiled an excellent new pair of 12-cylinder sports activities vehicles. I attempted to not get too distracted. Right here’s what I assumed.
The Necessities
The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-seater combines 819 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque. It has seven miles of all-electric vary and 47 MPGe in mixed gasoline and electrical driving. With a clean eight-speed transmission and ultra-supple dealing with, it’s going to get to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds and hit a prime velocity of 205 mph.
The Good
Arresting, uncanny magnificence characterizes this gorgeous Spider. I drove one in Blu Corsa, a decadent tone that accentuated its most seductive angles and highlighted its rear buttresses, worthy of a characteristic in Architectural Digest. This is without doubt one of the uncommon convertibles that appears nearly as good with the highest up because it does with it down. (The roof folds down in 14 seconds, at speeds of as much as 28 mph.) Both approach, this Italian deal with exists not within the realm of vogue however within the realm of favor.
Presumably much more thrilling, the 296 GTS is quicker than nearly the rest you should purchase—however the way in which the dealing with, suspension and steadiness of the automobile management that velocity so elegantly is what makes driving it an unforgettable expertise. The hybrid energy plant excelled after I drove slowly via pedestrian-heavy Collins Avenue; its all-electric mode stored the automobile blessedly silent so I wasn’t that particular person with a screaming engine disturbing the joggers and cyclists as they loved the ocean vibes.
Cruising over Miami’s many bridges and overpasses felt like an opportunity to fly. That’s when the total energy of Ferrari’s distinctive engine made the automobile soar. In these exhilarating moments, submitting to authorized velocity limits grew to become my solely concern.
The Dangerous
The inane infotainment system. The maddening setup gives a postage stamp of a haptic touchscreen on the steering wheel to regulate easy issues such because the radio station. I needed to depend on my passenger and their very own little dashboard-mounted management display to regulate the local weather and audio and to sync my cellphone with the automobile, which was nearly as sophisticated and annoying for them because it was for me. Anybody who’s tried to purpose with the old-world Italian mentality of time and order will get it. (An American who works for an Italian firm as soon as informed me, “Italians are great at making simple things complex and complex things simple.”) We love them for it.
In the event you’ve obtained lengthy legs or huge toes or each, you’ll discover the footbox quite claustrophobic.
If You Keep in mind One Factor
There’s a purpose why Ferrari’s order banks are full years upfront, even when the common value of its vehicles is 4 occasions larger than Porsche’s. The corporate units the bar for attractive sports activities vehicles which can be enjoyable to drive and that look unimaginable even when parked. The 296 GTS is certainly one of them.
Nonetheless unconvinced? Drive it round for a day and bask within the appreciative appears to be like out of your fellow drivers and within the sheer enjoyable of driving it, and simply preserve your mouth shut about what’s beneath the hood. No person must understand it’s solely a V-6.
