The all-new Ferrari 296 GTB returns with a six-cylinder engine with 819 hp

Ferrari 296 GTB, the first sports car with a hybrid 6-cylinder with great power, may support it in the face of McLaren Artura

Ferrari introduced the first six-cylinder engine called the Ferrari Berlinetta, and put it in its discreet 296 GTB, which dates back to the seventies of the last century, giving us the Ferrari 296 GTB with new power and a new look. The 296 GTB has been designed to range well beyond its fastest ever F8 Tributo V8 engine, and Ferrari says it is “the most fun to drive car in our entire product range”.

Ferrari showed its new two-seater, middle and rear, from Maranello, during an online event that took place on June 24, and was broadcast on Ferrari’s social media and web channels. According to Ferrari, it is redefining the concept of fun behind the wheel with its new Ferrari 296 GTB.

The new Ferrari 296 GTB replaces its old F8 turbocharged eight-cylinder engine with a plug-in hybrid V6, making it Ferrari’s first six-cylinder sports car since the Dino 246 (which did not wear the Ferrari badge). Ferrari is priced at 269,000 euros ($321,000 / £231,000), and the first cars are expected to be with European customers in early 2022, with a US market later this year. Other markets follow.

Ferrari 296 GTB is more powerful with a slim engine

But if you are worried about losing two cylinders leading to a decrease in performance , you can easily sigh and rest. A 2.9-liter six-cylinder petrol engine with a 120-degree angle is enough on its own to produce 654 horsepower, giving out 218 horsepower per liter, which, according to Ferrari, is the highest specific output of any production car for sale. And if that wasn’t enough power, Ferrari added an electric motor to unleash a massive total power output of 819 hp (830 hp according to Ferrari), with 546 pound-feet (740 Nm) of torque, making the Ferrari 296 GTB much more powerful. From the F8 Tributo engine that produced 710 hp, the McLaren Artura Hybrid surpassed it with 671 hp.

Ferrari says that’s enough to get rear-wheel drive from 671 hp to sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds, and to 124 mph in 7.3 seconds. It is worth noting that the F8 Tributo engine needed 2.9 and 7.6 seconds to reach the same speeds. And above you, it doesn’t lose anything of its power, but you’ll see a speed of 205 mph on the full digital gauges package. Ferrari says its 296th car can spin on the Fiorano circuit in one minute and 21 seconds, which means that the all-new Ferrari outperforms its old F8 by 1.5 seconds.

On the outside, the design of the car is largely borrowed from the F8 but the bulk of its SF90, as well as from the classic Ferrari race car, and takes glimpses of the classic 250 LM from the sixties, but to us, it seems to me that the Ferrari 296 GTB is better than any who are they. The active rear spoiler contributes a total of 794 lb (360 kg) of downforce at 155 mph while keeping the overall design cleaner, and a clear separation between the B-pillar and roof panel means it’s not hard to see what the Spider version will look like. which are inevitable.

Likewise, the interior is restrained and certainly driver-focused, with no sign of the large console-mounted touchscreens fitted to most modern cars. Even the shape of the dashboard – a tall, horizontal shape almost not connected to the transmission tunnel – is reminiscent of the original V6 Dino dashboard from the 1970s, and the retro-look gear selector raised from the SF90 emulates the look of the classic open-gate shifter.

Ferrari’s new hybrid system

So what about this new hybrid system? It consists of a single electric motor with 164 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque, the ICE combustion engine mated to an eight-speed transmission, and a 7.45 kWh battery pack that is installed under the floor. The new Ferrari’s electric range is 15.5 miles, which is 3 miles less than its main rival, the McLaren Artura. But expect to see more of this hybrid powertrain, or at least some of its versions, in Ferrari’s upcoming Purosangue SUV.

Like McLaren, Ferrari has worked hard to limit the amount of weight hybrids add to the car . Aside from dropping two cylinders, the Ferrari 296 GT’s engine is 1.8 inches (46 mm) shorter than the F8 Tributo’s, and measures 2.0 inches (50 mm) less between the axles.

The dry weight of the Ferrari 296’s engine is 1,470 kg which is heavier than the old F8 Tributo, which we can say is that McLaren will be pleased that the Artura outperforms its new competitor (35 kg) in lighter weight.

But there is an option to be lighter, if you are willing to make your wallet lighter at the same time. A version is available with the optional Assetto Fiorano handling package. Multi-purpose dampers, carbon body parts, a composite rear screen and Michelin Cup 2 R rubber stick help reduce weight by 27 lbs (12 kg) and include aero adjustments, and you can lighten the weight by another 15.4 lbs (7 kg) if you prefer the optional carbon fiber wheels.

Ferrari hasn’t released US prices for the 296 GTB or the Assetto Fiorano package, although you can forget any idea that the six-cylinder powertrain meant this would be a small Ferrari deal. But with looks like this and 819 horsepower to drive the rear wheels, whatever the price, it feels well spent and in place.

$321,400The so-called entry-level 296 GTB costs a whopping $321,400, but Ferrari customers are always willing to spend big, with the Assetto Fiorano specification costing $360,900.