We do a lot of videos and articles on mass market cars every week but seldom does something come along that makes your heart pound heavier and set your pulse racing. One of the very few things in our “boring” world that leaves goosebumps is a low slung, angry, red Italian sportscar. There’s a fat chance that while you were reading the previous sentence, you were visualising a Ferrari. I did too. And to beat your mid-week blues we have brought you a walkaround of Ferrari’s latest, the 296GTB.
Exteriors
When Ferrari split ties with Pininfarina, it came as a huge shock to fans all over. The 812 Superfast was the first in-house design and we could see the clear shift in the design direction. As a part of this transition, it seems, they are trying to make the cars sleeker and more suave than dramatic and angry in the 2020s. We saw this philosophy with the Roma, SF90 and infact, all the recent cars. The 296 is also a part of this as we see simpler curves making way for a more edgier design.
You are simply mesmerised when you lay eyes on it for the first time. It looks like a spaceship and especially in this Rosso Corsa paint, it is incredibly attractive. Be in the low bonnet, the exaggerated and powerful haunches or the massive air vents and grills, it all comes together as a symphony and effortlessly completes the car. Even the headlights have small vents passing through them!
The 20″ Matt Grigio Corsa Diamond cut alloys look supreme with a minimalistic design working very well to contrast the rest of the design. Massive carbon ceramic brakes with huge yellow callipers lie just behind, almost looking oversized. A large and proud prancing horse logo sits just above on the fender proudly telling the world of the car behind it, not that anybody will mistake the 296GTB for anything other than a Ferrari.
Moving on towards the rear, you will also realise how they have used vents and black trim to create more drama. The centre stage is rightfully taken up a huge exhaust tip as a Ferrari deserves. The mean and massive rear diffuser shows you that this car means serious business. However, what is sad is that this time around, they have decided to conceal the beautiful engine with an almost opaque cover. *Sigh*. It used to be one of my favourite parts of their designs.
Interiors
Inside, the car continues with a minimalistic and driver focused design. The entire interior is also coated with some of the finest leather in the world and it truly feels the part. You open the door and you are greeted to some very nice looking sports seats. The busy steering has also been updated and now features touch based buttons.
In true Ferrari fashion, it gets flanked by enormous carbon-fibre paddles. Another high-definition screen also acts as the instrument cluster. And in a third instance, there is also a small screen on the passenger side to show how much the driver is enjoying taking the corners. The gear selector has also been given a modern twist and is now a silver knob in a chrome enclosure. A tasteful 296 badge is also present on the passenger side.
Conclusion
To say that the 296GTB is fast is a gross understatement. It is not just fast, its properly, scarily fast with the capability of hitting the ton in only 2.9 seconds! If that isn’t enough, it will even do 0 to 200 Kmph in just 7.3 seconds! Now if you are a purist you’d think the 296’s hybrid twin-turbo V6 powertrain is a sacrilege for a Ferrari. That too just with 3L of displacement BUT, stay with me here, it produces a combined 819HP, a figure it shares with the V12 812 Superfast. Isn’t that something now? The top speed is 330 Kmph which is what true hypercars used to do, not many years ago! The 296GTB then, certainly punches much above its weight. Now only if Ferrari lends us one for a review, that would be awesome!
A special thanks to Ferrari New Delhi for letting us check it out!
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