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 slightly than the 8- and 12-cylinder energy crops which have made Ferrari NV well-known. There’s a number of delight and model id constructed into these inside combustion machines. “Ferrari doesn’t make automobiles, Ferrari makes engines,” because the saying goes.
The smaller engine shouldn’t be with out precedent. The corporate made road-going V-6s within the Nineteen Seventies, although it doesn’t acknowledge these “Dino” fashions as official, brand-name Ferraris, even in the present day. 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 of manly. (The fashions had been designed and constructed by Ferrari however marketed as a brand new, entry-level model known as Dino.)
Anyway. As Ferrari rolls towards its first all-electric automotive, arriving subsequent yr, it is smart that it could additionally make a hybrid or two. The 296 GTS is the open-air model of the wonderful Ferrari 296 GTB plug-in hybrid, which made its debut in 2021, following the LaFerrari delicate hybrid of 2013.
I drove the 296 GTS round South Seaside and Miami’s Design District, over Rickenbacker Causeway, and out to Onerous Rock Stadium through the Components 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 a wonderful new pair of 12-cylinder sports activities automobiles. 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 easy eight-speed transmission and ultra-supple dealing with, it would 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 function in Architectural Digest. This is among the uncommon convertibles that appears pretty much 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 method, this Italian deal with exists not within the realm of vogue however within the realm of fashion.
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 stability of the automotive management that velocity so elegantly is what makes driving it an unforgettable expertise. The hybrid energy plant excelled after I drove slowly by means of pedestrian-heavy Collins Avenue; its all-electric mode stored the automotive blessedly silent so I wasn’t that individual 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 complete energy of Ferrari’s distinctive engine made the automotive 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 automotive, which was nearly as difficult and annoying for them because it was for me. Anybody who’s tried to cause 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 nice at making easy issues complicated and complicated issues easy.”) We love them for it.
Should you’ve received lengthy legs or large toes or each, you’ll discover the footbox slightly claustrophobic.
If You Keep in mind One Factor
There’s a cause why Ferrari’s order banks are full years upfront, even when the typical worth of its automobiles is 4 instances increased than Porsche’s. The corporate units the bar for attractive sports activities automobiles which can be enjoyable to drive and that look unbelievable even when parked. The 296 GTS is one in every of them.
Nonetheless unconvinced? Drive it round for a day and bask within the appreciative appears out of your fellow drivers and within the sheer enjoyable of driving it, and simply maintain your mouth shut about what’s underneath the hood. No one must realize it’s solely a V-6.
