Hybridised Ferrari 296GTB emerges from Maranello’s ‘Hall of Mirrors’
Admitting that its latest model is more evolution than revolution, considers Iain Robertson, is almost as strident as stating that it is the first time Ferrari has installed a V6 engine in one of its road cars, which is a factor that is only partly true…
While automotive conspiracists and historians can fill their boots with countless half-truths and misinformation, much of which was formulated by Enzo Ferrari, as he attempted to bamboozle his on-track rivals, the very recent revelation from the Northern Italian home of the ‘Prancing Horse’ suggests that the firm has lost none of its imagination. Named after his son, Alfredo ‘Dino’ Ferrari, who had led a small team that was developing a compact capacity V6 engine during the mid-1950s, Enzo was distraught inevitably, when the young man passed away, at the age of just 26 years, having contracted Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Although the prospect of a lower cost brand from Ferrari was yet to be realised, in 1957, a year after Alfredino’s death, a 1.5-litre, 65-degree V6 engine debuted in the Dino 156 F2 single-seat racing car. Enlarging the unit for installation in the front-engined 196S and 296S sports prototype cars, it even powered British racer, Mike Hawthorn, to his F1 World Championship in 1958. The earlier 206GT preceded by a couple of years the beautiful Dino 246GT road car that did not appear until 1969, both of which featured the V6 engine, latterly in its largest 2.4-litre guise. The truth is that the Ferrari badge was never applied at the factory to Dino models, hence the recent ‘half-truth’ statement made by Ferrari.
The latest V6 engine to power one of Maranello’s mystical sportscars relies on 120-degree architecture, displaces 2,992cc and develops a phenomenal 818.63bhp, with the help of a pair of turbochargers and a plug-in electric hybrid motor. Unsurprisingly, the 296GTB (Grand Turismo Berlinetta) delivers a prodigious turn of speed through its eight-speed, twin-clutch, automated-manual transmission. A top speed of 205mph is par for the supercar course but the 0-60mph acceleration time of just 2.6s and 0-124mph in a mere 7.3s is blistering by any definition. Eco-whingers can sate themselves with its posted 15mls EV-mode range.
The core design of the new model has been around for the past five years, having fostered several V8 and even V12 engined supercars. Its heavy nod towards the 250LM of the early-1960s continues with the overt air intakes sited just ahead of the rear wheels but, even though styled in-house these days, it is an outline that is as expressive as any produced during the Pininfarina era. It is dimensionally compact, occupying a footprint smaller than that of the 288GTO but wider to provide even more significant lateral grip to its handling envelope.
Clean, unfussy lines combine with the sculpted volume that contains the two-seat occupant cell. There is plenty of space for a pair of taller Europeans, within a typical hide and carbon-fibre bound interior that is designed to exude sporting comfort that can be enhanced, should the customer opt for the lightweight Assetto Fiorano package. Naturally, the dashboard follows current Ferrari style in driver-adjustable digital form.
For the first time, Ferrari has applied active aerodynamics to one of its cars not to manage drag but to enhance downforce; integrated into the rear bumper, it is similar to the device used in a LaFerrari. Apart from that, there are no complications to the 296GTB’s aero package, which directs inevitable heat away from essential cooling ducts and leaves channelling to the underbody, which results in total stability, when the car is conducted at high speeds. The effort expended even extends to the brake callipers that feature their own air-cooling system.
An active rear spoiler is integrated seamlessly into the bumper, taking up almost all of the space between the taillights. When maximum downforce is not required, the spoiler is stowed in a compartment in the upper section of the tail. However, as soon as acceleration is detected, which is monitored constantly by the car’s dynamic control systems, and exceeds a predetermined threshold, the spoiler deploys and extends from the fixed section of the bodywork, to provide a combined effect of 100kg increase in downforce over the rear axle, which enhances the driver’s control in high-performance driving situations and also minimises stopping distances under braking.
The manner by which the 296GTB handles and provides feedback to the driver (its ‘fun to drive’ factor) is measured by five different indicators and managed electronically, where essential: Lateral – responds to steering wheel inputs, the immediate reaction of the rear axle to steering inputs and effortless handling; Longitudinal – which includes both speed and smoothness of the accelerator pedal’s response; Gear shifting – that alters shift timing and the sensation of progression through the gears with every gear change; Braking – which relates to brake pedal feel, in terms of both travel and response rates; and, finally, Sound – the aural level and quality in the cabin and the progression of engine sound as revs rise. As much as possible, Ferrari has retained inherent engineering integrity but the electronic programmes will intervene, if required in extremis. Ensuring that EV porkiness does not intervene on a car tipping the scales at 1,470kgs was a major undertaking but Ferrari has achieved the commensurate balance.
Needless to say, a full complement of ADAS and connectivity is included within the 296GTB. The new eManettino adjustable driving mode selector offers four settings for the hybrid drivetrain to manage its EV, hybrid, performance and ‘qualify’ expectations. Despite the extensive use of technology, Ferrari was uber-keen to create a minimalistic impression both inside and outside the new car, in some ways (ironically) chasing the purer form exercised by Lotus Sportscars. While pricing has not been mentioned at this stage, you can reckon on c. £150,000 for the Ferrari 296GTB. Intriguingly, a seven years’ servicing package that is not mileage dependent but requires a 12,500ml interval is available.