Turbocharged Hybrid V6 Roaring 819 HP To Power Ferrari 296 GTB

Sustainability, ecology, green – these words have come to touch Ferrari, as well, as shocking as it may sound. So now, the carmaker is blending the past with a future, or, to be more specific, installing a six-cylinder engine on its ongoing model – brand new 296 GTB. 

The new Ferrari 296 GTB is set to be above the F8 Tributo and comes with a hybrid V6 engine, instead of the former eight-cylinder. The new car will wear a price tag saying EUR 269.000, which is approximately USD 321k. The first deliveries are expected by the beginning of 2022, first to Europe, then to the USA.

Although one may think that a hybrid engine would reduce the performance, that is not true. There is 654 hp coming out of the gasoline 2.9-liter V6 only, 218 hp per liter, which is already the greatest power on a production car ever. Add the power coming out of the electric motor and you’ll get the beautiful figure of 819 hp with a 547 lb-ft torque. Yes, this is way more than McLaren Artura hybrid (671 hp) or F8 Tribute (719 hp). According to Ferrari, this is enough to push the car to its first 100 km/h in only 2.9 seconds. 

The hybrid system comes packed with an electric motor of 164 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque, an 8-speed automatic transmission, and a pack of 7.45 kWh batteries under the floor. The electric autonomy is said to reach 15.5 miles, which is 3 miles less than McLaren Artura.

As for the design, Ferrari 296 blends features coming from SF90 and 250 LM (from 1960). There is an active rear spoiler contributing to 360 kg of downforce at 155 mph. The B-pillar is clearly separated from the roof panel, so the Spider version becomes kind of predictable. 

In the cabin, the entire focus falls onto the driver. No modernistic consoles, touchscreens, or any other futuristic details interfere with the design. The dashboard comes in a long horizontal shape, resembling the original 70s Dino dashboard. The gear selector has a retro design, as well, looking like an open-gate shifter.

Ferrari has put a lot of effort into limiting the car’s weight which got increased by the hybrid system. It managed to do that by cutting off two cylinders and slightly shortening 296. Its dry weight now reaches 1470 kg but you can go for an even lighter version with the Assetto Fiorano optional handling package. This includes carbon body parts, Michelin Cup 2 R rubber, a composite rear screen, and multimatic dampers.

The prices haven’t been made official yet, but this model will surely be worth the money!