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2022 Ferrari 296 GTB Shows Crazy Agility in Torturing Track Test

Ferrari is a master of many things, but getting its entry-level game right didn't always come easily, from marketing the V6-powered models of the 60s and 70s under the now-retired Dino sub-brand to the California bloodline of the late 2000s, which never quite got it right until the Portofino and Roma turned things around a few years ago.
Ferrari 296 GTB test prototype 10 photos
Photo: Varryx/YouTube
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And you'll have to choose between those two when seeking a baby Prancing Horse, since the brand-new 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB is an 818-hp (830-PS) monster with a hybridised twin-turbo V6—we've brought along a supercar spotter-captured video showcasing the newcomer going all out on the carmaker's Fiorano test track.

The 296 GTB plug-in hybrid, whose name involves rounding the 2,992cc displacement to 2.9L and adding the cylinder count, replaces the 488 GTB, so, naturally, it one-ups the retiring model on the said circuit (by 0.5s, with a lap time of 1:21s). And the piece of footage below, which comes from YouTube vlogger Varryx, allows us to see the Fezza hard at work on the said track.

The intro brings together some of the spiciest bits of the vid, yet the rest of the clip is worthy of our undivided attention, with the test driver using the full width of the track (and sometimes a little extra) as expected from an all-out testing session.

The chassis is still aluminum (carbon tubs remain reserved for limited-production models), but aero optimization—more on this below— and the shorter wheelbase allowed by removing two cylinders mean the plug-in hybrid is more eager to change direction. For one, you'll be able to notice the agility of the Fezza during various maneuvers.

Unlike the 986-hp (1,000-PS) SF90 Stradale, this is a RWD proposition and it shows. Then we have the tail-out moments, with one of the most intense coming at the 7:50 timestamp, which sees the driver repeat a corner via one of the track's short loops.

Still looking for an extra edge? The tires are turned into smoke under heavy braking, and the steel discs can be seen glowing at times.

The Italians are serious about the downforce. For starters, this is the first time when a mid-engined Fezza uses active aero (rear spoiler) to push the vehicle down rather than counteract drag.

And those headlight air intakes, which help cool the brakes, mean there's no need for such units to be placed underneath the car. In turn, this allows the belly of the beast to be brought closer to the asphalt, so the ground effect can suck the vehicle onto the road.

The V6, whose 120-degree angle means the turbos can sit between the cylinder banks, churns out 654 hp (663 PS), which makes for a specific power record, while revving all the way to 8,500 rpm. A special clutch is used to connect the engine to the couple made up of the dual-clutch transaxle and the 122-kW (167-PS) electric motor, which draws its power from a 7.5 kWh battery.

Despite the video being captured from afar, we can still get a taste of the Ferrari 296 GTB's soundtrack. And that seems like something that can help take one's mind off the pricing of the Italian exotic, which reportedly kicks off at €269,000 ($321,000 at the current exchange rates).

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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