Photo: Ferrari
“We have a surprise for you,” wrote Ferrari on social media. The Prancing Horse of Maranello is referring to the open-top sibling of the V6-engined 296 GTB. Be it GTS or Spider, the jury is out for the time being.
Spied on multiple occasions clad in camouflage, the convertible differs in a handful of areas from the berlinetta. For starters, Ferrari has redesigned the rear deck and rear window. But on the other hand, the front-end styling is unchanged. On the oily bits front, prospective customers will be offered the very same high-output V6 hybrid powertrain introduced by the 296 GTB.
Codenamed F163, the 3.0-liter V6 is Ferrari’s first six-cylinder engine developed for street-legal applications. Gifted with a 120-degree angle between the cylinder banks, the powerplant develops 654 ponies at 8,000 revolutions per minute. An electric motor assists it with 165 ponies, which translates to 819 horsepower and 546 pound-feet (740 Nm) on full song.
A plug-in hybrid that offers up to 25 kilometers (approximately 16 miles) of zero-emission driving range, the 296 GTB can be considered the indirect successor for the Dino 246 GT. Both models are loosely inspired by the 250 Le Mans prototype racing car descended from the 250 P prototype racer.
Open-top cars are often heavier than their hard-topped counterparts, and the 296 GTS is expected to adhere to this rule of thumb. For reference, the SF90 Spider is 100 kilograms (220 pounds) heavier than the SF90 Stradale. To whom it may concern, the 296 GTB flaunts a dry weight of 1,470 kilograms (3,241 pounds) and a weight distribution of 40.5 front and 59.5 out back.
Even if that’s very close to the combustion engine-only F8 Tributo, the plug-in 296 GTB is properly quick and fast. Ferrari quotes 2.9 seconds to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) and a top speed in excess of 330 kilometers per hour (205 miles per hour). But most importantly, the 296 GTB has lapped the Fiorano test track in one minute and 21 seconds as opposed to 1:20 for the 812 Competizione and 1:19 for the SF90 Stradale.
Codenamed F163, the 3.0-liter V6 is Ferrari’s first six-cylinder engine developed for street-legal applications. Gifted with a 120-degree angle between the cylinder banks, the powerplant develops 654 ponies at 8,000 revolutions per minute. An electric motor assists it with 165 ponies, which translates to 819 horsepower and 546 pound-feet (740 Nm) on full song.
A plug-in hybrid that offers up to 25 kilometers (approximately 16 miles) of zero-emission driving range, the 296 GTB can be considered the indirect successor for the Dino 246 GT. Both models are loosely inspired by the 250 Le Mans prototype racing car descended from the 250 P prototype racer.
Open-top cars are often heavier than their hard-topped counterparts, and the 296 GTS is expected to adhere to this rule of thumb. For reference, the SF90 Spider is 100 kilograms (220 pounds) heavier than the SF90 Stradale. To whom it may concern, the 296 GTB flaunts a dry weight of 1,470 kilograms (3,241 pounds) and a weight distribution of 40.5 front and 59.5 out back.
Even if that’s very close to the combustion engine-only F8 Tributo, the plug-in 296 GTB is properly quick and fast. Ferrari quotes 2.9 seconds to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) and a top speed in excess of 330 kilometers per hour (205 miles per hour). But most importantly, the 296 GTB has lapped the Fiorano test track in one minute and 21 seconds as opposed to 1:20 for the 812 Competizione and 1:19 for the SF90 Stradale.
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