The 2023 Ferrari 296 GTS: Making Friends with Prancing Horses
As a general rule, any automotive journalist worth his salt is destined to tune in and out of the occasional new car briefing presentation. These tend to go on and on, and are peppered with specifications and details that are entirely superfluous to all but the most technical (read: geeky) of our kind. Sitting in our presentation on the roof of the Principe Hotel in Forte dei Marmi during the briefing for the new 2023 Ferrari 296 GTS, my ears quickly caught something that grabbed my attention.
“The Ferrari 296 GTS is designed to be the most fun Ferrari in the range”, stated a member of the engineering team. Considering said range also includes the 812 GTS, the Daytona SP3, and others, not to mention that the 296 GTS runs the smallest engine of the family, a 120-degree V6 coupled to an electric motor (between the engine and gearbox). While Ferrari has long held rank as a Goliath in the supercar space, the 296 GTS is clearly the brand’s David. The power-to-weight ratio certainly ticks the right boxes — at 1,540 kilos, it’s only 145kg heavier than a Lotus Evora, however where the supercharged Evora variant has 345 horsepower, the 296 GTS delivers 830 when set to “Qualify” mode.
Much of what the brand had to say about the car was effectively carryover from its closed-roof sibling. Most noteworthy was the mention that only 70 kilograms of mass was added to chop out the roof, the fact that the roof could open in 14 seconds, and that opening and closing could be accomplished at speeds of upwards of 45 km/h — I made sure to test the latter, adding the challenge of doing so while chattering over the one section of cobblestone found on my four-hour drive route. It’s also worth noting that the aptly named “hot tubes” (the air ducts that pipe engine noise into the passenger cabin) were retuned to provide an ideal level of ruckus in the drop-top variant. The brand even went so far as to add variable baffles to said tubes, which in turn are linked to the roof system to increase and decrease engine noise based on roof position.
After several minutes of nitty gritty techncity, another bit of nomenclature surfaced that raised several eyebrows in the room; Ferrari has coloquially named its V6 engine “the little V12”. To be frank, I’ve never been as skeptical of terminology in a presentation as I was in that moment. The argument presented was that between the low engine angle, the firing order, exhaust tuning, and 8,500 red line, the new motor has a distinct howl that’s reminiscent of the proper V12s. When pressed with further questions the vague response was along the lines of “you’ll see what we mean tomorrow”. And that, we most certainly did.
Drive Hard, Stay Out of Italian Jail
Over the course of nearly five hours on the open road, on a mix of straight flat highway, and ample miles logged climbing winding mountain roads, there were a couple of things that proved challenging to resist — the use of a heavy right foot, and sporting an ear-to-ear grin that doing the former promptly induced. This thing is fast, and we mean proper fast. Set to its most aggressive “Qualify” mode, the V6 dumps all of its power to the wheels (as does its electric motor), propelling you from 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, and up to 200 km/h in 7.6 seconds.
Being designed with driving pleasure in mind, blistering acceleration is only a small part of the equation with this new prancing horse. The steering feel, the confounding levels of grip, and the soundtrack that comes along with it make for a sensory experience that few competitors can rival. I reflect back on the days of testing Mclaren’s 720S as a counterpoint — a car that is technically exquisite on paper, but left me lacking in terms of emotional connection. The 720S was happily returned, whereas I could have easily signed up for another few days or weeks of piloting the 296 GTS.
2023 Ferrari 296 GTS
2023 Ferrari 296 GTS
2023 Ferrari 296 GTS
2023 Ferrari 296 GTS
2023 Ferrari 296 GTS
2023 Ferrari 296 GTS
2023 Ferrari 296 GTS
2023 Ferrari 296 GTS
2023 Ferrari 296 GTS
While much of my time was spent wringing as much power as possible out of the hybrid powertrain, there are other modes to speak of. In “Performance” mode, the car’s primary propulsion is still petrol, using occasional bursts of bonus EV thrust as needs must. In trade, the battery regeneration in this mode is much stronger, keeping its battery fully recharged with little fuss. Hybrid mode is a touch more confounding, as the engine toggles on and off based on driver inputs. Given the raucous tune of its exhaust, the random startups of the V6 can be a bit off-putting, however thanks to some clever gearbox engineering these transitions are incredibly seamless.
EV Mode — The Rolling Ninja
Now, here’s where things get a different kind of interesting. The 296 GTS (like its fixed roof GTB sibling) can run in full electric mode, for a total of up to 25 kilometres. Now, the e-motor itself only has about 167 horsepower to its name, so after a spirited run up the backside of the mountain, swapping to EV mode feels like you’ve entered a racetrack’s pit lane and are cruising on rather limited power. That said, that’s kind of the point. In practical application, I often found myself swapping down to EV mode as the drive route entered into the numerous small towns along the way, as to not disrupt an otherwise peaceful afternoon for the locals. All told, its an interesting sort of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sort of scenario at play, but one that works well as a complete package.
Canyon Cruiser Comforts?
Interestingly enough, for a performance-focused mid-engined convertible supercar, the extended drive remained quite comfortable. At a shot glass taller than six feet, hoisting myself in and out of the 296 GTS took a modest amount of effort, however the seat and overall ergonomics proved plenty tolerable for a day at the wheel. The suspension tune is also relatively tame considering the car’s cornering capability, and even when dialled up to a firmer position the ride never proved to be especially jarring. That said, we’d advise against the optional Assetto Fiorano package unless you’re genuinely set on being on the track quite frequently.
One thing I found myself hearing a few times from fellow drivers that day was about the level of complexity of Ferrari’s infotainment system — one driven by several buttons on the steering wheel, and only visible on the digital instrument cluster. Perhaps a case of comfort with new technology, but I can’t say that I agree with the gripes. The controls, albeit plentiful, proved quite intuitive, allowing me to toggle between navigation, audio function, and various performance displays with ease. As with any new car, taking an extra few moments to get familiar with the controls makes a world of difference.
Does “The Little V12” Cut It?
This is an interesting one to dissect. Perhaps I’m still a bit old school, in that I’ve long had greater interest in the analog supercars of yore — the ones that were notably hard to drive fast, and the type with a penchant for putting lead-footed novices six feet under, should they step out of line. I’m not “anti technology” in any respect, nor am I one to hang on to this dying idea that supercars need large, naturally-aspirated, petrol burning engines. More than anything it’s the “soul factor” of a car that creates the make-or-break moment, and even with half the cylinders and a modest electric assist, the 296 GTS tugged at my heart strings like few vehicles do these days. It’s lightweight, it’s composed, and it frequently had me second-guessing my understanding of the laws of physics.
Of the many performance brands walking this intersection of EV future and petrolic nostalgia, Ferrari seems to be one of very few that has a firm grasp on how to foster the changing nature of how we drive, without leaving behind those seeking some semblance of connection with the cars they drive.
Learn more about the 2023 Ferrari 296 GTS here.
