Don’t make the mistake of patronizing the Ferrari 296 GTS. I know it’s tempting, since this $366,139 foldout comes with a V-6 hybrid powerplant rather than the eight- and 12-cylinder powerplants that make the Ferrari NV famous. These combustion engines are imbued with pride and brand image. As the saying goes, “Ferrari doesn’t make cars, Ferrari makes engines.”
Smaller engines are not without precedent. The company produced a road-going V-6 in the 1970s, but even today the company doesn’t recognize these “Dino” models as official Ferraris. It’s a long story, having to do with Enzo Ferrari’s late son, nicknamed Dino, and a certain strange sense of masculinity about how many cylinders an engine needs to have in order to be considered manly. (These models are designed and built by Ferrari but marketed as a new entry-level brand called Dino.)
Anyway. With Ferrari launching its first all-electric car next year, it makes sense that it would also make a hybrid or two. The 296 GTS is the open-air version of the excellent Ferrari 296 GTB plug-in hybrid, which debuts in 2021 following the 2013 LaFerrari mild hybrid.
During the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, I drove the 296 GTS around South Beach and the Miami Design District, over the Rickenbacker Causeway, and finally to Hard Rock Stadium. It’s a Ferrari-filled weekend: The brand is celebrating 70 years of sales in the United States and unveiling two glorious new 12-cylinder sports cars. I try not to get too distracted. This is my idea.
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The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-car version has 819 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque. It has an all-electric range of 7 miles and 47 MPGe in a combination of gasoline and electric driving modes. With a smooth eight-speed transmission and ultra-smooth handling, it will hit 62 mph in 2.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 205 mph.
OK
This stunning spider is of striking and uncanny beauty. I drove a Blue Corsa, a decadent hue that highlights its most alluring angles and accentuates its rear buttresses worthy of a feature in Architectural Digest. This is one of those rare convertibles that looks just as good with the top up or down. (The roof folds down in 14 seconds at speeds of up to 28 mph.) In any case, this Italian delicacy doesn’t exist in the realm of fashion;
Perhaps more excitingly, the 296 GTS is faster than almost anything else you can buy, but the way the car’s handling, suspension and balance control speed so gracefully makes driving it an unforgettable experience experience. The hybrid unit performed brilliantly as I drove slowly down pedestrian-heavy Collins Avenue; its all-electric mode kept the car quiet, so I wasn’t the one bothering joggers and cyclists with a screaming engine. They enjoy the atmosphere of the ocean.
Cruising over Miami’s many bridges and overpasses feels like a chance to fly. That’s when the full power of Ferrari’s unique engine sends the car taking off. In those heady moments, adhering to legal speed limits became my only concern.
harm
Stupid infotainment system. This maddening setup offers a stamp of tactile touchscreen on the steering wheel for controlling simple things like radio stations. I have to rely on my passengers and their own little dash-mounted control screen to adjust the climate and audio and sync my phone with the car, which is almost as complicated and annoying for them as it is for me. Anyone who has tried to reason with the Italian old world mentality of time and order will understand. (An American who works for an Italian company once told me, “Itals are very good at making simple things complicated and making complicated things simple.”) We like them for this.
If you have long legs or large feet, or both, you’ll find the footbox rather claustrophobic.
if you remember one thing
There’s a reason why Ferrari’s order pool is a full few years ahead, even though its cars cost, on average, four times that of Porsche. The company sets the standard for sexy sports cars that are fun to drive and look incredible even when parked. The 296 GTS is one of them.
Still not convinced? Drive it for a day, enjoy the admiring looks of other drivers and the sheer joy of driving it, and remain silent about what’s under the hood. No one needs to know this is just a V-6.
