Tech Check: Ferrari 296 GTB Is A Baby SF90 Stradale

The 296 GTB is the first mid-engine V6 GT Ferrari has produced since the Dino 246 GT, a car sub-brand named after Enzo Ferrari's deceased son, Dino. Suffice to say this is a special car because fundamentally it takes the concepts designed in the SF90 Stradale, which is the current flagship and shrinks it to a more compact form making it the most powerful V6 hybrid car in the segment and arguably the prettiest car the prancing horse has released in the last couple of years. Let's take a look at the tech that makes it tick. 

The V6 Hybrid 

The new twin-turbo 3.0 litre V6 delivers 654 bhp augmented with 122 kW electric motor

It is not only the first mid-rear engine V6 Ferrari has released since the Dino 246 GT but also the third plug-in hybrid the Maranello-based outfit has released. So you're talking about a combination of a V6 which has a 120-degree flat V design that has a devastating output of 654 bhp coupled with a 122 kWh electric motor that delivers another 165 bhp totaling the figures of the car to a mind-numbing 819 bhp at 8,000 rpm with 740 nm of torque at 6,250 rpm. Ferrari has released some stunning figures including a 0-100 km/h time of 2.9 seconds and 0-200 km/h time of 7.3 seconds. It can also drive in an eDrive mode which gives it a range of 25 kilometers using just an electric motor releasing zero emissions, though this mode can't be used for more than the odd errant run. 

ABS EVO

There is a new braking system which gives this car more stopping power. Ferrari has combined 6 sensors with the ABS system - Ferrari claims this reduces braking distance by 10 per cent. That's staggering. 

Modern Cockpit 

There are no buttons in the interior and there is no central console

In a continuation of the theme of its deriving a lot of its technology from the SF90 Stradale, it gets a fully digital cluster on the inside. So from a design and theme point of view, it may be a throwback to the 250NM or the 246 GT from the 60s and 70s, from the inside it is a boldly modern Ferrari - though it doesn't have a main central console like most modern cars including the new GT - Ferrari Roma. 

It gets this wide swooping virtual instrument cluster which is combined with touch controls and yes, you still get the iconic Ferrari Manatino dial which even offers a qualifying mode. For the passenger side, there is another strip that is touch-enabled which will display some driver-level details. This interior is devoid of any buttons which is really fascinating for a marquee that prides itself on history and legacy. 

More details are awaited about what is housed inside the 296 GTB, but for that, we need to wait till 2022 when it will arrive for upwards of $200,00. The good news is that it will not replace the F8 Tributo so if someone is looking for a Berlinetta, then they have a couple of options from the prancing horse.