FERRARI 296
THOUGH IT WEARS a Ferrari badge, the 296 GTB is above all a delivery vehicle. This is the car created to carry the company’s most important new road-car engine, in decades, into the arena.
Codenamed F163, this V6 will power who-knows-how-many future Ferraris. And for its first appearance Maranello has chosen to demonstrate that less, done their way, is more.
The electrified 3.0-litre engine of the 296 GTB isn’t just a little more powerful than the 3.9-litre V8 of the F8 Tributo, it’s a lot more. While its 80kW advantage isn’t the only factor at work, the 296 GTB also cuts a significantly quicker lap of Ferrari’s famed Circuito di Fiorano test track. Reflecting its place in the performance pecking order, the 296 GTB is priced above the F8 Tributo.
Judged by numbers alone, the 296 GTB is a pretty persuasive introduction to the F163. According to Ferrari engineers, the V6 was conceived, designed and tested in unelectrified form before being assigned to the 296 GTB project. And only at this time was the decision taken to
