Ferrari 296 GTB Launches in SA: Price, Details Revealed

Ferrari has launched its brand-spanking new Maranello mid-rear engine two-seater berlinetta, the 296 GTB, in South Africa.

The Italian brand says that “the 296 GTB redefines the whole concept of fun behind the wheel, guaranteeing pure emotions not just when pushing the car to its limits, but also in day-to-day driving situations.”

The 296 GTB ushers in an authentic revolution for Ferrari as it introduces a new engine type to flank the marque’s multi-award-winning 8 and 12-cylinder power units: a new 663 cv 120-degree V6 coupled with an electric motor capable of delivering a further 122 kW (167 cv). This is the first 6-cylinder engine installed on a road car sporting the Prancing Horse badge; it unleashes its massive 830 cv total power output to deliver previously unthinkable performance levels and an innovative, exhilarating and unique soundtrack.

The car’s name, which combines its total displacement (2.992 l) and number of cylinders was chosen, with the addition of the GTB (Gran Turismo Berlinetta) acronym in the finest Ferrari tradition, to underscore this new engine’s epoch-changing importance to Maranello. It is not simply the living, beating heart of the 296 GTB, but it also ushers in a new V6 era that has its roots deep in Ferrari’s unparalleled 70-year-plus experience in motorsports.

The very first Ferrari V6, in fact, featured a 65-degree architecture and debuted on the 1957 1500 cc Dino 156 F2 single-seater. This was followed in 1958 by bigger displacement versions on the front-engined sport prototypes – the 196 S and 296 S – and F1 cars, such as the 246 F1 which powered Mike Hawthors to the F1 Driver’s Championship title the same year.

The 296 GTB’s plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system guarantees it is an incredibly usable car as well as cutting pedal response times to zero and delivering a 25km range in all-electric eDrive mode. The car’s compact dimensions and the introduction of innovative dynamic control systems as well as meticulously honed aero ensure that the driver will instantly experience its astonishing agility and responsiveness to commands. It’s sporty, sinuous design and extremely compact dimensions also visually underscore its exceptional modernity, brilliantly referencing the likes of the 1963 250 LM, the perfect marriage of simplicity and functionality.

As was the case with the SF90 Stradale, for clients who want to exploit the car’s extreme power and performance to the upmost, particularly on the track, the 296 GTB is also available with the Assetto Fiorano package, which includes lightweight features and aero modifications.

Pricing

The Ferrari 296 GTB is priced at R6,380,200.