Ferrari 296 GTB Lands In India
The Prancing Horse delivers 218bhp per litre of engine displacement.
Welcoming a new Ferrari is always accompanied by bucket-loads of excitement, regardless of the market. Even if it is a bit late to join the party. That’s precisely the case here; after more than a year since it was first unveiled, the Ferrari 296 GTB has landed on Indian shores, sporting a price tag of INR 5.40 crore. And it’s special. Not only because it comes from one of the most celebrated automotive marques in the world. But more because it rewrites the rulebook of what a V6-powered machine can deliver.
Like most Ferrari models from the past, the “296” means something. The ‘6’ refers to the number of cylinders in the powertrain. And the ‘29’ denote the engine capacity (2,992cc), even though it roughly translates to a 3.0-litre mill. Now, Ferrari just couldn’t call it the ‘306’; else, it would have had to talk to Peugeot. Why? Because the French carmaker has the ‘306’ tag under its belt.
Here. Check out the video of our first look at the Ferrari 296 GTB:
Even though Shivaum has explained it in detail (glossing over the incorrect power figure!), let’s word it out. The 296 GTB comes with a 3.0-litre (2,992cc) V6, boosted by two turbochargers. That, all by itself, churns out 654bhp. Do the math, and you’ll arrive at 218bhp/litre. Astonishing! But that’s not the end of the story. The Gran Turismo Berlinetta (GTB) also has a rear-mounted electric motor, which offers an additional 164bhp/315Nm. All put together, the two-seater super sportscar has 818bhp/745Nm on tap. OMG, right!
So, what do those numbers mean? The sprint from nothing to 100kmph takes 2.9 seconds. Keep the throttle on, and it’ll hit 200kmph in 7.3 seconds. And even if that isn’t quick enough, the car will sail past 330kmph at full stretch. Gearbox? Well, that’s the same dual-clutch 8-speed automatic featuring Formula 1 tech that does duty in the SF90. It rushes all the oomph to the rear wheels.
Unlike that LaFerrari, the 296 GTB can travel on electric power alone. But only up to 25km, at speeds of up to 135kmph. And once the 7.45kWh battery runs out of juice, you’ve got to plug the car in and charge.
The car actually equates to a mesmerising science lesson. For instance, the LaFerrari-inspired active spoiler integrated into the rear bumper delivers massive amounts of downforce. That’s important for a speedy Prancing Horse. And if you observe the car closely, there aren’t many protruding bits and pieces to spoil that low-slug silhouette. In addition, the suspension does its thing to keep the car glued to the road, no matter what speeds one gets up to. Also, clever aerodynamics aside, the Ferrari 296 GTB is packaged in a way that it weighs just 35kg more than the model it replaces – the F8 Tributo.
Indoors, there’s the unmistakable and super-busy Ferrari steering wheel. One could alter the dynamics of the speed machine by toying with the drive mode selector. There are four modes to choose from – eDrive, Hybrid, Performance and Qualify. Each one does things differently, even for the regenerative braking tech.
That’s probably enough text for you to drool over. But, you must check out the review of the Ferrari 296 GTB:
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