296 GTB Test drive impressions

ATL Bond, Thank you for the summery of your test drive. All the comments that followed in the thread make great points all around; both pro & con.
I have had my order in since last April and only until now am I really getting excited for a fall or winter delivery. (I hope). In a perfect world, I along with many others would love to have one of each (430 3-pedal, non-turbo 458, 488, F8 , 296 and so on). But I am not a car collector, I am a car enthusiast which means I enjoy driving and tracking more than just plain ownership. Went from 11 cars to 6 and now down to 2. A 720 and a 458.
Still working full time I can hardly find the time to drive both of them let alone 6-11 cars.

Sorry for rambling but for me, as I get older, it's about experiencing were we have come from, and where we are, and where we continue to go in automotive design and performance advancements. I thought I would never part with my '05 Ford GT but then the 720 came along. Oh boy, what an advancement in handling, performance and all around drive-ability at track speeds. Add to that ,a radio that works, functioning a/c and interior hardware not from a Ford Taurus parts bin. It was like showing a drug addict a bag of white powder I suspect. So I made the swap while still having the most beautiful Ferrari ever penned sitting next to it; my 458 coupe.

Fast Fwd to the launch of the 296.....Intriguing from the aspect of yet another leap forward in the automotive world of performance cars. Many of my friends in the FCA were busting my balls about not having a V8 sitting behind me and my answer was: "I should be just fine with 820+ hp no matter how many cylinders".

So the dilemma now is, what set of keys do I give the dealer when the 296 arrives? Do I get rid of the Star ship Enterprise or the Mona Lisa of all Ferraris?
I'm leaning towards the 458 as she is losing a little something. Not in the gorgeous style but in the performance. I am constantly on the rev-limiter and driving tail out all the time. Dare I say...."old technology"?

This is why I'm really starting to get excited about my incoming 296. The wonder of just how good it real is. And how much more usable it might be; regardless of how much I hate, and will always hate the damn rear end. And finally, it captures the historic styling of my favorite Ferrari of all time,,,the 250LM.

As ATL Bond alluded to, styling and curb appeal is subjective, but all mid-engine Ferrari cars are beautiful.
I bailed on the 488 when I had a chance and bailed on the F8 when had a chance. The rational, just too damn much like my 458.
The 296 is a real step forward on an entirely new platform with an entirely new engine package (F1 DNA).


Maybe I'll keep all three , maybe I'll trade in the 720....we'll see. One thing is for sure, I am happy I kept my spot in line for the 296 as it has already gone up in value as the sales manager has said..." if I don't like it they will buy it back for more than I paid for it". There are already 45 guys behind me that waited to long to get on the allotment of 12 cars at our dealership.

JL
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thanks for the summary!

Saw my first 296 in Monaco last week. I agree from the front it looked a bit plain. Overall nice, but not dramatic. The rear was great as you say!

 

Had a test drive with the 296 in Singapore last weekend when I was passing through. The local dealer kindly arranged that. Singapore probably isn’t the ideal place to test the car but it was clear that it’s a very quick machine and really good handling. When I got in the car the battery was about half full but in qualifying mode it charged really quickly. Driving in E mode was a little surreal but all the modes were good. The cabin for me was a very comfortable place to be - room behind the seats and a good trunk up front. Didn’t get my head fully around all the controls but it was pretty easy to pick-up what I needed to know for the test drive. I’ve put my name down for the GTS and also the Purosangue but will wait for the launch of the latter to make a decision on one or both. The new models are certainly getting up there price wise!!!
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what flooring product is that?

 

Id keep the 458 and sell the 720. Both the 720 and the 296 are big power, force induction cars and feature gobs of torque. The 458 just doesnt do that. Now, that also means it can feel a touch old. You really have to work it to keep up with modern cars. If thats the problem then sell it, but I think you will end up missing the 458.

 

I also test drive the unit at Ital Auto last week. The things I don’t like is the clicking/squeezing sound keep coming from the dashboard plastic thing during driving. Maybe it is a demo unit.
And pedals are much closer than my F8 and I need to take off the shoes for the test drive [emoji23][emoji23]
Anyway, I put a deposit down for the GTS and looking forward to see the actual car later this year.


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Didn’t hear any of the noises you mention but maybe a lot of people have been through the car since I drove (August 6 at about 10:30). I may come and do a test drive again when the GTS gets to Singapore. Closer than my dealer!

 

My uncle is a racing driver and does track days for car companies. I was talking to him yesterday about the 296, he said it is the best car he has ever driven. this is in comparison with the current Mclaren and Porsche range. It was at Anglesey where he was driving it. Was fascinating to hear from a racing driver what it was like. He said the cornering was impressive because it would stick like crazy to the road but could also kick the back end out if he wanted it to.

 

Astroturf

 

lol. meant for JDLs post of his garage

 

Surprising...
a 765 LT or a 992 GT3 RS will be much more fun than a 296 on a track.
The 296 is a GT, not a track day car

 

lol. have you driven all of them to know? sounds like that guy has.

296GTB is a tad faster than the Pista around Fiorano. scaling that up- the Pista did 7 flat on the ring. the GT3 RS did 6:56 which is about the same as the 765LT. therefore one can assume the 296 can do the ring in the same time as the porsche and the macca. soo------ that's a track car no matter what anyone says. i'll tell you how it goes at Sebring when i get mine.

 

A track car is not 1700 kg with 150 kg of battery behind the seats !

 

neither is a 3000 lb porker like the GT3 RS or 765LT.

This is a track car.

 

Disagree (as would most who have tracked the RS). RS is a great track car--driven Sebring, Daytona, COTA and a week from Sunday at the Ring...

 

Doesn't actual performance matter more than weight? (Serena Williams would say it does.....(and I mean that respectfully)

 

so there you have it. a thousand strokes for a million folks.

some people have said the R8 is not a track car. they're wrong.

 

None of the production Ferraris is a track car.
If you want to go on the track in a Ferrari, buy a challenge with a trailer !

 

The chrono is for professionals, for amateurs the important thing is the pleasure of the senses

 

All that matters is how it performs overall. Weight is just a number, as is horsepower.

30 years ago, F1 cars weighed 500 kg, not they weigh 800 kg. Aren't they track cars anymore? That's funny... LOL!

 

+1 The 296 can glide gently and smoothly for commuting and also go berserk and tear through corners. Storage concerns aside, you can easily daily drive it.

From what I've seen of the new GT3 reviews, it's loud and too firm to make it your primary vehicle, and I'm sure the GT3RS will be way more rough than that.

 

Weight is a physical concept in automobiles.
Calling a 1700kg car a track car is ridiculous !
When you arrive in a corner, a high weight is felt, just like when braking,whatever the hp !
It's a fact, I didn't invent anything.
Ask Gordon Murray, his barely improved road car won Le Mans
A little objectivity and lucidity does not hurt...

 

The 296 can glide gently and smoothly for commuting and also go berserk and tear through corners. Storage concerns aside, you can easily daily drive it.---

exactly why i ordered one- it's what i've always loved about my R8s. as an amateur track junkie i can tell you one of the best parts is showing up in an R8 to a track full of 911s. i almost never see mclarens and ferraris out there. track 3x a year. i mean- that's the point of these cars right? and then hit up date night with the wifey all dolled up or drive to miami comfortably for the weekend.

i think this car is going to change the face and culture of ferrari ownership with fresh blood and a different outlook

 

When it runs circles around lighter cars at various tracks (as does the Sf90 Stradale) you might want to find other excuses about how that happens. According to all accounts both these hybrids brake and corner fantastically.
PS: The Le Mans McLaren F1 had virtually nothing in common with the road car. Ferrari's "heavy" WEC/GT3 cars also win the Le Mans in their respective classes.

 

The SF 90 is also a track car!
After 10 laps on a fast circuit the tires are destroyed !