296 VS

I really hope the 296VS will have a rear wing and more front aero and takes on a number of the design aspects of 296 Challenge. Also to bring it closer to driving capability of a Porsche GT3RS. That'll be a dream road car for me.

I just took delivery of my 296C and just did nearly 70 laps in it. All I'll say is "oh...my..God". It drives really well despite being a track car with mostly road car mechanical bits compared to other race cars. On a high speed 5km track it's about 1 seconds behind my 2022 Lambo Super Trofeo EVO2 (which is mostly race mechanical parts) and more than 2-3 secs faster than a 488C Evo. What this tells me is that the 296C is a formidable machine! From aesthetics point of view, it's just gorgeous and got a lot of compliments from spectators and pit crews. All this makes me really hope the 296VS will carry a lot 296C elements especially from design and aero.

I drive all my cars a lot and will only want to ever have cars I want to drive regularly in my collection. This means I can't really worry about resale as it defeats the purpose why I have these cars in the first place. The downside of my pathway is that I will never be classified a "Ferrari Collector" despite having a few of them at a time and a few on order. What this means is I'll unlikely to be offered a special series and this saddens me a bit. A lot of collectors I know don't even drive their cars or have others drive it for them during exhibition events. It'll be nice if Ferrari treated owners like us a bit differently as we will unlikely have more than a handful at a time. For example, i wouldn't buy an SF90 as I didn't find it thrilling through the hills, but i would have gotten SF90XX in a heart beat not for its resale value but knowing its going to be an insane car to drive. But, i didn't qualify... I get it.. but still feel disappointed.

Hope I'll get offered a 296VS at least. What a car it'll be! And I hope it'll look like my 296C a fair bit Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Great post and beautiful specced car! Thank you for sharing

 

Is that really a thing? Not getting allocations because Ferrari don’t want owners to put mileage on the 7 figure cars?

 

Every new model is faster than the past - it's how they sell cars.
The 296VS only has to be faster than the 296 - very good drivers car.
Question is - aero downforce hp styling. I'm not sure Ferrari will put a fixed wing on a non XX car.
Prefer they make it as hardcore as possible and hope it's an XX.

 

It's my understanding - today you can not buy a 296C unless you commit to a full year of Challenge racing.
Beautiful race car - enjoy!

 

Beautiful! Congratulations on the car!

 

If we were all the same the world would be a boring place.

 

That's not

That's not what i meant. Allocations is on what you have and how many you have i believe. Which for a non collector means i will never get these potentially awesome cars for driving unless I buy after market at a premium.

 

I would say given the precedent set by 911 GT3, 296 GT3 and SF90XX, there IS a decent chance it comes with a fixed rear wing, however even if it doesn’t, if the restyling is as good as the Pista was, it will still be a great and very successful car. They may also try to thread the needle between the two options by creating a hydraulic ‘pop up’ rear wing.

 

Facts are an SF90 is one of the fastest cars in its class and on a 1/4 mile it is hard to beat. If someone wants a loud exhaust sound, they go to Novitec and all is well.

 

Owned and own a few cars - If I had to pick just one - SF90 Spider AF.

 

The 296 VS won't have anything to do with the racing versions either. The reason that the 296 was chosen as a basis for the race car was that the V6 already exceeded the maximum power allowed by the BOP and that being RWD and smaller offered itself to the set of racing regulations in place.

Which GTi was that? The European version had 115 PS. Still, saying that such a car is more enjoyable than any sport car, leaves me dumbfounded...

 

Ummm … right. Sure. You’re probably right and the 296 VS will have NOTHING to do with the racing versions. Be on the look out for all of the non-references to the current racing series 296 variants at the launch of the 296 VS and in all of Ferrari’s press releases and marketing content for the car lol!

 

Are we still assuming you'll have to have both 296 gtb and gts in order to be considered? would an f8 and gts count?

 

The European Mk1 GTI had 108 hp. The American version, a Rabbit GTi has 85 hp. The UK has no equivalent roads to the Blue Ridge Mountain range. If it did, you'd not be so dumbfounded. I have pulled 1.8 Gs in the Rabbit on roads you don't have an equivalent to in the UK (a nation with perhaps the very worst roads in the developed world). The GTi gave birth to the hot hatch. It is without a doubt, an exciting car, regardless of horsepower in the mountains of Western North Carolina. I'm sorry you didn't have the luxury of my youth. Not only is it an excellent handling car, but it is a car easily modified that I promise can take anything in these mountains you throw at it with the correct mods.

 

Time will tell - why would it be any different than every other track version Ferrari?
Some aero / hp / tech / downforce / weight loss - much like the XX but for the fixed wing.

 

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more than famous!

 

I think you’re right in what you’re saying here. All of those changes are to be expected. I am also predicting a base price of $535,000 usd and approximately 850 bhp all in.

The question is will the aero be tilted more toward the Speciale and Pista end of the spectrum or more towards the 911 GT3 RS, 296 GT3 and SF90 XX end of the spectrum?

Hopefully d355 can give us some hints about this …

 

I highly doubt you would be required to have BOTH. With that being said, unless you are TOP or VIP you’re definitely going to have to have at least one, preferably one YOU ordered new from the factory and still own. Plus you will need more factory orders recent past or inbound to have a real chance, such will be the demand for this car.

I predict the 296 VS will be considered the greatest ever drivers’ car VS to date. And that goes for both on track and street driving. And that also includes versus the 458 Speciale, 812 Competizione, and the SF90 XX.

It’s going to be what Ferrari cognoscenti refer to as “The one to have.”

 

I found the 296 more fun to drive than the sf90. I'm likely selling the SF90 and awaiting my late ordered 296, and I agree that this VS should be quite something. It may be a better driving car than say a Speciale, but I haven't driven anything that is on a level experience of one.

 

thank you! I have a puro and a GTS on order right now. I just consigned my beautiful Roma because the GTS gets here relatively soon (8 months) and I have another two big cars coming (3RS & Mustang GTD) but wondering if I should pick up a used gtb in order to make sure I qualify for the VS.

 

Ferrari’s selection algorithm is somewhat opaque and always changing. With that being said, more recently delivered, and pending delivery, cars ordered by you from the factory equals more pull. It just does. So unless you’re a Challenge Race driver, the more recent factory orders you have the better, and if you have more than one 296 in your garage that’s not going to be decisive but it’s not going to hurt. Also if you’re going to buy a used 296 to bolster your chances, buy one from your authorized dealer rather than sourcing it elsewhere, but don’t tell them why you’re buying it obviously.

 

Exactly what I’m thinking.
Plus at the price some certified pre owned gtbs, it’s seems like a bargain for brownie points. This or an F8, but I think a gtb would be more pull.

 

Yes it’s better to position as the most ardent 296 fan in the world, so a 296 over an F8.

This is about increasing your chances. From what it sounds like you are on the bubble but have a chance at a later allocation.

 

Thank you for your insight! I agree - time to shop