0-292 km/h Ferrari 296GTB speedometer with km/h breakdown.

There was time when v12 Lamborghini did 0-300 in 30ish seconds and it was an achievement in itself to drive at that speed.

And it was not long ago. Just 12 13 years ago…


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Yes my estimation is it should be right around 20 seconds to 300 maybe slightly under.

 

Anecdotally, it is faster on the main straight at Thermal than anything else I’ve driven. The seven board I was already at 150. Next day the Senna GTR was 137 there. Downforce and a DRS button that does nothing.

765 is comparable, STO needs a supercharger. Nothing older was close except the 918. GT3 race cars no = downforce/wing. I’m sure my 1,500hp Nissan GTR could have been faster but I had to break before the seven board, lol.

My experience on track shut my yap about denigrating a six, turbo, hybrid.

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I routinely run sub 4.75 seconds 60-130 mph and sub 4.9 seconds 100-150 in my 765. Fastest on a single run 60-150 mph is 6.98 seconds. I’ll be thrilled if my 296 can get near those numbers.

 

The 296 should have a power advantage as well as the instant response provided by the hybrid system - combined with the 8-speed gearbox (which needs to be used to optimize power usage) I'm confident it will outperform the 765. The 296 has a weight penalty but it's not the most important factor for acceleration figures.

 

weight is one of the single most important factors in acceleration

 

Indeed it is to some extent, but its importance fades with 1) power and 2) reached speed. It's more important at lower speeds, but at these lower speeds traction is probably a more important factor...
One good way to feel weight is not that important is to compare acceleration performance of cars with similar power-to-weight ratios: usually the car with more power wins, which tends to show weight is in the end not the most important for these performance metrics.

 

Yes but below 100 mph it matters a lot, and everywhere, street and track included, you’re more often accelerating from below 100 to over. Maybe on the autobahn it matters less in certain places. There’s probably 500 pounds difference between a 765 and a 296. That’s a lot. FWIW to me the 296 did not feel as scary rapid as the 765. Although it definitely felt very quick and the throttle response is better. Maybe on track that lack of wildness would help translate to a better time for the 296. Who knows. In a straight line though I estimate 765 is .5 seconds quicker from 100-200 km/h and probably 2 seconds quicker from 100-300 km/h. My 765 can struggle to get the power down off the line. I have however, ran a 9.7 s @ 149 mph in the 1/4 on the street in my car with stock p zeros. I expect my 296 to do maybe 9.9 @ 145 mph.

 

0-100 in 2.8 seconds (turbo S tested at 2.7)
0-200 in 7.2 seconds (765 spider tested at 7.4)
0-300 in ~18 seconds (1000m @ 299 kph in 17.8 seconds)

yikes I hope it’s not a ringer because this makes me very excited for mine.
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So according to these numbers the 296 reaches 200 kph faster than a 765 (unless there is a difference between 765 coupe and spider), at which speed power is already a more important factor than weight - so the difference for 0-300 should be even higher.
The turbo S advantage on 0-100 is most probably due to better traction, so again weight is not the decisive factor (of course it does not mean a lighter 296 would not have been a good thing).

 

I’ve done 6.9 seconds (no rollout) 0-200 in my 765. I’m not really interested in tests since I can literally test mine. McLaren claims 7.0. There is a difference between spider and coupe.

Ferrari claims 2.9/7.3 100/200 so 2.8/7.2 makes a lot of sense if the car is legit.

 

My only concern was the braking. I had some pull left then right braking for apex at 162. I never had that sense of discomfort in the 765. I realize these are both street cars, nevertheless, one had some discomforting action, the other has not; albeit over a much longer series of data points.

I’ll re-examine this when I return next month. I was busy driving race cars the rest of this past week plus.

I had bedded the brakes so I do not think that was the issue. Immediately afterwards I spoke to three driving coaches/racers and they suggested hitting the brakes hard but then easing off of them once in ABS. I’m used to that in the 458CH, so this is probably where I erred in upsetting the car. Having said that, 765 doesn’t need that refinement in my two years of experience. The other issue may have been my abruptness hitting the brakes, as I had just been bedding the brakes a few laps earlier, before cooldown. I may have just been too stabbing.

End of the day, both are just streetcars, but both are amongst the best yet streetcars.

(If, as stated here, the 765 really is 500 pounds lighter than the 296, the feeling achieved inside the 296 is nothing short of the amazement when comparing the 918 to the P1)

 

I’ve always found the brakes a bit wanting. Especially the 458 gets squirrelly under hard braking (e.g. into Turn 7 at Sebring). The ST0’s brakes are what Ferrari’s should be.


Nothing like the realization you aren’t safe with a 3 point harness at 170 mph with a hard braking zone ahead. The HANS is small consolation.

I think the AF 296 is brilliant and Ferrari did a great job with the hot TT V6. I’m placing a deposit this week with the knowledge it’ll be quite a wait.

No worries, still have the 458, STO and F8 spider to toy around with.


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Sure……..

The STO is an acquired taste - raw, savage, harsh ride, loud…..but very pointed, linear, fun through the roof to drive (on track or the right roads). It is not a car you’d DD. So myopically focused it is, it makes the Ferraris I own (458 and F8) seem very GT-like. You won’t enjoy
It around town or to the theatre. Attracts way too much attention.

The brakes, steering, transmission and that V-10 sound are simply unmatched. It
Is also a very linear car. Passion galore!

While not the fastest, it is ‘fast enough’ to be a fun car to drive in the right conditions. Very light on its feet, it intuitively knows what you’re about to do, and it seems to be one step ahead.

I’m summary, it does a few things really, really well. But it’s not a car for everyone.

Even the AF 296 is far more GT like in its ride characteristics and overall drivability.

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This echoes (from what I understand) my experience of the 296 being somewhat unsettled under hard braking - globally the line is kept but the car seems "shaking" to different directions; the 488 never did that to me, which caused my surprise with the 296.
The Ferrari instructors in Italy did not seem particularly surprised to me; it looks like they think it's just a characteristic one needs to manage.
Besides, the performance on track (particularly the lateral grip, knowing the weight it has to cope with) really impressed me.

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login I know it wasn’t directed toward me, but owning the STO, I agree the speed is the disappointment. I immediately called my friends at VF Engineering to add the supercharger after tracking the new STO. I’ve had their boost on a rear wheel drive original Huracan for a few years.
Once we have the 840hp boost in place, the STO should be comparable but different from the 765 and 296 brethren.

 

I test drove the STO on the track this is is exactly how I felt. Having owned a ‘15 610 before, I was extremely (pleasantly) surprised!

I didn’t get one (yet) though because my local track (Losail) is closed for renovation until next year.

I opted for the 296 instead as it’s much better as a street car.

I wanted to add, getting out of STO and seeing this view with the exhaust still red hot moved me. View attachment 3450260

 

It was directed at you, sort of, as you seem to have knowledge of these cars and their behavior under stressed conditions (e.g. track).

Never did I think I’d be wanting more hp or torque than what most exotics offer, but after tracking the 458 extensively this year (35 track days), agree that a bit more torque would be useful. Whether at shorter, more technical tracks (e.g. Michelin Atlanta) or wider, open tracks (Sebring), I could make use of a bit more.

A few folks I know on the Lambo forum have added VF Engineering blowers to their STOs, thereby dramatically increasing performance.

The STO at over 800 hp would be a handful, and on par power-wise with the 296 and 765. What’ll be interesting is to see is how the car manages that power under a variety of conditions and settings. The STO lacks the sophisticated control elements of the 296, being limited to Trofeo mode and Esc Off.

Torque vectoring and side slip control could help prevent wash out coming out of turns.

 

More info on 296, super quick in this test
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was it like fish tail under hard brake? it could be the suspension software acting up trying to level itself.

Hope the problem will be fixed by software update, otherwise i will be selling mine after the first track day