296 Values and Used Market

I am 6 3'. Carbon Fiber seats are perfect. Go for it!.

 

Are those F12 rims?

 

I have one 296 with the racing seats and the other with the comfort. I prefer the racing seat- which provides better support and is similar in comfort. My wife is more comfortable in the comfort seats- which is why the 2nd car has them. The racing seats are way, way cooler- like a work of art. I think the resale market will eventually appreciate them more.

I also own an AF and regular car. The AF is sharper and the ride is firm- but OK. My Porsche GT4RS was much stiffer- and I actually sold it because of that.

For most people the non AF is the better choice- but hard core fans will prefer the AF.

I find it funny that the more “raw” driving cars are desired only when made in limited numbers. It tells me there are more art collectors than drivers.

 

I get that some think they're slow or not good value. They are fine for me.

If it's just ride quality though, the 24 and 25 4RS seem to be much softer than 23s. Not as smooth as 296 even without bumpy road engaged, but a major step up from 991.2 RS cars.

 

Alibaba and Ebay both have them. around $13K.

 

Rewatching Mishas 296 video from the Ring and his final thoughts while exiting the track

"Insane... You need to save your judgment until you've actually driven the car, because the way this car drives is insane. How light it feels, how it handles is really, really good.... This car kicks ass"

Once more people start to realize this, and the second owners who are driving them are holding onto them, maybe we will see GTB values go back up. GTS values are holding pretty good last time I checked.

 

I think the resale value of the 296, and the attendant (apparent) lack of demand, has more to do with the V6 and the hybrid setup than anything with the actual driving experience of the car.

By all accounts, the car is fast, handles well, sounds good, and is generally comfortable as a daily.

What's not to like? The image of only have 6 cylinders, piggybacked with a battery, which everyone not on cocaine will agree should not detract with the actual performance of the car (in fact, it's a big reason for the performance of the car)..

 

I agree with you 100%, and I think this discussion has also probably been had a bunch, but seeing so many used examples with almost zero miles where the original owner took such a big hit makes you wonder why they even bought the car in the first place. They knew it was a hybrid v6 before buying, but they didnt even drive the car to the break-in period in most cases. It makes your head spin.

 

I think too many people tried to get on the dealer "lists" at the same time to play the step-up game vs actually wanting the car(s). My dealer had a test drive day for the 296 and the Ferrari driving coach that came along with me asked what I was planning to buy and mentioned that he had a GTB and GTS on order himself. Perhaps he could afford it, but more likely not. I suspect he and many others thought that buying two Ferraris would get them on the "list" for a VS and eventual payoff. The problem is that when everyone does that, the dealer and Ferrari just add 1-2 more cars to the needed qualifications. Without a payoff, you have a lot of buyers who didn't actually want the cars, scrambling to unload and get out with as much as they can, even to the point of not driving the car as it'll cost them another $20-30,000 for an extra 1000 miles above delivery miles.

 

Views on whether GTB or GTS is better value right now? And any material considerations on pros / cons. Debating which one to buy, initially was focused on GTB but there just aren’t many interesting specs on the market that aren’t consignment hold outs at prices close to GTS! Rough math average premium for GTS appears to be around $80k (low $300s for good 1-owner Ferrari dealer GTB, $390k for good one owner GTS spec) with the difference in build cost to be roughly $30-40k, suggesting the GTS has yet(??) to bottom out whereas it feels the GTB has started to bottom out. I have only owned 458 spider so trying to figure out whether the premium is worth it. Less concerned about price of entry (within reason) more focused on which is the right car and feeling good about entry point, it just wouldn’t feel good to be concerned a $390k GTS is going to be worth $300-325k in 18 month…very little concern a $300k GTB is worth $225k in 18 months….

 

Agree with your take here but have (as of today) decided to set my aim squarely on a GTS. I’m trying to model out in my head whether the GTS will see the same discounts we’re seeing with the GTB by the time I’m ready to pull the trigger (next Spring or so). If not, I may snag one of the last editable GTS allocations and order to spec vs trying to save $50K. At a $100K+ savings, it would be pretty damn compelling to buy something on the ground.

 

If you wait- you will likely pay less- and your selection of cars will be smaller.

Yes- the GTB is the better deal on paper- which is why I purchased it first. Now also having a GTS- the additional pleasure is worth the extra squeeze- to me.

If money is your main concern- buy the GTB- you can always trade up later.

You can always wait for the better deal or car- and you can never get the time back.

There is no wrong decision- just figure out which choice best matches your needs.

The 296 is so, so underrated. Don’t look the gift horse in the mouth?

 

That is some wise works there my friend. Thank you! I feel like 6 months ago the GTB selection was super interesting. Feels picked over now. GTS selection is super interesting. End of day the spider / GTS is just so much more exciting.

 

This is exactly why I went with the 296 GTB. I wanted a GTS, but I just couldn’t justify the $80K premium. I ended up getting a great deal on the GTB.

At first, I was actually looking at a 488 GTB or Spider, but I couldn’t wrap my head around spending $240–280K on a 2017 car when I could get a $300K 296 with full warranty and free maintenance.

 

That’s interesting. I thought the GTS felt a bit quiet/muted compared to the GTB, hence I stuck with GTB.

 

Is that a thing? Did they make the cabin quieter in the GTS or control the exhaust?

 

In the GTB the sound is pumped into the cabin via a hot tube system. If you look carefully, there is what looks like a soundbar running behind the seats. This does not exist in the GTS. It may have been quieter in the GTS because I had the roof off? Also the car I drive had a really annoying rattle so that put me off too, but that’s not logical.

 

No. GTS is much louder. The rear window really helps.

 

We have the GTS because we wanted to try the top down experience in it. Can’t imagine making that decision based upon engine noise….

 

This was my experience driving GTS vs GTB, but to be fair, top was up both times so just getting that engine noise thru back window I guess.

 

The configuration behind the seats is about the roof folding mechanism, there is no ‘sound bar’ The hot tube system is in both versions of the 296