296 vs 911 GTS

I have both though it might be "too late" because you got both? Congrats if so.

296 sounds better to me than any 992, much much faster, auto mode better than other Ferraris but not great, noticeably more agile.

992.2 4GTS sounds better to me than stock 992.1 Turbo/Turbo S, fast enough for what it is, blows cold air up my crack, ACC pretty good. It launches better from a stop without brake torquing than the 296 but overall the electric assist is less powerful - more taking the edge off of things, whereas 296 you can really feel it more. Which makes sense given sizes of battery/system. 4GTS with PASM+10 is maybe a tiny bit harsher than 296 w/ bumpy road though a small bit softer than Dakar.

I am selling the GTS now though. Dakar or 4RS are better dailies for me. 4RS sounds better, better steering than GTS, fast enough for me for a daily and 24/25 4RS are less harsh-riding, even without DSC controller. Dakar is silly and pounds over whatever in the city and reasonable ride with with sofas swapped in. 4GTS is a great car but there will be 50 years of hybrid 911s.

If you don't care about the attention (I would for a daily) and don't need back seat area space, I think the 296 is actually just as good a daily in the dry as any 911, but I still prefer 911/4RS in the wet for more feel of what's going on through the rack and not just chassis.

 

You keep saying that but I believe you mean "heft", not "feel". In reality thoigh a heavy steering wheel is just that, heavy. You can feel the same, even more, through a lighter feeling rach. There is no need to with with the steering wheel; cars should be driven with the fingertips.

 

Someone pointed out that you can faintly feel road feel with fingertips on the 296 and I can feel just that, a faint feel of the road coming through. I still can't really feel much if any wheel tension / lock even driving like that and don't enjoy the faintness of what feedback there is. The trade-off is probably the 296's incredible feel of agility but it still makes it harder for me to confidently drive in a spirited way in the wet.

 

A wheel lock should not occur in a car with ABS. Chassis engineers refer to steering kickback as "noise". The only wanted feelings are that of stability and precision. Anything else corrupts the course that the driver has plotted.

 

Sorry, tension in the wheels as they turn - load-up relative to position and tension of the wheels. I don't get much of that in 296 vs say a Scud or even more in various other cars. Got more of it in Lusso than 296.

 

You are talking about resistance then, which comes down to a build up in heft. Some drivers like that, others don't. It does not indicate anything really as the only real proof of loss of purchase is understeer.

 

I know a number of people who are amazing track drivers who don't care about it evne in the wet, but to me it feels like having variable resistance allows me to be more predictive of what'll happen if pushing on, before understeer occurs. Perhaps in the future I'll develop and care less or not at all.

 

Figured I’d chime back in since buying the 296. First off I’m happy to be back in a Ferrari. 296 to the 911 GTS in no comparison.
First impressions of the car is that of mostly positive. Of course incredibly fast, handles well, new auto leaps ahead of the F8 unit. Tech is awesome! Easy to get in and just drive without always working in the car.
Steering is twitchy and very light. Haptic buttons take some getting used to. Heard they are reverting back to regular buttons for 2026.
Overall very happy with the car.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I love my 296, but I agree steering doesn't have a lot of feel, excellent in parking lot, but not as much engagement when going fast. Mclaren is way better in this regard.
Imagine a sim driving setup with a wheel that doesn't have much/any force feedback. That's what it feels like it to me. Car still goes where you point at, just not a lot of sensation.