296 GTS vs. SF90 Spider

So one second faster on a 1 minute track is not fast enough for you and even though that proof is grounded in reality you have somehow managed to find a away to counter argue and speculate that the F296 is faster, brakes and turns better LOL I tracked and extensively drove both cars, if you came to that conclusion yourself after doing the same we must’ve had different experiences or possibly different driving styles or abilities.

My friend, drive what you like I honestly don’t care, all I was doing, for the benefit of the OP, was provide information based on my own hands on experience which hopefully they might find helpful because the internet is full of misinformation.

 

You provided your opinions and feelings, which is valuable, but apparently you have difficulties to cope with different views... LOL as you said.
I did drive both cars on track, that's a Ferrari instructor who advised me to "LICO" with the SF90 - which was certainly not the case with the 296 (with which I could typically apply the brakes later than what was initially advised, switching directly from full throttle to braking).
0.8s on a 1'10 lap is something, but put in the perspective of 280 hp more and better tires, I maintain it's not that impressive, and is most probably achieved mainly by better acceleration on turns exits (thanks to the higher power and 4 WD) - rather than in braking or cornering speeds (that's very logical given the respective characteristics of the cars, and does not contradict my feelings - which are what they are).

 

I don’t have anything to add for OP, but wanted to say thanks to @Fortis for providing his input as an owner of both cars. Not often do you get someone who owns both cars that has so many miles with both road and track use. I’m excited to see how the Temerario ends up comparing to these cars. I have extremely high expectations for that car

Also, @sm1810 beautiful collection as well.

Good thread, I love seeing these cars and reading about them.

Waiting for @Jo Sta7 to put the Contis on one of these days and compare the dragy times

 

I have no issues coping with different views but you are kind of contradicting metrics and data along with contradicting yourself to some extent.

Also if you don't do it already try to left brake and that will shave even more time for you with no time lost on the transition between throttle and brake, some pros do it some don't but I find that I get quicker times myself by left braking.

Fractions of a second in racing are massive sometimes impossible to close (look how close most of the cars are in the video I posted) no matter how much power or talent you throw at it. You keep pointing out that the Pista is down about 280 horsepower, but that’s not the silver bullet you think it is. Go check the lap times of the 992 GT3 RS it’s a 500-horsepower car running with machines that make far more, I sometimes track mine and at smaller technical tracks, personally, I am faster than in my F296.
Power alone doesn’t bridge gaps that small; efficiency, grip, and braking precision, do but there are so many other variants, track temps, ambient temp, tyre degradation, type of tyre, driver concentration, fatigue, your experience with that particular car etc etc

I am not a pro driver and never will be because I am past having the balls to push for that but I do my best against myself and whatever I am writing here is based on that experience, not a pro advice.

Last week I spent two full days at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya close to eight hours on track went through three sets of tyres trying to shave off four tenths to beat my PB and challenge one team mate in particular LOL, and still couldn’t crack it. Toward the end, I spun at Turn 13 (I think, actually we both ended up spinning) and figured it was time to pack it in before I left the track in an ambulance. Four tenths might not sound like much, but on a lap it can feel like an eternity impossible to close.

Back to our little discussion, I think you might be underselling what the SF90 actually does. It’s not just the power that makes it faster it’s how it brakes and carries speed. The SF90’s lap at Fiorano is 1:19.0 versus the 296 GTB’s 1:21.0, a full two seconds quicker on Ferrari’s own reference track. Just to put it in perspective extrapolate that to a 50-lap run (approx full race) that’s roughly 100 seconds gained about a minute and forty seconds ahead by the end, which doesn’t happen from straight-line power alone. That kind of gap comes from better braking stability, faster corner entries, and more consistent deceleration. You might say they fabricate that for marketing, I have no idea, that's what they list and that's what we have to go by, having said that some independent track tests back it up too, at Anglesey, EVO clocked the SF90 Assetto Fiorano at around 1:10 and the 296 GTB at near 1:14. That’s not a small difference, especially on a short, technical circuit where braking consistency matters as much as traction.

And ironically, your own instructor’s advice kind of proves my point. Being told to “LICO” I am assuming you meant "late in, carry out" in the SF90 means the car can brake deeper and later. If you’re braking later in the 296, that’s just because it’s lighter and more reactive not because it stops better overall.The instructor is telling you that because he knows the SF90 can handle it.

So, the data, the lap times, and even your own instructor are all saying the same thing, the SF90 isn’t just quicker it’s better under brakes, more stable, and faster on most tracks when head to head with the F296 which makes sense because the F296 is design to be the slightly less performant variant otherwise it would be hard for Ferrari to charge more for a car they intentionally positioned in a higher bracket.

Alright, I’m done with this, spent way too much time on it already. We’re clearly not going to convince each other, but as I said, it’s all just food for thought for whoever reads it. Hopefully it helps someone or at least doesn’t confuse them even more.

 

I watched the GT3 Temerario test while I was on track last week and it's an absolute weapon, it sounded pretty crazy also, there were few V10 NA Huracan Super Trofeos testing and to me the Temerario sounded better, like a low flying jet.

I can not disclose lap times but ********, when compared to what the Super Trofeos were doing and when I checked the competitor's GT3 lap times this thing will be a real contender, I hope Lamborghini will do well with the T, I ordered a Temerario Super Trofeo for the 2027 season, I would love a GT3 but I don't know where I would drive it LOL.

 

The SF90 puts up great performance numbers. It should outperform a 296. And the difference appears quite small- and on the road practically irrelevant. Most owners from posts I read state that the SF90 is not a nimble as a 296. This is consistent with the physics- larger wheelbase, heavier, and all wheel drive. And then there’s also the engine sound. For me and many others that makes it less entertaining as a road car.

The owner at my local PPF shop that handles most of the high end cars stated that most SF90 owners he has as customers sell their car- more than any other model. Why do you think that is? It’s either the type of buyer, the car or both.