296 GTB vs 812 SF Fiorano lap times

The answer is alway both!

 

Works for me!

 

DONT TRADE IN the 812SF. Do your best to keep both. You will miss the 812 exhaust when its gone, and will reget your decision of selling. Feel free DM to discuss further.

 

What could possibly be secret about the discussion? This is the place to share your thoughts and experiences. It’s what we want.

 

Have a 296 GTS and took a friend’s beautiful 812SF (only 1k miles on clock - verde Zeltweg with Cuoio leather ) on a tour of the Adriatic earlier this year.

The 812 is a fabulous GT car, luxurious inside and great through long flowing bends, long motorway stretches and covering great distances at pace without tiring. However, the star of the show and what you are paying for (as with the 12C) is that glorious V12. It is harder work in twisties and you really feel the weight of the car - and harder on its brakes too. Often you feel like if you lose concentration it will try to kill you or maybe that just me. It’s also a large car physically. Also not having haptics is a blessing.

The 296 GTS is far more a “drivers car” perfectly suited to hairpins, tight corners and thanks to the hybrid the power out of bends is explosive. Dynamically is far more accomplished than the 812. The cabin of course feels tighter and less opulent perhaps and the V6 can’t match the sound of that V12 (tho it sounds awesome in the cabin thanks to the hot tube stuff). Also with less weight on the nose you can get it to understeer and can squirm a bit in hard braking.

Personally I love the smaller footprint especially where I live (Central London) and the EV mode around town.

Frankly for me if I could reach for one set of keys to go for a spirited weekend drive, occasional track day or to tour around Europe the 296 ticks the boxes far more than an 812 would.

I’ve done 5k miles without any major issue so far and beginning to believe the harder or more frequently you drive this car the more reliable it is.


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I live in Notting Hill, where do you go for fun drives? I tend to go out to Buckinghamshire way. I think I will enjoy the 296's superior handling, but realistically for where I end up driving regularly, I think it's the 60-120 mph brutal acceleration of the 296 that I will enjoy most. The 812's acceleration stops being scary after 75 mph. I love the 812, but I also want to enjoy other cars too, so for me it's not really any car is any better than the other. I try and avoid driving in London, I can't stand it. I get on the A40 and leave immediately. So the 812's size is fine, my other sports car is a modified Mustang Mach 1, so I'm used to big It's just about having fun and trying out different vehicles.

 

Ferrari V12s are special.

Ferrari hybrid V6s? Jury's still out.

Don't get me wrong, I think the 296 is a fantastic car.

But everyone should own a V12 once in their lifetime. And if that V12 is from Maranello, best not to give it up.

 

Spot on! I have an 812 GTS- great car- but the 296 is other worldly when driven aggressively.