From V12 to Hybrid: My First Week with the Ferrari 296 GTB (and McLaren 720S Comparison)

Thankfully it has stayed off.

 

My poor 750 has been languishing on the lift. Mainly due to the weather but also because the 296 is much more fun overall.

im considering replacing the 750 with the 12cilindri Spyder however I’m not sold on it yet. But it will be my first built to spec Ferrari
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Oh, sorry to hear 750s is a great car. Maybe it being somewhat refined makes it too similar to the 296? I have been driving my mp4-12c spider with the 296 gtb back to back lately and thoroughly enjoying both. One is just so raw and old school and not to mention less than half the price.

 

Congrats! A suggestion: if you decide to go ahead with the 12 Cilindri, do the configuration at the Atelier in NYC. It just adds to the experience.

 

the 750 is refined but it’s not the biggest reason why it’s not being driven the 296 is truly just more fun all around.

I’m going tomorrow to test drive a few cars so I’ll bring this up if I pull the trigger!

 

So I test drove the Puro and the 12. The puro took me by complete surprise the handling is absolutely unreal for a “suv”. I think it’s worth it at 500k but 600-650k it’s impossible to justify.

the 12 cilindri is flat out amazing. Feels really nimble and sounds incredible. The lightning slaps during upshifts is brilliant.

I have a serious dilemma because I really want a 296 speciale but I’m wondering if I’ll be happy having a 12 cilindri Spyder with a regular 296 and possibly even a 750s Spyder?

im willing to part with the 750 because I know v12s are a dying breed but I’m curious what others think

 

Definitely first world problems for sure. I think it makes sense to cover as wide of a spectrum as possible. Good thing you really liked the 12 cilindri spider. It will be your front engine slightly more GT thing with top down. 296 will be your mid engine focused sports car. NA v12 and latest hybrid tech. Covered all your basis. I tried to do that before, had a v12 vanquish. But after having a mclaren, it was just too slow and soft for my enjoyment. Glad you don't have that issue with the 12 cilindre.
Any concerns that you might miss the super light weight carbon tub thing if you part with the 750s? I don't really see any other advantage it has over the ferraris.

 

that’s kind of where I’m being held up with the 12 cilindri. The car felt fast but the 750 would blow it away and you could feel the car being heavy but it did hide it very well. I’m not quite sure the 12cilindri would be an upgrade to the 750 and I also don’t need 2 convertibles again. If you felt your vanquish being slow then I suspect I’d come to that conclusion too.

You’ve made me want to take the 750 out tomorrow and see what my butt dyno remembers.

I did also test drive a 296 gts today which surprised me how stiff it was but still not as sharp as the gtb. It sounded even better than the gtb and looked way more elegant with the fuel filler/charge port hidden in flaps by the rear deck lid.

I have some things to consider because if the dealer gets me the 296 gts it will guarantee me a speciale.

 

Well don't sell yourself short. My vanquish felt slow and boring because a) it had "only" 560hp or so. b) it sounded good but not THAT good and I don't value the sound as much as some other folks. c) it didn't rev high enough, I like it to scream to the top and d) it had a slush automatic. 12 cilindri has none of these short comings.

I do want to question why you are so interested in a speciale? I assume it's not because you think it will appreciate in value? I suspect ferrari these days will try to sell as many as they can get away with so prices probably will not sky rocket like the old days. Assume you buy it to drive, will it be really that different than a regular 296 with a few more decorative wings? I genuinely ask because I dont know, the limited cars are out of my pay grade.

 

not trying to sound juvenile but the speciale looks stunning. Plus it will be lighter with more power? The 296 is already phenomenal like you said so it being turned up to 11 surely must be a good thing!

The residual values aren’t all that important because I’m reaching the end of what I’m willing to spend on multiple cars and I want to figure out which ones I want to keep

 

That's the thing about the speciale, if you love the look, then that's reason enough for the upgrade. But I just looked up the specs again, 50hp over the standard car and 60kg lighter. On paper that doesn't seem to be a meaningful difference. Consider there's 50hp (6%) difference between performance mode and qualify, I struggle to tell much difference tbh. Weight? 750s is 500lbs lighter and you know how that feels already.
It's a tough sell once you've already reach the top. Haha. Splitting hairs.

 

IMO the Speciale will be a very special car, you might be able to buy one second hand after but there is a tone of value (at least to me) speccing a new factory car exactly the way I want it, it's also a very exciting part of the whole purchasing process, the F296 GTB and GTS are amazing cars so you wouldn't shortchange yourself while waiting for Speciale.

12C and 750 you will always be able to find and buy, series production cars, not great difficulty finding something slightly used in the future therefore if I were in your shoes, I'd go the Speciale route and in the future I would add a 12C for the sake of variety or any other V12 for that matter, anyway just my opinion, good luck with whatever you chose because there are no wrong answers here only expensive ones LOL

 

FWIW, I think there’s nothing wrong with preferring the looks and intent of the base 296 GTB/GTS over the Speciale. It’s an elegant, beautiful design and the car is a brute in a fine suit. Doesn’t need to shout “look at me” to deliver epic performance. I can get behind preferring the less shouty design as there’s way more visually going on with the Speciale.

I personally love the way the Speciale looks but I too have wrestled with needing it over the GTB as I’m not selling the 765 so I have a shouty, wild looking machine already.

 

What color is your 296? Looks like Mugello. It’s great!

 

it is mugello!

 

I had a 458 in Mugello and loved it. To me, Maranello looks like Mugello with mica flake which is what I loved about it and why I went for it. Mugello is a beautiful color.

 

I'm a big Ferrari fan but you guys are really missing the boat. Having a 720/750s AND a 296 is like having the same car. Both are mid engine twin turbo v8 with 700+ hp. Both have similar performance numbers. Both sound terrible.

You need a NA V10 or V12. Sound is arguably 50% of the overall driving experience, especially if you aren't accelerating past 150 mph on public roads. I highly recommend a Huracan Evo or Perf for the crazy sound, looks, and overall experience for about the same price as a 720s and less expensive than a 750s or 296.

An older gated manual Ferrari would also give some diversity.

 

A 296 doesn’t sound terrible. In fact it sounds very good. I have owned numerous normally aspirated 8 and 12 cylinder Ferraris since the late 1980’s and also own an 812GTS now which replaced my F12.

The 296 is nimble in a way that most cars aren’t with capabilities that exceed almost everything. Larger engines add to size and weight reducing agility. The entire package of the 296 delivers a very, very entertaining driving experience unlike anything previously made. It will age exceptionally well.

 

Disagree.

While the Macs you mention and the 296 may have similar objective numbers on paper, they drive very differently.

The 720/750 drive like typical modern FI engines. The 296, given the ev-assist, does not, despite also being FI.

And by the way, the 296 has a V6 (not a V8 like the Macs)

 

There's no comparison between the 296 sound and the sound of a Huracan Evo / Perf or other NA V10 or V12. People who think the 296 sounds good haven't experienced a NA V10 or V12.

 

Yes my mistake the 296 is a V6 / Hybrid, but still basically the same as a Mac as far as experience goes. Get a car that actually sounds good....

 

I havent owned a Lamborghini but there’s a reason I haven’t bought one. They simply don’t drive well. While I appreciate the sound they aren’t exactly fun like a McLaren or Ferrari.
And a Revuelto? Cmon it gets beat by a 5 year old sf90 for half the price. Talk about swing and a miss.

ironically the only Lamborghini I’d buy would be a gated murci

 

My Huracan Evo drives and handles as good or better than my 488 did. All wheel drive and all wheel steering makes it planted and stable on turns. It's fast and sounds amazing. Not to mention the looks. Have you driven a Huracan? In my opinion, they are more "fun" and certainly more exciting than most McLarens or Ferrari's and you can't discount the sound being a huge part of the fun and excitement.

 

I have and they drive awful in comparison to a 750 or a 296. There’s simply no contest in steering or chassis. The only Lamborghini that would come close would be a STO or performante. The evo weighs what 3600lb? A 488 weighs 400lb less and you’re telling me an evo is a better car?
I know this is a Ferrari forum but I’m open minded to many brands.

 

Yes I'm telling you the Evo is a better car than the 488 all things considered. Steering, cornering, and performance are about equal between the two cars, although AWD makes the Evo faster off the line and better gripping overall. Sound puts the Evo on top.

An Evo is basically a Performante without the Aero. Same engine. Same chassis. Same steering. Same AWD/AWS. Same exhaust. Have you driven an Evo or just a base Huracan because they are very different.

Evo curb weight: 3600 (or less for newer models)
296 curb weight: 3395
488 curb weight: 3252
720s curb weight: 3128

Also saying 300-400 lbs is the difference between an "awful" and a "great" driving car is silly, especially when you factor in all wheel drive / all wheel steering, etc. It's like saying the 720s is a way better driving car than the 296 because it's 300 lbs lighter. There is less than 10% weight difference between the Evo, 296, and 488.

And back to my original point, unless you have unlimited funds it’s silly to own a 296 AND a 720s or 750s because they are basically the same car from an experience perspective. A NA v10 or v12 or even an older gated manual car provide a different and unique experience.