I think if you have not tracked it, and you are just based on youtubes and reviews, (CH changed his mind 180degres later) you dont feel this car at all. Let my say it that way, it is on every aspect superior to the 720s on track. And i tracked both car quit a lot on different circuits in europ. Concerning yout statement the 750s is a result of the Arura disaster, no it is not, more of a Result of the financial problems and realising that the whole new Plattform and the new V8 Hybrid engine wouldnt be ready in time, so they did what ferrari ditd with the F8 tributo, with minimal efforts recycle the 720s. By the way Michael Leiters would never have done that, but the decision came from Flewitt, which screwed an other one up.. Under Leiters, Mclaren will produce max between 3-4000cars an year and the price level will go up, specially for the succesor of the 720-765 plattform So back to the 296Gtb
I'd say the characteristics of the 765 are more pronounced vs the 720 on street vs track. The 720 is pretty sedate on the street. The 765 is an absolute riot. Thrilling, loud, fun, never settles down well. Taming a beast. On track the LT is above my skill set to really push. I may be quicker in a slower 720. I'm not doing the car justice. I do 1 track rental a month at Pitt Race. I think the LT is too quick for that track + my skill set. I also don't enjoy repeatedly stomping on the brakes in my car at 160+ on the front straight. I'd rather track something like a 911 GT3 that's slow.
The 296 is growing on me. I wasn't super fond of its almost understated looks at first, nor the V6 (I mean, come on, Toyotas have V6s!), but wow, it can look really mean in certain angles and super elegant and others. The V6 actually sounds effing incredible also. And the power, my lord. Really excited to see what the VS can do when it gets announced. With all of that said, I really wish I could find the guy who replaced the physical buttons and specifically the analog tach at Maranello and strangle him. There is a level of Ferrari beauty from the analog tach in the middle that is sorely missed to me (and me only potentially). At best, Ferrari can figure out how to make the system more responsive and remove Carplay from covering up the digital tach when it's activated. Fantastic car!
He doesn't really know what he is talking about when he says that the AF pack is only cosmetics and aero.
I think the point he was trying to make, is that AF doesn't include any serious mechanical upgrades i.e. the engine, exhaust, brakes are all untouched. Noted that he did skip over the fact the suspension is different.
He has a large following so it is noteworthy that he did a review. He cannot hide that he found the car absolutely amazing as all of us have when comparing it to even the F8 ! He didn’t want to like hybridisation or electric power, but even he cannot hide the fact that Ferrari has actually managed to build an even better car in spite of the eco warriors. He clearly loves the older 80s/90s cars, but as with anything in life, we have to move with the times. The 296 has so much electronic trickery you could not possibly have a analogue set of gauges any more. I personally like all the tech and have got used to it. I do agree that the climate control could have had a small reading on it to tell you what the temperature is. My only gripe with the 296 is the speed and response of the haptic switches. This may have been resolved on the new Roma spider / Purosangue steering wheel.
Yah I saw this... not really very useful. I wish Jay would have commented on his thoughts about the interior and controls. I don't disbelieve his thoughts about the car but its not what I would call "in depth"
To be fair, Jay only has "in depth" reviews when he has someone from the factory there. David Lee is just a collector, a very avid collector, but just a collector drinking lots of Ferrari Kool Aid. No one from Marenello to give real insight to the car and its development.
True, but this was the most "I'm just going through the motions here" than a typical Leno drive of a brand new car. I believe he likes it though.
I thought the Leno interview was great for what it was - a new but positive perspective on the brand from a popular celebrity who is a big "car guy". You can't ignore the 296. The 296 is a very unique and special car in the modern age of supercars. The 296 is so good even Jay's biases about the brand were flipped during that drive. I think Ferrari is changing, evolving, into a brand that can delivery everything their customers might have been missing before but also retaining most if not all of everything that made Ferrari great in the past. Three biggest milestones in supercars over the last 10 years? Sorted by release. #1. 720s #2. SF90 #3. C8 Corvette Z06+ (these approach entry level supercar prices with ADM and track build) (Honorable mention Tesla Model S Plaid for the one trick pony non-supercar, and of course the Rimac Nevera on the hypercar end for the same reason). The 296 GTB/GTS is another milestone. As a current Mclaren / Aston / Lotus owner and soon to be Ferrari owner I feel Ferrari is giving me what I asked for and more? Performance of Mclaren, nimble like a Lotus, reliability / quality like a Porsche, and the uncompromising spirit + racing heritage of Ferrari brand. Lets not forget you get an a modestly spec'd 296 GTB for about the same price as a mid spec 720s perf MSRP. If Ferrari can figure a way to solve the weight riddle with Hybrid / Electric and shave another 300lbs+ off the car with the VS version?? Wow. This is my first Ferrari but the 296 GTB has changed my opinion of the brand but so has the professional Ferrari staff, dealerships, and special events I been to recently.
