296 Test Drive

I was told by the Ferrari people at the event that the key to the Assetto package is the magnetic shock damping system. They said that it actually learns the track to anticipate the shock settings and the front wheel communicates to the rear wheel in real time to change the rear wheel setting based on what the front wheel is seeing. Sounds like really impressive technology. That said, they indicated that the track differences would be subtle for the occasional track driver but more pronounced for pros who are pushing the car harder. The did indicate that it will feel stiffer for the daily driver but I got the impression that it was not as dramatic as say the Pista to the regular 488.

I was told that the downside is that this does not allow the front lift which is achieved by an extra shock on each front wheel. They said that this shock is a significant benefit to the daily street driver as it is active even when the lift is down creating additional street compliance for a smoother ride without sacrificing performance. Even though I intend to track the 296, as I do my 488, I left the discussion feeling a bias toward the lift which I use frequently on my 488 as the 296 was pretty awesome on the track w/o the Assetto package. If tracking is your main thing, or you just like the looks and don't intend to put a lot of miles on it, then I and the Ferrari team would recommend the package.

Will look forward to your hands on feedback - it would be great if you got to drive them both at the same time.

 

I don’t like the extra aero of the AF pack, the car is too smooth for it. Plus I was the lift. Makes it a no brainer for me.