New GTB owner

Having a 296 AND an understanding wife! You’ve made some great choices. Welcome!

 

congrats and i can't wait to see the pics

 

As for tips on the hybrid, my SA told me to drive the car. When not driving, keep it plugged in at all times. The battery needs things too do other than charge/discharge. Put some healthy miles on the car regularly to keep the battery and the hybrid system healthy. Other than that, drive it like you stole it since it's already broken in. Oh keep the revs under 4k when cold until warmed up.

 

I too purchased a well optioned low mileage 2022 instead of a 23 or 24. I purchased a two year extended warranty for $6,800 (a bargain- IMO). So far I am thrilled. What a car!

 

I traded in my 2021 Roma for a 2025 296 GTB about 3 weeks ago. It was an unadvertised consignment car that I got very lucky to stumble upon. Got it at 47 miles, now a little over 300.

These cars have personalities. Yes, keep it on the charger overnight when you're at home. I did throw a check engine light on a cold morning, but it self resolved with a power cycle... I think it was emissions related. Still figuring out the HV battery drain rates in different modes and trying to make sure I have a few miles left on the HV battery before I park for a few hours at a car show. I haven't seen the gas motor kick on yet in hybrid mode, but I manually activated it when I saw the HV battery was nearly empty. Also, the gas tank is small and the v6 is thirsty.

I'm really surprised how much I like the electric drive. It's great for sneaking in and out of the garage in the morning without waking up the neighborhood. I'm also really surprised at how loud the turbo noises are - sounds like Darth Vader back there, in a good way. The experience has been excellent overall.

 

@Paul296 starting off with the greatest driving Ferrari ever. Good work man. I hope you love every single mile.

 

Another nice benefit of the e drive mode is to quiet the sounds of the engine if you must be discrete on a phone call with someone.

 

There are some AF GTB’s for sale for $120- $140K off sticker with very low mileage. I almost want to buy a second- and I cannot come up with a logical reason.

 

Looking forward to your review @Paul296

 

That's just Ferrari customer service - hopefully you will enjoy the 296 soon.

 

The car is worth it. The dealer is doing what dealers do. It’s never fun to be on the receiving end of someone else’s leverage.

 

I test drove an Asseto Fiorano and the ride was so bad that I decided I couldn't live with it and went for the normal GTB. I don't know if it was just that car (was new) or not. My GTB is super smooth just like my McLaren was. That or the lift are the only reasons not to buy one since they seem to be depreciating even more than the regular 296.

 

The 296 with bumpy rode pushed is magic carpet ride smooth. And there are some truly bad roads near me.

 

My roads in Florida are relatively smooth and flat. AF package is just great here. Don’t really need the lift as the car is not that low. In a city it would be different. I think the AF will ultimately be more desirable because of the sharper focus and upgraded CF parts and unique paint. The VS & XX cars are also more focused and less usable for all road driving and they are more desirable. The AF cars may end up being scarcer than the VS & XX cars. Time will tell as for now this is not the case.

 

Congrats. Welcome to the family. The 296 is way underrated, it's the best all around Ferrari you can buy at this moment in time. You'll enjoy it as we all do!!

 

Random question, do you find the gear shifts to be aggressive on up shifts while "getting on it", or would you say that it's "seamless" shifts like the Macs.
Maybe it's a mode selection that triggers this? Although to me the physical manettino only seems to change the suspension firmness