Congrats to Enzo Ferrari and family on their newest child, the Ferrari 296 GTB. The little baby supercar replaces the F8 Tributo in the manufacturer's storied lineage of mid-engine “entry-level” models, and brings a couple twists: one old, one new. The new: it's a hybrid. The old: the engine is a V-6 engine. The first ever put in a road-going Ferrari. Sort of.
In the 50s and 60s, Ferrari, the quintessential “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” manufacturer, dominated plenty of races with V6-engined cars. Separately, in the ‘60s and ’70s, Ferrari wanted an entry-level sports car to take on the less-expensive Porsche 911, but didn't want to take the Prancing Horse badge downmarket. So Ferrari launched the Dino line—named for Enzo Ferrari's son, Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari, who died at age 24 from complications with muscular dystrophy—as a kind of diffusion line for the brand, the Tudor to its Rolex. The Dino brand debuted with the swoopy 206 coupe, produced from 1966 to 1974 (later as the 246 GT and GTS), always with a V-6 to keep costs 911-adjacent. A V-6 that Dino had helped develop, before passing away.
Fast forward to 2021, and Ferrari's clearly got no issues with a V-6 wearing the badge. Then again, in the new 296 GTB, the twin-turbo engine creates 654 horsepower on its own. Paired with a lil electric motor, full throated output for the 296 GTB is 818 horsepower. Nothing downmarket about that number.
And as the $800,000 hybrid Ferrari SF90 shows, electric is the future for Ferrari—and damn near ever supercar manufacturer. For emissions, sure, but more importantly because electric's the only way to compete on all the numbers that drive people to buy these insanely fast, insanely priced vehicles.
Speaking of price, Ferrari hasn't announced one for the 296 GTB. Expect a number higher than the $277,000 base price on the F8 Tributo model it replaces when the 296 arrives next year.
Driving the Ferrari SF90 is a chance to experience the battery-powered, eerily quiet future of supercars.
