A V6 engine in a Ferrari might sound a bit ancient, reminding you of the days when Ferrari badged its smallest-capacity sports cars, like the Dino 246 GT. It was a compact, nippy car named after Enzo Ferrari's late son.

Fast-forward to today, and the V6 seems to be the new V8 and, perhaps very soon, the new V10 as well. The combination of a 3.0-liter, 6-cylinder engine in supercars might be a bit off-putting, particularly to the purists. Still, with the downsizing of engines being the new normal, there's very little anyone can do to change things.

Ferrari's most compact super sports car, in a way, reminds us of the Ferrari 458 Italia. But the new 296 GTB does not feature a V8; it, instead, falls into the V6 category, but don't get disheartened just yet, because this is no regular V6 we're on about here.

Related: 10 Reasons Why Driving Enthusiasts Should Consider A Ferrari Roma

Ferrari 296 GTB Packs An Unbelievable 830 HP

Red 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar Front View
Via: Ferrari

The 2022 Ferrari 296 coupe sports car manages to push out what seems like a relatively large amount of power, from a 6-cylinder engine, with all the power sent solely to the rear wheels. To put things into perspective, the 2009 Ferrari 458 Italia, powered by a V8 engine, produced 562hp. Ferrari could've doubled that figure if they wanted to, but at 830hp from the 296 GTB, it's way faster than a 458 Italia.

The new Chevrolet Corvette C8 Z06 makes 670hp from its naturally-aspirated 5.5-liter V8 engine. Again, V8 power is being squished by Italian V6 power. The Americans will laud the V8, but nothing changes the fact the Ferrari V6 is the more powerful of the two.

The current-generation Acura NSX belts out a combined output of 573 hp, given that it's a hybrid too, just like the 296 GTB, and comes powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 engine. The Ferrari takes the cake yet again.

Red 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar V6 Engine
Ferrari

The 2022 Nissan GT-R, which was all along known as the supercar slayer, is powered by a twin-turbo V6 that produces 600hp. A great number for its time, but not anymore because the Ferrari twin-turbo V6 pips it by quite a margin. The Ford GT Mk ll supercar, which is on its way out, produces 700hp from its 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine. It's probably close to the Ferrari, but simply not as powerful or as quick.

The McLaren Artura, with its twin-turbo V6 and electric motor, pushes out a combined output of 671hp - and it's pretty much as young a supercar as the Ferrari 296 GTB, but not as powerful. Porsche's 911 GT2 RS comes with a 3.8-liter flat-six that makes 690hp. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 in the Maserati MC20 belts out 621hp, while the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica's naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine pushes out 631hp, which is still no match for the V6 engine in the 296 GTB - and that's purely why the Ferrari 296 GTB has the most powerful V6 engine in the world.

Ferrari 296 GTB Is A Technological Tour De Force

Red 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar V6 Engine
Ferrari

The 296 GTB is also a plug-in hybrid that manages an EV-only range of about 15 miles. The small but hugely capable V6 is mounted onto a new aluminum chassis, with 50mm chopped off the wheelbase, compared to all other V8 engine Ferrari models.

The electric motor, by itself, makes 167hp and 232 lb-ft of torque, while the V6 engine alone produces 663hp and 546 lb-ft of torque. The V6 happens to be 66 lbs lighter than Ferrari's modern V8 engines. Paired to the turbo V6 is an 8-speed twin-clutch transmission, with the battery pack placed behind the seats.

Red 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar Rear View
Ferrari

A Ferrari would largely be incomplete without various acronyms relating to the complex electronic chassis systems. The 296 GTB features, what is known as, a six-axis sensor called the 6w-CDS that measures the acceleration and speed of rotation on X, Y, and Z planes.

It works along with systems like Side Slip Control and active E-Diff to optimize cornering speed without hampering the stability and security of the Ferrari. It even gets a new system working, called ABS-EVO, in Race mode.

Related: This Modern Version Of The Legendary Ferrari F40 Looks Incredible

Ferrari 296 GTB Is The Purist Definition Of Fun To Drive

2022 Red Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar Roof View
Ferrari

The moment you put your foot down to the floor, the 296 GTB lurches forwards like it's being pulled by a horseshoe magnet from up ahead. It is said that turbo lag is absent. The engine revs all the way to 8500 rpm, and the acceleration is so responsive you're going to want to be careful launching ahead if you're an inexperienced supercar owner.

For a V6, it doesn't sound bad either, but there's a lot of the turbo that can be heard - something we never missed on a naturally-aspirated V8. The car is said to be agile, and the steering is expectedly light and quick in responding to inputs. Like all Ferrari models, it handles like nothing else.

Source: Ferrari