A new supercar—the 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB—has joined the Ferrari lineup. Since the model was unveiled in 2021, there's been a lot of buzz around it. The 296 GTB is a replacement for the special Ferrari F8 Tributo, and we have to say that both cars look similar. However, there are many design details and features that set the 296 GTB and the F8 Tributo apart.
Firstly, the 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB is a plug-in hybrid, while the F8 Tributo is a combustion engine car with a twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V8 engine. In the past, Ferrari has made other hybrid supercars like the 2021 SF90 Stradale, which bears a striking resemblance to the 296 GTB. Again, though the SF90 Stradale is similar to the 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB, they're both different. While the SF90 Stradale was made for the road, the 296 GTB seems to have been made for the tracks. According to Ferrari, the 296 GTB maximizes driving pleasure. There's so much to love about Ferrari's new supercar, and the 296 GTB might eventually end up among the best Ferraris ever made.
8 Powerful Hybrid Powertrain
We mentioned that the Ferrari 296 GTB is a plug-in hybrid but did we say how powerful it is? Ferrari's new supercar is fitted with a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 and a dual-rotor axial flux electric motor. The 296 GTB will be the first car with a Ferrari badge to use a V6 engine.
The Ferrari Dino used a V6, but it never wore the prancing horse badge. The GTB's V6 produces 654 horsepower, and the electric motor has 165 horsepower. In total, the Ferrari 296 GTB has 819 horsepower.
7 Glass Tailgate
You can always trust Ferrari to deliver when it comes to design. The Centro Stile Ferrari designed the Ferrari 296 GTB under Flavio Manzoni, and they've designed several models for the manufacturer. Rather than a conventional tailgate, the 296 GTB sports a glass tailgate that showcases the rear-mounted V6.
The feature makes the supercar look even more sporty. Looking at older Ferrari models, we can see a similar design to the GTB's glass tailgate. The Ferrari 488 GTR and the Ferrari 458 Spider both have similar designs.
6 Clean Dashboard
The Ferrari 296 GTB is more of a race car than a daily commute vehicle, and we're pleased that Ferrari didn't go overboard. We could describe the GTB's dashboard as perfect, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration. As a race car, the Ferrari 296 GTB's interior is designed in a non-distracting manner.
The race car's dashboard features a clean design that is, at the same time, not basic. Towards the driver's side, the dashboard is sculpted, and a lining of contrasting colors makes it pop. The other side of the dashboard is bare, with no media display screens and buttons.
5 Aluminum Body
In an era where supercar manufacturers favor carbon fiber as a choice of building material, Ferrari has made the 296 GTB with an all-aluminum body. Apart from the new GTB's body, the car uses an aluminum chassis. The choice isn't so surprising because Ferrari has an in-house foundry.
One of the reasons carbon fiber is used to build supercars is its lightweight quality, and the lighter the car, the faster it is. Interestingly, despite using an aluminum body, the 296 GTB is still lightweight and can accelerate 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds.
4 Unique Rear Design
Truly, there aren't so many exotic car manufacturers that can execute a design as well as Ferrari. There's no trunk to speak of as what could have been a storage space is occupied by the GTB's V6. At the end of the supercar's roof, Ferrari placed a spoiler that can easily be missed.
Of course, the spoiler, no matter how small, will help the 296 GTB reduce drag. The entire car's rear is up-turned with features like the exhaust system and taillights neatly integrated.
3 6W-CDS Sensor
Sensors play an important role in vehicle chassis management, and there are lots of sensors with different functions. For the first time in the automotive industry, a manufacturer used the 6-way chassis dynamic sensor (6W-CDS). The 6W-CDS sensor is used to gather data for driver assistance features.
Other sensors like the chassis ride height sensors automatically measure the position of a vehicle's control arms relative to the car's frame. The chassis ride height sensors are used in headlight leveling.
2 New Braking System
We can tell that Ferrari has done a lot of work while developing the 296 GTB because of the numerous updates and improvements. For one, Ferrari improved the 296 GTB's braking system by 24%. Instead of the regular braking system, the 296 GTB uses a brake-by-wire system controlled through electricity.
Over the years, this system has been developed, and it's now used in a lot of hybrid vehicles. With the brake-by-wire system, braking time is reduced, and the car's wheels can be braked individually.
1 Electric Drive Modes
Ferrari's 296 GTB has two electric drive modes; electric-only and hybrid mode. While in electric-only mode, the plug-in hybrid supercar can cover 135km/h without exhaustion and return to the internal combustion engine. On the other hand, when in the hybrid mode, the 296 GTB gets backup from the internal combustion engine if there's a need for more power.
Amongst all the wonderful things about the Ferrari 296 GTB, we can't help but admire how the hybrid power train is well integrated, and the switch from electric-only to hybrid drive modes is so smooth and seamless.