Ferrari 296 GTB 2023 Review

How much does the Ferrari 296 GTB cost?

The sticker price on the 2023 Ferrari 296 GTB is $568,300 plus on-road costs, but it’s safe to assume that no example has ever left a showroom at that. Or even within a Porsche Cayman of that.

Premium car-makers now prefer the word ‘personalisation’ to ‘options’, and Ferrari does it better and more extensively than most. At the time of writing there is one 296 GTB available on carsales for $779,990 plus on-road costs, and $150-200K is a fairly typical personalisation spend, so once on-roads are applied, best budget a cheeky million.

If you’re in the market for an exotic then you are spoiled for choice. From Italy there’s the wonderful Maserati MC20 or Lamborghini Huracan either as a Tecnica or track-focused STO, from Britain you can choose from a McLaren Artura or 750S, or from Germany the Porsche 911 Turbo S or GT3 RS.

A perhaps little-known fact is Ferrari’s industry-leading aftersales offering, with the first seven years’ servicing included at intervals of either 12 months or 20,000km. The standard warranty offering is three years, but this can be extended to four or five years for additional cost.

What equipment comes with the Ferrari 296 GTB?

Ferrari equipment levels have fluctuated over the years. A while ago the company slashed prices (yes, really) and deleted a lot of standard kit with the rationale that it effectively gave each customer a blank canvas to spec how they wished.

That is largely still the case but some standard gear has been added back in and the 2023 Ferrari 296 GTB includes keyless entry/start, dual-zone climate control and Matrix LED headlights with auto high beam.

What is included are all the mechanical goodies, including 20-inch wheels, massive carbon-ceramic brakes, magnetorheological adaptive dampers and the latest-generation electronically-controlled differential. Not to mention the powertrain, but more on that later.

When it comes to optional extras, however, the world is your oyster. Virtually limitless colour combinations for the exterior and interior, carbon-fibre trim inside and out, a number of different seat designs and material types as well as practical considerations like the nose lifter.

Fear not, your helpful local Ferrari representative will happily guide you through the specification process.

One of the biggest ticket items – as in, almost $75,000 – is the Assetto Fiorano pack, which replaces the standard adaptive dampers with racing-derived Multimatic items, a high-downforce front bumper, Lexan rear screen and increased use of carbon-fibre for a saving of around 15kg.

If you want to shed further weight, from both the car and your wallet, carbon-fibre wheels produced by Geelong’s Carbon Revolution are also available for around $50,000.

How safe is the Ferrari 296 GTB?

While the 2023 Ferrari 296 GTBdoesn’t have any official safety rating and active safety aids are conspicuous by their absence, there are front and side curtain airbags in event of a collision.

Given the car’s performance potential, the most important safety feature is probably the electronic stability control system, which can be adjusted via the manettino switch on the steering wheel from the virtually-foolproof Wet mode to the you’d-best-be-extremely-talented CST Off.

What technology does the Ferrari 296 GTB feature?

It’s here that Ferrari has taken enormous strides in recent years. While the lack of a traditional central infotainment screen in the 2023 Ferrari 296 GTB might throw you off, all those functions have been incorporated into the driver’s instrument display.

It’s correspondingly very busy with the ability to show a huge amount of information, whether it be audio or navigation or vehicle data, as well as the central tachometer. But it’s highly configurable and, for instance, the sat-nav map can be made full-screen for greater legibility.

Digital radio and Apple CarPlay are standard – no Android Auto – and wireless charging is available as well as a premium stereo. Passengers can also have their own screen for viewing performance data, navigation or adjusting audio settings.

However, further work is required on the haptic controls that are used to navigate the instrument display or operate the headlights. Haptic pads aren’t the easiest things to use at the best of times, but the 296 GTB’s require a tap to make them active before you then give the command; however, they aren’t illuminated, which can lead to a few random stabs when driving at night. The Purosangue has already had revisions made.

What powers the Ferrari 296 GTB?

The prospect of a V6 in the 2023 Ferrari 296 GTBmight not have you salivating in the same way a V10 or a flat-12 or even a V8 might, but I can promise you there has never been a V6 like this before.

Despite the 296’s name, it’s actually a 3.0-litre (2992cc) with a super-wide vee angle of 120 degrees, which has allowed the turbos to be situated between the cylinder banks for improved response and packaging.

It produces a staggering 488kW and 740Nm while revving to 8500rpm. This in itself would be more than enough, however, in the immortal words of steak knife-enthusiast Tim Shaw, “But wait, there’s more”.

The electric motor sandwiched between the engine and eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox develops another 122kW/315Nm, bringing the grand total to 610kW. Or, to put it another way, 254kW more than an F40.

Being hybrid, there is a weight penalty involved. Ferrari claims 1470kg but this is a dry weight in its lightest form so kerb weight is more like 1650kg or so.

Nevertheless, the performance stats are remarkable. Ferrari claims 0-100km/h in 2.9sec, 0-200km/h in 7.3sec and a top speed north of 330km/h.

How fuel efficient is the Ferrari 296 GTB?

The hybrid system also gives the 2023 Ferrari 296 GTBthe ability to start and run silently for up to 25km and 135km/h.

It will also reduce fuel consumption when running in hybrid mode, though the 6.4L/100km official claim is very optimistic, as is always the case with plug-in hybrids.

When pressed hard the V6 will drink fuel at a tremendous rate, but at least a 65-litre tank gives a decent range between fills, which isn’t always the case with supercars.

What is the Ferrari 296 GTB like to drive?

Even as we enter the age of the electric car and their instantly accessible torque, nothing can prepare you for the performance of the 2023 Ferrari 296 GTB.

This is a car with Bugatti Veyron levels of acceleration, yet with less weight to shift, better response and only rear-wheel drive.

But first, a word or two on the car’s electric element. The ability to start silently might seem antithetical to the idea of a supercar, but there are definite advantages to being able to get moving without attracting the attention of everyone around you, especially if you have early starts.

I live in a quiet cul-de-sac and was able to clear this section silently when departing and arriving which will certainly help relations with the neighbours, though your typical 296 buyer might not live in such close quarters.

Hybrid is the car’s default powertrain mode and it is continually remarkable that, if the 296 GTB deems it prudent, the combustion engine fires up in exactly the appropriate gear and at the perfect revs both instantly and imperceptibly.

I suspect for most 296s the ‘actual’ default mode – ie. the one owners will actually use on a day-to-day basis – is Performance, which uses the engine at all times and provides electrical assistance if there’s sufficient juice.

And if you’re driving in a spirited manner there always will be, as the rate at which the car regenerates electric charge is staggering. So unless you’re on the world’s longest straight road at maximum attack you’re likely to have all 610kW available.

The other benefit of electrical assistance is instant response. Ferrari’s recent engines have been phenomenally responsive but this is a whole different league. Flooring the throttle in fifth gear provides acceleration akin to most very fast road cars at maximum attack and any gear below that disappears so quickly that there isn’t really a sense of sustained performance.

Ferrari does its best to give the rear tyres a chance by progressively increasing the available torque in each successive gear, and it works incredibly well, at least in the dry. It truly is amazing how much throttle you can turn into forward motion.

In the wet things are a bit trickier, with a firm press of the accelerator met by wheelspin in the first four gears. This can be quashed using the Wet mode which is pure witchcraft, miraculously matching engine power to available grip to the point that you can hold the throttle flat without a single flare of wheelspin.

From there you can simply dial up the manettino through Sport and Race as your comfort level dictates.

Even better than the performance, though, is the soundtrack. A hybrid-assisted, twin-turbo V6 should have all the aural character of a vacuum cleaner but Ferrari has somehow created a beautiful howl that constantly changes timbre as it builds to the accompaniment of whirrs, whines and sneezes from the turbos.

Dynamically, the 296 GTB feels to have virtually no limit, at least on the road. It feels nothing like its weight, even when transitioning between tight corners, a 50mm wheelbase cut over the previous V8 models aiding agility.

The steering does require some getting used to, being extremely fast and very light in modern Ferrari fashion, but somehow it stops short of ever being nervous, just incredibly precise.

Arguably the greatest achievement of Ferrari’s engineers for the past two decades or so is how they’ve made phenomenally potent cars with extraordinary performance levels, yet imbued them with limits that feel broad and friendly.

It’s only the sheer performance that makes the 296 in any way intimidating and – while it might be heresy and no one would buy it – the idea of one without the turbos at around 400kW is tantalising simply as you’ll be able to enjoy its handling without constantly hanging on for dear life.

There is virtually no compromise, either. Hitting the ‘bumpy road’ button to soften the dampers quickly becomes a habit in urban driving; with that selected, the ride is firm but very fair. The dual-clutch gearbox is one of the better examples of the breed and it’s generally a piece of cake to drive.

Obviously, rearward vision isn’t fantastic but there is at least a rear window to see out of.

What is the Ferrari 296 GTB like inside?

Ferrari interiors haven’t always, let’s say, matched the brilliance of the mechanicals. Beyond the stitched leather and dashes of aluminium were fairly dodgy plastic switchgear, but the latest iterations are appropriately fancy places to sit.

The driving position in the 2023 Ferrari 296 GTBis fantastic, though it might pay to try the various seat options on offer before committing as that lightweight, race-spec carbon chair might not be as good as it sounded if you’re climbing in and out of it regularly. Or maybe it’ll fit like a glove?

The other thing that will take some getting used to is the steering wheel, as for some time now Ferrari has moved all the switchgear you’d traditionally find on column stalks onto the wheel itself.

Now everyone gels with it, and while I actually find it a very satisfying solution that’s easily navigated with some familiarity, it is probably reaching critical mass given there’s now indicators, wipers, lights, audio, powertrain AND chassis controls as well as the starter button.

The upside of having no column stalks is plenty of room for those massive carbon gearshift paddles that don’t move with the wheel, but when they’re this big they don’t need to.

Should I buy a Ferrari 296 GTB?

Aside from the financial commitment involved, the biggest issue with buying a 2023 Ferrari 296 GTB is, well, actually buying one.

If you want to personalise your car to your individual tastes then chances are you’ll be waiting a couple of years before it hits your driveway, such is the demand versus supply situation.

That said, if you’re less picky, cars will always pop up as orders are cancelled or traded for the next thing, so it’s certainly not impossible to get your hands on one.

And you should, because it’s one of the most spectacular supercars ever built.

The quantity of performance, the breadth of ability, its ease of use and the integration of technology is simply first-rate.

It looks beautiful, sounds incredible and will knock your socks off when you drive it.

2023 Ferrari 296 GTB at a glance:
Price: $568,300 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 3.0-litre six-cylinder twin-turbo petrol-electric hybrid
Output: 488kW/740Nm
Electric motor: Dual-rotor, single-stator axial flux
Output: 122kW/315Nm
Combined output: 610kW
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Battery: 7.45kWh lithium-ion
Range: 25km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 30kWh/100km (WLTP)
Fuel: 6.4L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 149g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested

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