A new Ferrari has been spotted numerous times in the past, sometimes near the factory, once on the Fiorano race track in Italy, and even in its production form a month before the reveal. Now, it’s finally out of the box. The Italian automaker has unveiled its latest car – the 296 GTB – and it will sit at the bottom of the hierarchy. The 296 GTB comes with a V-6 engine, a first for a road-going, production Ferrari. This mill displaces at 2.9 liters and is paired to an electric motor.

While a six-pot mill may be a bummer for many people, it isn’t exactly a downgrade to the F8 Tributo. The 296 GTB makes 830 horses combined! Pretty insane for a plug-in hybrid V-6, isn’t it?

The 296 GTB Features A V-6 Plug-in Hybrid Engine

Let’s cut straight to the chase. The talking point of the 296 GTB is its 2.9-liter, V-6 hybrid engine. This is an all-new 120-degree twin-turbo mill. These are IHI turbos and are burrowed between the ‘vee’. They can spin at a maximum of 180,000 rpm! Power is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It’s the same transmission that is present in the SF90 Stradale, the Portofino M, and the Roma. An electronically-controlled limited-slip differential complements it.

This brings the combined power output to 818 horses and 546 pound-feet of torque. This is a lot more than the initially expected combined power output of 700 horses. }

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Coming to the plug-in hybrid system, the 296 GTB features an electric motor on the rear axle. It draws power from a 7.45 kWh battery sealed under the floor. It offers 16 miles of pure electric range and can be driven up to 83 mph.

2022 Ferrari 296 GTB specifications

How Fast Is The Ferrari 296 GTB?

The 296 GTB takes merely 2.9 seconds to sprint to 62 mph from a standstill; the same as the F8 Tributo. The 0-124 mph is rated at 7.3 seconds, which makes it 0.5 seconds quicker than the Tributo. The 296 GTB can touch speeds of up to 205 mph before losing breath. Ferrari claims that the 296 GTB can lap the Fiorano 1.5 seconds quicker than its predecessor.

How Is The 296 GTB On The Inside and Outside?

The 296 GTB doesn’t look as aggressive as sharp as the other Ferrari models. It is watered down to have minimal cuts and creases. The wheelbase is also quite short. It comes with an active rear wing that’s capable of producing 794 pounds of downforce at 155 mph. The interior gives the SF90 Stradale vibes. There’s a fully digital instrument cluster along with capacitive buttons all around.

The 296 GTB Will Be Offered With A Special Carbon Fiber Package

Ferrari will also offer an optional Assetto Fiorano package on the 296 GTB. It adds a lot of carbon fiber components to reduce weight. With this package, the dry weight of the 296 GTB is 3,241 pounds. Since there’s no word on how much the car weighs in the standard form, we aren’t sure how much weight the package has saved.

The 296 GTBs equipped with this package will ride on Michelin Cup Sport 2 R tires and will come with a Lexan rear window. It will come with a special livery, too, which is an ode to the 250 Le Mans. Apart from this, you also get Multimatic shock absorbers.

Final Thoughts

However, it could still be priced at a slight premium over the F8 Tributo. Based on what we see and already know about it, the 296 GTB could very well bring in the highest sales for the automaker.

Take a good look at it and don’t pass this as a one-off V-6 hybrid Ferrari. This could very well be the future. Ferrari’s first SUV, the upcoming Purosangue, could feature the same mill, and perhaps, with the hybrid system too.

What do you have to say about Ferrari’s latest V-6 plug-in hybrid vehicle? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.