Ferrari 296 GTB to debut in India : Exhilarating & Ecofriendly.

Ferrari had been on a intense roll producing some of the most amazing and symphonic v8 & v12 engines , with cars that made nothing less than exponential amounts of power and track focused handling Ferrari has been at it since day one but it is over 50 years since the production of a road oriented V6 car ,the last of which was seen on the 246 GT/GTS also known as the 246GT/GTS Dino.

Nonetheless in this very day and age Ferrari did not miss on inspiring themselves from their authentic racing pedigree to give its customers a full blown sense of exhilarating  joy especially with the SF90 and Tributo out and ransacking roads all over the globe ,Ferrari took a step to show how to tremble Tarmacs all while keeping its carbon foot print minimal , Ferrari is set to arrive in India with its new V6 PHEV 296 GTB .

The design of the 296 may seem similar to its V8 alter ego of a car : “The F8 Tributo”, but The 296 GTB has some bits and bolts molded on to it inspired by the 250 LM from almost 70 years ago

mixed will with aero parts and dynamic aspects such as the large air ducts at the B pillars which could also be seen on the Ferrari 488 , also a similar active aero spoiler from the La Ferrari producing nearly 360kgs of downforce at 250km/h,

It also seems to draw ‘spider’ like roof lines from the f355 or testarossa , combined with a Kamm-tail similar on the 250 LM that adds to the refined aero , handling and benefits efficiency , fuel economy even the doors have this edgy crease that acts as a continuation from the front to rear ,

the front section has a lowered and upright lip bringing the grille even down with a dumbbell design that house two radiators unlike the vertical teardrop headlights the 296 GT uses horizontal well integrated ducts in the headlights which add to airflow and aero braking calipers without ducts running into it provided more space in the wide underside with more room for downforce or a vacuum that’s created due to underflowing air creating a vortex effect ,

All of these aero dynamics is topped off with a voluptuous heritage design that creases and cocoons the engine in the rear mounted between the cabin and rear axle , the wheel base is also slightly shorter than the F8 making it nibble on road or track talking about wheels the ferrari 296 GTB sits on these beautiful 20″ starburst 5-spoke rims with each spoke having a added curve element that stands out .

The F163 engine in the 296 is special and exciting that pays homage to its 50 year old predecessor 246 Dino ,however the 296 GTB houses a F163 2.9L 120deg V6 engine and the name “296” is derived from its engine configurations ,

Another advantage is by the Hot Vee integrated twin turbo setup which are placed in such a way as to maintain the optimal engine temp while keeping the section of the turbo cooler with thermoplastic inlet ducts , this adds to the lightness of the engine as well , the engine is already light with its aluminum overhead and block keeping the 296 in a kerb weight of 1470 kg ,

The F163 2.9L V6 is also know as the “piccolo V12” or little V12 because of its harmonic noise due the combined effect of the 120deg crank angle , Firing sequence and merging of the exhaust manifolds leaving the Hot Vee turbo to a single exhaust line amplifying the exhaust note which sounds similar to some of Ferraris exquisite V12 engines ,

The responses systems which coincide with the ECU that actuates solenoid valves to circulate the engine as well cams section with periodic and throttle biased oil flow to these parts , the ECU plays a part to control the braking which is driven by wire with zero lag in response time giving the 296 it’s upper hand in handling while entering and exiting corners,

Thanks to its 6W-CDS (6 way chassis dynamic sensor) that determines the grip, acceleration & velocity depending on drive mode initiated, throttle and electronic power steering input which all work with the ECU to give the required output for the driver to maneuver the 296 GTB ,another common factor the 296 GTB has to its higher stable mates is the 8 speed auto DCT

The interior has its essential add on such as the visor windshield that we saw previously on its one off models such as the P80/C , the dashboard creates a concave effect that fuses well with the door panels , the infotainment and climate controls are given in a double H section that sit on the central column ,

the steering houses touch-sensitive panel on the that Ferrari dubs the e-manettino. One of the notch below is Performance mode, which has the engine running permanently and aims to keep the battery at 95 percent so the motor has a goodly supply of energy to draw on. You get “not less” than 790 horsepower in this mode.

while most of the time the 296 runs on hybrid mode if you want to be the one with a greener touch e-Drive mode lets the user drive in full electric upto 25Km range , To unlock the full potential you have to engage Qualifying mode which leans on the battery hard so that electrons lend maximum support to the engine, with the combined effect of the V6 (663hps) & electric motors (167hps) pushing this prancing horse to maximum of 830 Hps or 825 PS power ,