Ferrari 296 GTB Review: Why This Hybrid Supercar Is Rewiring What You Think Speed Feels Like

Ferrari 296 GTB takes everything you expect from a mid?engine supercar and flips the script with a plug?in hybrid V6 that feels anything but compromised. Here’s how this compact, electrified Ferrari turns everyday roads into something dangerously close to a racetrack.

You know the feeling. You finally get a chance to drive something fast, and within minutes you hit the same walls: traffic, speed limits, rough pavement, the nagging sense that modern performance cars are more about numbers than emotion. You’re sitting on 800 horsepower you can barely use and a soundtrack so muted it could belong to a premium SUV.

Supercars have never been quicker, but for many drivers they’ve also never felt more distant. Too big, too digital, too obsessed with spec?sheet bragging rights. You don’t just want speed. You want something that makes your heart race at 40 mph, not only 140. Something that feels alive.

This is the itch Ferrari set out to scratch.

The answer is the Ferrari 296 GTB, a compact, plug?in hybrid V6 supercar that doesn’t just chase numbers – it rewires how you experience them. Instead of apologizing for electrification, it weaponizes it. Instead of a bloated footprint, it goes smaller and sharper. Instead of living for the rare track day, it makes even a short back?road run feel like the main event.

Ferrari 296 GTB: The Hybrid That Doesn’t Feel Hybrid

The Ferrari 296 GTB is Ferrari’s first road?going V6 berlinetta in decades and one of its first truly everyday?usable plug?in hybrids. Officially, it produces around 830 cv (about 818 hp) from a 2.9?liter twin?turbo V6 paired with an electric motor and an 8?speed dual?clutch gearbox.

On paper, that sounds like yet another hyper?spec car. In reality, the way that power arrives is what makes it different. The electric motor fills in every micro?gap in the torque curve, so when you squeeze the throttle, there’s no hesitation, no waiting for turbos to wake up. Just seamless, elastic push that feels almost telepathic.

Ferrari’s official site confirms figures like a sub?3?second 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) time, a top speed beyond 205 mph, and around 25 km (15–16 miles) of pure electric range. But it’s what happens below those headline numbers that matters most: you can creep silently through a sleepy neighborhood in eDrive mode, then unleash the full hybrid fury seconds later. You’re not forced to choose between performance and civility – you get both, instantly.

Why this specific model?

If you’re cross?shopping the 296 GTB against other exotic hardware – McLaren Artura, Lamborghini Huracán, Porsche 911 Turbo S – the obvious question is: why this one?

Start with size. The 296 GTB is deliberately compact, with proportions that feel almost old?school mid?engine Ferrari, but honed by modern aero. That matters because, in the real world, a car that feels narrow and precise makes you more confident to use its performance. User impressions and media reviews consistently highlight how approachable it feels on a twisty road: less intimidating, more playful.

Then there’s the engine itself. Downsizing from a V8 to a V6 could have been a disaster for character. Instead, Ferrari engineered the soundtrack like a musical instrument. Owners and reviewers repeatedly describe the 296 GTB as sounding more like a baby V12 than a compromise V6 – high?pitched, eager, and shockingly emotional at redline. One frequent sentiment in enthusiast discussions: “It doesn’t sound like a hybrid; it sounds like a Ferrari.”

The hybrid system, too, is tuned for feel, not just efficiency. Electric torque doesn’t just give you brutal acceleration; it makes the car smoother and easier to meter in traffic. The brake?by?wire setup blends regeneration and mechanical braking so well that several reviewers note you quickly forget any electrified trickery is happening. You simply get a firm, natural pedal.

Inside, the cockpit is unapologetically driver?centric. A fully digital cluster, touch?sensitive controls, and a minimal dash put your focus straight ahead. Some owners and journalists do criticize the touch controls for being fiddly at first, but once configured, the interface fades into the background. The main event is still the steering, the throttle, the way the 296 GTB pivots around you.

At a Glance: The Facts

What Users Are Saying

Scroll through Reddit threads and enthusiast forums and a pattern emerges: there’s real skepticism about hybrid supercars – until people actually drive or ride in the 296 GTB. Then the tone flips.

Common praise includes:

• Engine character: Many enthusiasts say the V6 sounds far better than expected – more exotic, less muted. Descriptions like “mini V12” and “old?school Ferrari shriek” show up repeatedly.
• Handling and size: Users highlight how compact and agile the 296 GTB feels, especially compared to some larger V8 and V12 models. It’s often described as confidence?inspiring rather than scary.
• Hybrid smoothness: The transition between electric and combustion power is widely regarded as seamless. People who feared lag or weird behavior generally report the opposite.
• Everyday usability: The ability to leave home in electric mode, avoid waking the neighborhood, and still have full performance later is a major plus for real?world owners.

But it isn’t perfect:

• Touch controls and steering wheel buttons: Some users and reviewers complain that Ferrari may have pushed minimalism too far, making simple tasks like adjusting climate or navigating menus more complex than necessary.
• Hybrid complexity and long?term costs: A recurring concern is what all this tech will mean for maintenance and out?of?warranty ownership. While Ferrari’s engineering reputation is strong, potential buyers do factor in the added complexity.
• Price and options: As with most Ferraris, the base price is only the beginning; desirable options can push the 296 GTB deep into ultra?luxury territory.

Overall sentiment, though, trends strongly positive – especially among those who value driver engagement over pure spec?sheet flexing.

It’s worth noting that Ferrari 296 GTB is built by Ferrari N.V., the iconic Italian marque listed under ISIN: NL0011585146, underscoring that this isn’t a side project – it’s central to Ferrari’s future lineup.

Alternatives vs. Ferrari 296 GTB

The supercar world isn’t short on competition, and if you’re shopping in this bracket you’re likely also eyeing a few usual suspects.

• McLaren Artura: Like the 296 GTB, it’s a plug?in hybrid V6 with serious power and a lightweight focus. The Artura leans heavily into a clinical, track?tool character. Many reviewers find the Ferrari more emotionally engaging, with richer engine noise and a more special interior experience.
• Lamborghini Huracán (and its successor): The Huracán’s naturally aspirated V10 is a dying breed and still intoxicating to drive. But it lacks the 296 GTB’s hybrid punch and electric glide, and it feels larger and less modern in terms of tech. If you want theater, the Lambo delivers; if you want cutting?edge performance and efficiency, the Ferrari edges ahead.
• Porsche 911 Turbo S: Incredibly quick, ruthlessly effective, and easier to live with, the Turbo S is often considered the rational choice. Yet it’s also more anonymous and less exotic. The 296 GTB trades some practicality for drama and a sense of occasion every time you walk up to it.
• Older V8 Ferraris (F8 Tributo, 488): If you love the idea of a screaming Ferrari but aren’t sure about hybrid tech, these cars are the obvious alternatives. They offer raw, turbocharged power without batteries. The tradeoff: higher emissions, less low?speed refinement, and a sense that they represent the past, while the 296 GTB points to where Maranello is going.

What sets the Ferrari 296 GTB apart is how little it feels like a compromise. In most rivals, hybridization still feels like a bolt?on solution to regulations. In the 296 GTB, it feels like the core of the experience.

Final Verdict

The Ferrari 296 GTB isn’t just another mid?engine supercar with inflated numbers. It’s Ferrari’s argument that the future of performance can be cleaner, cleverer, and more emotional, not less.

If your idea of a dream car is something you can only enjoy flat?out on a deserted runway, plenty of options exist. But if you want a machine that feels special at sane speeds, that can sneak out of your driveway in silence at 6 a.m., then howl to redline minutes later, the 296 GTB delivers an experience that’s uniquely modern and uniquely Ferrari.

It solves a very 2020s problem: how to reconcile passion with progress. You get the instant response and flexibility of electric power without sacrificing the sound, soul, and tactile feedback that make a Ferrari a Ferrari.

Is it expensive? Absolutely. Is it overkill for the daily commute? Of course. But that’s not the point. The point is that, for those who can, the Ferrari 296 GTB turns every ordinary drive into a reminder that performance cars can evolve without losing their magic. And in a world of increasingly sanitized speed, that might be its most important feature of all.