Review: Ferrari 296 GTB Assetto Fiorano

Five years on from its launch, the 296 GTB still feels thoroughly up-to-date.

The two-tone paintwork is part of the Assetto Fiorano package.

My frame of reference for a mid-engined Ferrari is the 458 Italia. Sorry (or not) that it’s quite a few generations ago, but I would also opine that the game hasn’t really moved on in a revolutionary way until the 296 GTB. The in-between models of the 488 GTB and F8 Tributo added turbochargers, but they still had a V8. The 296 GTB made a huge technological leap with its turbocharged V6 - two less cylinders and now assisted with a plug-in hybrid system. 

Ferrari has went for compact dimensions for the 296 GTB.

The 458 Italia was a bit of a high water mark as the last non-turbo V8 Ferrari of its type. I guess that is as good a reason as any to be getting behind the wheel of an “entry” level mid-engined Ferrari again to see just how far the game has moved on and whether we will hit another new “high”.

Conceived some years back, the 296 GTB's design can be described as conservatively pretty.

The 296 GTB boasts compact dimensions that hark back towards the 458 Italia. Its length (-46 mm), width (-21 mm), wheelbase (-50 mm) and height (-19 mm) are all shorter than its predecessor, the F8 Tributo. It’s a breath of fresh air that a new model is actually smaller than what it replaces, especially where sports cars are concerned. The shorter V6 engine helped in this regard, playing to its strengths. 

The rear window is made of polycarbonate to save weight - but they also let more engine sound into the cabin.

The result is that the 296 GTB looks rather petite and well-proportioned. Its design language is conventionally pretty versus the latest Ferraris, although with the Assetto Fiorano (AF) package it does look pretty extroverted with the two-tone paintwork. 

The AF seats are hard AF.

Speaking of the AF package, it’s the box that you should tick if you want to bring it to the track. Aside from firmer fixed rate dampers, there are weight savings of approximately 15 kg due to polycarbonate rear windows, carbon fibre door panels, seats and interior trim. The seats are what you’ll feel every time and all the time; make sure you’re OK with them because being one-piece CF it’s not for everybody. 

It's a pared down, rather simple cabin - but the interior tech is fussy and slow.

With the AF package, the exhaust note of the 296 GTB seems to be amplified. It sounds louder both inside and out than the standard car, a suitably arresting tone that only gets better and better as you approach the redline. I daresay that at the top end, you could almost clue out hints of a V12 from the exhaust pipe. No kidding. 

The 296 GTB AF is fabulous around corners.

After learning from the 488 and F8 Tributo, Ferrari would be very handy with maintaining throttle response and feel despite turbocharging. The 296 GTB doesn’t disappoint here. The way power is delivered feels naturally aspirated, so much so that downsizing to a V6 doesn’t really feel like a downgrade at all. It feels like a truly special engine, so smooth in its delivery and yet so crushingly potent. 

EV mode adds a new dimension to the 296 GTB.

Part of it is due to the forceful torque from the electric motor. 830 PS and 740 Nm are the combined figures of the drivetrain, with the electric motor contributing 167 PS. It completes the century sprint in a shocking 2.9 seconds. The PHEV system works in the background, with you hardly ever noticing its operation. It’s only most obvious when you first start up the car, because the car is in EV mode. While running only on electricity, the car feels a bit odd with the road noise and mechanical sounds of a stripped out sports car, yet with no engine sound. After a while you get used to it, but I reckon you won’t be running in EV mode much. On paper, the EV range is around 25 km and you’d want to keep some charge as reserve because the car needs it to start up. 

The 296 GTB's natural environment is on B-roads.

Once you find yourself around quieter, twisty roads, the handling of the 296 GTB shines. Everything feels pared down and minimised in order to maximize performance and engagement. From the thin-rimmed steering wheel to the low-slung stance, the 296 GTB corners like a champ. Yet, there so much feel from the steering and the road that you feel utterly engaged in the whole process. The brakes feel superbly natural although it juggles between normal and regenerative braking. Driving this around my favourite B-roads around Lim Chu Kang left me wanting to go for more. 

The full carbon fibre door is a feature of the AF package.

There’s hardly much to fault about the 296 GTB. OK, maybe the interior. Aside from a smattering of leather and CF, it doesn’t feel particularly well-built as you still see a fair amount of plastics and over-designed features. The interior technology also feels pretty dated now and a little fussy to use.  

Interior controls are not particularly intuitive.

But I think you’ll forgive and forget those flaws. It’s a truly exceptional sports car that feels like the 458 Italia modernised and brought to warp speed. If there is any compromise in its smaller engine and heavier PHEV system, I cannot feel it one bit. It’s a Ferrari brought to the modern age while respecting traditional values. 

Photos by Sean Seah