Ferrari 296

Ferrari 296 at a glance

The 296 shares its hybrid concept with the four-wheel-drive Ferrari SF90 Stradale and follows the V8 line of mid-engined berlinettas such as the Ferrari 488. All models are listed in the Ferrari catalogue.

History and the name

Ferrari presented the 296 GTB on 24 June 2021 as the first "real Ferrari" with six cylinders. The company had built V6 road cars before — the Dino 206 GT, 246 GT and 246 GTS — but until 1974 they were sold under the separate Dino brand, below the twelve-cylinder Ferraris. The return of the six-cylinder engine is told in our article on the revival of the Dino idea.

The name follows the old Dino system: 29 stands for the 2.9-litre (strictly 2,992 cc) displacement and 6 for the number of cylinders. GTB means Gran Turismo Berlinetta. The car went on sale in 2022, and the open GTS followed a year later. In 2024 Road & Track named the 296 GTB its Performance Car of the Year.

The 296 also had an unusual first appearance: from July to October 2021 it was a drivable car in the video game Fortnite, as part of a partnership between Ferrari and Epic Games.

Design: a nod to the 250 LM

The Ferrari Styling Centre led by Flavio Manzoni wanted a compact, clean berlinetta. Ferrari names the 250 LM of 1963 as the main design reference. The 296 is 4,565 mm long, 1,958 mm wide and only 1,187 mm high, on a 2,600 mm wheelbase — compact for a car with this much power.

At the rear, an active spoiler integrated into the bumper and inspired by the LaFerrari rises when needed. Ferrari says it is the first time it used an active device to generate downforce rather than to reduce drag. With the high-downforce setting and the Assetto Fiorano package, the 296 produces up to 360 kg of rear downforce at 250 km/h.

Inside, the 296 uses the all-digital interface first seen in the SF90 Stradale. When the car is switched off, the instruments go completely black.

Engine and hybrid system

The F163 engine is a new design: a 2,992 cc V6 with a 120° angle between the cylinder banks and the two turbochargers placed inside the vee. Ferrari says this layout makes the engine more compact, lowers the centre of gravity and saves weight. With 488 kW (663 PS) at 8,000 rpm, its specific output is 163 kW (221 PS) per litre — a record for a production car, according to Ferrari.

Between the engine and the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox sits an axial-flux electric motor (an MGU-K, to use the Formula 1 term) developed with YASA. It produces 122 kW (167 PS) and 315 Nm. The 7.45 kWh lithium-ion battery is under the floor. In eDrive mode the 296 can cover 25 km on electricity alone, enough for short zero-emission trips in town. Unlike the SF90, the 296 is rear-wheel drive only.

Ferrari quotes 0–100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and 0–200 km/h in 7.3 seconds for the GTB, and a top speed of more than 330 km/h. The GTS is 70 kg heavier because of extra reinforcement but has the same official performance.

The 296 GTS, Assetto Fiorano and 296 Speciale

296 GTS. The open version has a retractable hard-top that opens or closes in 14 seconds at speeds up to 45 km/h.

Assetto Fiorano. An optional package for owners who use their cars on track, similar to the one offered for the SF90 Stradale. It includes upgraded suspension, carbon-fibre body parts, a polycarbonate rear screen and other lightweight and aerodynamic changes.

296 Speciale. Announced in April 2025, it is the high-performance version of the range, available as a coupé and as a spider. The V6 was raised to 515 kW (700 PS), and the combined output to 647 kW (880 PS). The coupé weighs 1,410 kg dry. Ferrari also announced 20% more downforce than the standard car. A special 296 Speciale Piloti edition, in a yellow and red livery recalling the 499P that won Le Mans, was presented at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Racing: 296 GT3 and 296 Challenge

The 296 GT3 was introduced in 2022 to replace the 488 GT3 from the 2023 season. It was developed with Oreca and made its racing debut at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona. Its main results include:

• Overall win at the 2023 24 Hours of Nürburgring for Frikadelli Racing, with a distance record of 162 laps.
• GTD PRO class win at the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona for Risi Competizione.
• LMGT3 class wins in the World Endurance Championship, including Fuji and Bahrain in 2024 and Spa-Francorchamps in 2025.
• The 2024 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup drivers' title for Alessandro Pier Guidi and Alessio Rovera, and the teams' title for AF Corse.
• Ferrari's first win in the FIA GT World Cup at Macau, by Antonio Fuoco in November 2025.

A 296 GT3 Evo with new gear ratios, better cooling and a revised rear wing was announced in June 2025 and raced from the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona. The one-make 296 Challenge car was shown at the Finali Mondiali in October 2023 and has been used in the Ferrari Challenge series since 2024. In September 2026 Ferrari added the 296 GT Modificata, a track-only car based on the GT3 Evo.

Legacy

The 296 changed what an entry to Ferrari's mid-engined range looks like: fewer cylinders, an electric motor, and more power than the V8 F8 Tributo it replaced. It showed that a hybrid V6 could carry the brand's sporting image, both on the road and in GT racing, where the 296 GT3 quickly became a winning car. For an earlier generation of mid-engined Ferraris see the Ferrari 458 Italia, and for the company's background our history of Ferrari.

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