Ferrari 296 GTB Plug-In Hybrid Review

In popular culture, the term 'hybrid' instantly conjures images of eco-warriors pottering silently about in their Toyota Priuses. In Ferrari's world of partial electrification, however, what sticks with you hours after you've parked the 296 GTB and returned its keys is the sound of its engine: Pure, full-bodied music.

Carrying the torch forward for Maranello's mid-rear engined berlinetta, the 296 GTB points to a different future by taking two words that used to invite dirty looks among supercar aficionados - electrification and turbocharging - and creating pure magic out of them.

The plug-in hybrid 296 GTB marks Ferrari's latest mid-rear-engined berlinetta - and its first ever model to be powered by a V6 

In traditional Ferrari fashion, its powertrain-referencing name is as straightforward in nomenclature as can get: Just behind the cabin resides a 2,922cc turbocharged V6. But within this revelation comes the first inflection point. Putting aside the Dino 'sub-brand' of the late 1950s to 1970s, no road-going Ferrari thus far has technically been propelled by a V6.

It's not just any old V6 though. Newly-developed just for the 296 GTB, the engine has made waves for its 120-degree angle - designed as such to reduce its height and thus the car's overall centre of gravity, and with its turbos installed in the vee. The second kicker, as mentioned, comes with the car's electrification. Between the engine and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission sits a Formula One-derived electric motor, with a rechargeable 7.45kWh battery pack located under the cabin floor helping to feed it with energy.

One eye on the past, one eye to the future

The dreamlands of young petrolheads used to be filled by more unabashedly gas-guzzling machines, and the deep growls of their V8s or battle-cry bellows of their V12s. Based on sheer physical presence alone, however, this plug-in hybrid 296 GTB makes a good case for itself that it has what it takes to rub shoulders with past bedroom-poster greats. 

What's most striking immediately is how flat the car appears visually, without losing any air of aggression and sensuality. The 296 GTB doesn't get your traditionally beautiful Ferrari face, but it certainly gets a cool one, with its wide mouth, extremely raked front end, and visor-style wraparound windscreen.

A raked bonnet and wraparound bonnet add to the car's visual flatness, and thus overall magnetism. Those air intakes underneath the DRLs are also so large they could swallow a fist

Positioned beneath the daytime running lights, the angular intakes for the brakes - large enough to swallow a fist - are particularly magnetic. The track-oriented Assetto Fiorano pack (understood to be a six-figure option locally) on this test unit, too, packs on more aero work with a carbon fibre front wing beneath the front bumper, and a race-inspired livery inspired by the impossibly beautiful 250 LM.

On this note, the 296 GTB reaches back into the firm's past by paying homage to that car, with its muscular rear haunches and Kamm tail rear end being the most noteworthy tells.

In its homage to the 250 LM and older Ferraris respectively, the 296 GTB features a Kamm tail like rear-end as well as semi-circular indents beneath its tail lights - meant to mimic the twin rounded tail lights of past cars

Clever design has it that even the width of the car is emphasised here, with the tucked-away active rear spoiler connecting the car's tail lights for an uninterrupted dark line stricken across the paintwork.

The reliance of semi-circular indents - a call back to Ferrari's iconic twin rounded taillights - are also a highlight, while the single central exhaust is integrated impeccably neatly into the rear. Though slightly removed now from the more dramatic curves that marked older Ferraris, there's still an incredible sense of occasion.

As focused as ever on the driver

All this continues as one dips his or her fingers into the unconventional handle, and swings the door open.

The Assetto Fiorano pack on our test car once again brings extra hardcore edges - lightweight bucket seats in place of leather upholstery, and a smattering of carbon fibre everywhere (on the steering wheel; centre console; again the seats). But even without these, the atmosphere feels extremely driver-focused, almost race-car like - yet also beautifully pieced together, replete with the rectangular nook on the centre console in which the key to your 296 GTB nestles perfectly.

As part of the optional Assetto Fiorano pack, the cabin gets body-hugging carbon fibre racing seats 

Modern touches have hit Ferrari's latest generation of cars heavily, to varying degrees of satisfaction. The not-so-good includes all manner of haptics on the steering wheel - down even to the engine Start/Stop button and the 'eManettino' for fiddling with the car's powertrain - which take a while to get used to. Most of this thankfully fades into the background the moment one hits the road, though, and at least the classic manettino is still a weighty, physical switch.

The new digital driver's display, on the other hand, is more unambiguously excellent.

The new curved instrument cluster is a visual delight - provided you're not hooked up to Apple CarPlay and using Waze (which takes over the screen entirely). A separate display on the car also allows your passenger to roleplay as your driving instructor, as he or she monitors the revs or G-meter

Exactly what you'd expect on a racecar made for the road, its graphics are sharp and vibrant, with the iconic central tachometer still fantastic to look at even in non-analogue form. Meanwhile, the digital rendering of the car's body in one specific display mode is deliciously sci-fi-esque. A front passenger's display also means whoever comes along for the ride can be treated to a real-time report of how much you're pushing the car.

The only slight headache? The lack of a central infotainment screen means the system is programmed to let Apple CarPlay take over the driver's display entirely when your smartphone is connected. If you want the full experience of not just hearing, but watching the revs rise at all times, you'd benefit from knowing your way around Singapore without Google Maps or Waze.

The Drive: No compromises

Fixating on the output of any modern supercar without consideration for all the party tricks it almost certainly has to show off can feel incredibly myopic. But the 296 GTB's is worth highlighting simply for how staggering it is: A combined 819bhp and 740Nm of torque, all sent to the rear wheels. 

This one-two punch has its benefits for raw power, for at its level, the plug-in hybrid system could go toe-to-toe with the naturally aspirated V12s from Maranello. The newly-developed V6 alone accounts for 654bhp (in fact, its 219bhp per litre output set the record for a production car when it was released), while the electric motor mounted behind it helps to supplement the remaining 165bhp.

A 7.45kWh onboard battery gives the car up to 25km of range (an ambitious estimate), and powers the electric motor, which allows the 296 GTB to travel at speeds of up to 135km/h on just electric power

On paper, the 296 GTB is such a complicated machine that the mind inevitably wonders if the driving experience will be influenced in kind too. Yet its supercar-superpower is also its deft refusal to funnel all that complexity into the driving experience.

Even in the hands of an amateur driver, confidence and connection to the car don't feel difficult to earn. Its most immediate standout quality is its steering, whose sharpness and quickness are mind-boggling, even if it's not exceptionally generous in feedback. Lending credence to Ferrari's claims of compactness, the 296 GTB's wheelbase is also shorter than the F8 Tributo's; for a plug-in hybrid, it's arguably - and surprisingly - lightweight too, at just 1,470 kilos dry (the Assetto Fiorona pack can shed another 12kg). The combination of all these traits is a relentless sense of agility.

The 296 GTB's brake-by-wire system works like a dream, providing good feel no matter the speed

Ferrari's latest-generation brake-by-wire system also works like a dream. The pedal feels reassuringly firm with the nice sort of progressive, ever-communicative travel that can tackle both the stress of bumper-to-bumper traffic and the confidence to shed speed. 

With eDrive illuminated in green on the e-Manettino and the engine in slumber, the 296 GTB isn't just capable of rolling about in complete silence, but also attacking speeds of up to 135km/h. In Singapore, that's far more than enough to make it feel like a rocketship. 'Hybrid' toes the line between electric and combustion power, with the V6 poked awake only at higher speeds and with a heavier prod to the accelerator.

eManettino: Depress the racing flag to hear the sound of the heavens opening

The 'heavens-opened, angels-singing' moment arrives in full, however, when one of the sliproads we tackle on our drive - an upwards rising ramp leaning rightwards - suddenly clears.

Foot dug deeper into the throttle, and a couple of blips given to the left paddle, the 296 GTB clears its throat loudly; its V6 finally allowed to belt its song as it guns for the horizon. Pushing towards the redline, and devouring tarmac rapidly with a wide, devilish grin, the 'piccolo V12' (little V12) label bestowed upon it by Ferrari's engineers during development starts to click properly. It's almost as if Maranello knew it had an extra bit to prove given that the 296 GTB would not only have the least cylinders of any Ferrari thus far and be met with scepticism cos of its electric power. The subsequent overcompensation of drama is hilariously riotous.

The 296 GTB's V6 engine is already capable of 654bhp on its own

In a matter of seconds, the moment is over as the traffic becomes denser. (Supercar limits are impossible to exploit in Singapore anyway.) But the magic of the experience lingers as the mind processes its symphony of ingredients: The lightning-quickness of its eight-speed DCT, its incredible poise at speed, and above all, the engine note of that V6. 

Admittedly, the usual supercar trappings remain. The mind is constantly in high alert, especially in car parks, where from behind the wheel, the fear of a kerbed rim hovers above one's head ever so presently. Meanwhile, the added front bumper from the Assetto Fiorano pack also means added anxiety every time a hump comes into view. Its track-optimised Multimatic shock absorbers also seem to imbue the ride with a stiffer-than-needed quality for public roads - although you could probably see these coming into play properly at Sepang.

Otherwise, however, the 296 GTB feels surprisingly approachable and easy to place, all without losing the certainty of its firepower and brooding presence. One is reminded of the latter from the incessant stares penetrating the visor-like windscreen from all around.

An electrifying new frontier for performance

The 296 GTB, in all its thunderous yet versatile glory, proves that progress doesn't have to be terrifying.

Whereas many may immediately write electrification off as a eulogy for excitement, Ferrari's baby supercar has gone in the opposite direction: Weaponising it with unprecedented technical sophistication to raise the stakes in power and usability, while defiantly persisting in a world that threatens it with hostility. If plug-in hybrids mark the next frontier in performance, one doesn't have to dream that they can sound and feel good. In the 296 GTB, there already is living proof. 

Don't forget to check out what we thought about these other monstrous machines!

The Artura embeds electrification into the supercar formula, bringing added everyday usability without compromising performance the slightest

The MC20 is a super sports car that delivers a different kind of performance experience that's more road-friendly than typically expected