296 GTS vs. SF90 Spider

It’s up to you

 

Your money.

You spend it the way that makes you happy.

 

I have both and enjoy both. But I also have other F cars. The GTS is currently my only open top until the XX spider arrives.

If you are going to only pick one it comes down to 1) how frequently you are going to push last the 296 performance into the SF90’s performance level. If not more than once in a long time, then it comes down to design and sound preference.

I feel the 296 is one of the most exciting mid engine Ferraris since 1999. I could tell from the first ride. I didn’t initially feel that about the SF90. I think you should try both models first.

 

Personal preference. Having driven the SF90 and now recently owning a 296 GTS, there is no way I’ll replace the 296 GTS (yes GTS not GTB) for any supercar that’s revuelto price point and below. I don’t track nor care about straight line speed. 296 GTS is a whole lot of car … pound for pound best (not perfect) supercar imho.

 

This is a tricky one because it is not about objective criteria.

My own take, having SF90 Spider, 296 Spider, 458 and Pista. And please understand I am someone who at their core just loves cars. First and foremost there is the feeling of the engine. I love the feeling of the engine at idle, the vibrations going through the car, and then at the entire rev range. I also love the sound. I also love the feeling of a car that feels like it could pivot around your hips. I also love the beauty of these cars, and the nice materials, and what I perceive to be the “Italianness” of the cars. I should also note that I just love driving, and these cars are all excellent sports cars, so when Im behind the wheel of any of them, I am very happy and all that goes through my mind is “I love it!”.. I doubt I am very much different from many of the posters here, but just need to give you my own frame of reference before giving any advice or driving impressions.

The thing I am keying in on is your description that you love the sound and handling on the 296. And I don’t blame you! The 296 sounds very good and the handling is excellent. You then went on to say you like the SF90 better for its greater road presence and higher performance. And that is true as well. The SF has greater road presence and does offer access to higher performance most of the time. The question I will try to help with is whether or not the trade is worth it for you.

From a driving perspective, the 296 reminds me more of the 458 than the 488. That is, it is a car that you need to get some revs going before you really get to sense the power. The difference from the 458 is when you press the throttle past 1/3 with some revs, the 458 will literally smoothly, and (for today’s world) slowly build power. The 296 will just slam you with power like a 488. This encourages you to rev it a bit more than the SF90- and when you are revving it, you will be better able to understand the engine work via sound as both engine and exhaust sound are more aurally varied and theres just more of a “fizz” experience of really ripping the 296 around some back roads. In contrast, the SF90 feels more potent from the very first touch of the throttle, doesnt feel like you need to rev it as much- though you can- and when you rev it out its just not quite as aurally rewarding. The feeling of power between these two cars is very much summarized by their engines- one is a V6, the other is a V8. The V8 feels more potent. But, as I am sure you know, if you press into the throttle on the 296, from mid revs onward, it is OMG fast. We’ve seen online drag races where both cars are even from a rolling race. The SF90 owns the launch with its AWD. I also think the SF90 feels more planted, and a little more balanced, surely the result of the AWD. The SF90 is larger inside and outside and feels it. The SF90 is an excellent handling car, it is a lot of fun to drive, but its overall demeanor reminds me more of the Pista: they sacrificed a little bit of handling sharpness to make the performance accessible and relatively safe for use on the road. Whereas the 296 reminds me more of the 458- the turn in is so sharp and immediate, the handling balance is such that it could encourage you to hot dog it around hairpin turns. I tend to think of cars as having personalities. The 296, like the 458 is “playful”. In terms of handling jargon, some people have described the 458 as a little “loose” - I dont think its quite like that, but i would say its loose enough to let you feel like you are alive when you are piloting it. The 296 is very much like this. The SF90 is a more serious character. Kind of like your older brother who is big and strong and you know could kick your ass without breaking a sweat but youd have to really provoke him, other wise he is a cooler character, though he can crack jokes with you. This is more how the Pista and SF90 are setup. So not quite as “edgy” or “alive”. But still there if you go looking for it.

The interior of the 296 is more cramped than the SF90 and I find the driving position is just a little bit not as good as the other cars. In my case its the relationship of the seat position to the steering wheel, Id like to get the steering wheel punished in another few mm- its a small matter, I can usually just forget about it most of the time, but its something that bothers me a little bit.

Some of this will also come down to how and where you are driving these cars. If all you do is backroads, I think the 296 would be more rewarding, at least for me. If all you have are straightaways, then it’s probably the SF90. Thats a bit unfair, the differences are more nuanced, but Im over simplifying to make the point.

Reliability on both cars has been good- so far. Though I would note the SF90 seems to have a little faster processor or more efficient software so the UI feels a little bit more snappy. However, I am not driving these cars for the UI, I want to drive the car. The UI is workable once you figure it out.

You also need to consider future cars. Some people say oh I’ll never sell, but that day almost always comes, for one reason or another. I think it’s a shame, but the market place is not in love with either of these models, but it’s even worse for the SF90. And you also need to consider we are on the verge of the 296 “VS” (Versione Speciale). In the past they’ve used owning the production model to be one of the criteria to qualify for the special. They’ve already done the special of the SF90 with the XX models.

So with all this said, I’ll play the game and not take the “it’s your decision” option. I think you should continue to enjoy the 296, wait and see if they offer you a VS. If they dont then you can come back to this decision again. This way you’ve given yourself the best options.

 

That was a great read. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

 

When I first read this my answer was going to be one word….nope. But the above is much more articulate

 

I agree with the notion that the 296 is similar to the 458. I have limited test drive experience in a 296, but that was my immediate reaction (it felt like the Italia or Speciale), which I have noted before in other posts. Our SF90 TM Spider is for sale right now...we may take it back, may not. It's an incredible looking machine and I agree that the road presence is astounding. I'm hoping for a 296 VS and our coupe should be here in a few months (it was a late decision to order). I am VERY excited for the coupe to arrive, and if it still gets me the feelings of the 458, I'll be thrilled.

 

Is the sales person self interested (will they make money selling you an SF90)? Worth considering the context of the advice.

I could have done either but decided 296 because of sound and how it felt smaller vs 488, F8, and SF90 - but only drove 488 and F8 and just projected from people who had opinions about the SF90 and 488/F8 that I shared. So if sound and feeling of size are important it sounds like you should really try one before switching.

Have you asked to borrow an SF90 for a day? Or a few hours to try whatever you'd typically do with it? For me, 1 hour is 5x as useful as 15 minute test drive, 4 hours is 3x as useful, 1 day is 2x yet more useful. At finding reasons you might not love it - longer has never made me like a car more (to live with).

 

Personally the GTB didn't do it for me but I saw a beautiful green and tan GTS at Vegas Auto Gallery but went back to driving dynamics.

My advice is to agree to contingent #s and see if the dealer/owner will let you borrow it for at least a few hours or overnight and do whatever combo of driving and looking will give you what you need to decide - not being cheeky - just to get more data to decide by whatever your criteria are.

 

One of the best posts on FC ever. Kudos!

For road driving enjoyment the 296 is a slam dunk (more playful/ nimble, better sound, practically just as fast). For road driving it is the superior car.

For ego, SF90.

IMO.

 

This reminds me of my experience in 1990 when I had a 328 GTS and wanted a Testarossa. Eventually I did it and was disappointed as the fantasy was better than the reality. For the road the more nimble and slower car was more fun even though the Testarossa looked and sounded incredible- it could not make up for the experience unless on the open highway. This is an easier decision than that as the SF90 has inferior sound, is less nimble and playful and the performance difference on the road is imperceptible. Sometimes the best decision is to stand pat.

 

If you are collecting cars and want one of each- sure. The more aggressive exterior styling that you prefer will wear off as more pleasure comes from the driving experience which is self reinforcing every time you drive it. If you do the exchange I would expect you will later regret it. And- There are too many SF90’s on the market. The price will likely drop further from here. Why not wait until the available supply has diminished and the price has settled- lower. At that point you may be able to afford both.

I have too many cars. I also want a 296 GTB/GTS. There are also too many of these on the market. So I will wait for the supply to burn off and the price to settle and then I will add.

 

Yea but if I was buying a car on pure aggressive design I’d get a Revuelto or 765LT. SF90 is more aggressive but I don’t find it particularly attractive whereas the 296 is beautiful to my eyes. Especially from the rear 3/4.

 

Only in that one Carwow race. When Carwow tried them again with different examples, the SF90 was clearly quicker, as the posted results from other tests proved. They are not worlds apart though, the 296 is wickedly quick.

 

Exceptional write up. As a 458 lover this excites me.

 

I think your best analogy is the 599. What happened to 599 values when the F12 appeared? If we are guessing the future, we should guess the SF90 successor is better and more desirable. I stand by my advice to hold and enjoy the 296.

 

Have had both and still have my sf90 spider as I wait for the xx. Have a novitec exhaust on the sf90 spider if you need sound, get an exhuast. The 296 is a smaller version of the sf90. It does sound good, very nimble and fast. The sf90 definitely stands out more, looks better, drives great and is very fast. Don't think you can go wrong with either but I'd choose the sf90 spider over the 296 gts.

 

My sf90 spider is viola hong kong and it sounds better with the novitec but is different than the 296. I don't know if I'd say its better or not. Seems louder if that's what you mean. It did not void my warranty.