296 Owner reviews?

I love it. I enjoy it significantly more than I did my F8 and I actually enjoy driving it more than my SF90. It sounds the best of all 3 and feels very lively and agile.

 

i love it too... very easy to drive, really like how responsive it is. Feel much safer than my old F12

 

I love how my f8 looks sadly went to corsa pilota now getting 296

 

A much better car, mind blowing the 296!

 

I had the opportunity to test drive the 296 on the roads around Maranello and on the Fiorano track and the performance was jaw dropping especially coming from Porsche GT cars… also really flatters the driver.

On the positive side the acceleration is addictive, plus love the induction noise and blips on downshift etc. Also that turbo V6 has no right to sound as good as it does especially with the top down in the GTS!

On a practical note the smaller footprint vs F8 and other modern Ferraris (esp V12s) is also helpful on our B roads, car parks etc and in my view it looks sensational from nearly all angles.

The negatives are the lightness and sensitivity of the steering vs P cars which takes some getting used to but at same times turn in is always very sharp with no hint of understeer. You feel confident to brake harder and later than I’d ever trust in the Porsche.

Other negative which is not a criticism of just the 296 is the fact you are up to illegal speeds in seconds- its easy to get done for speeding - especially with ludicrous speed limits we increasingly have in London/ UK. I actually keep it in electric around town and then it’s essentially drives like a Prius - very relaxing, no urge to put yr foot down etc - so I joke I’m getting 2 cars for the price of one!

I wanted the car that would feel like a true modern successor to my 246 Dino in terms of connection with the driver - almost go-kart like feel, styling, “fun to drive” ethos etc and I think with the 296 Ferrari have nailed it.

The largest frustration again is that there are SO limited opportunities to really exploit its full performance in the UK (outside track days) but guess that’s the same for all modern supercars.

 

I think your feedback is spot on in every respect

 

Two significant difference between an F8 and a 296. First is center of gravity which feels much lower in the 296. on a Track Braking, acceleration, handling all feel much more responsive due the carl low center of mass and shorter wheelbase. I spent two day tracking the car. On the Road the clear winner may not be the 296 i would say F8 is better looking and is sufficiently quick.

its not possible to drive at speeds over 125 moh consistently on the streets of Los Angeles or canyons in fact the 296 probably gets pulled over very quickly.

i have never driven a faster car than a 296 its comical, the car is a Sr71.

 

I say this as a general remark. not pertinent to the Ferrari vs Porsche steering feel. I don't get it why people like heavy steering. A car should be driven with the fingertips.

 

Yes - I should have been clearer - the 296 doesn’t provide me with as much feedback or sensitivity as a P car does especially pre electric steering cars…maybe “quickness” is a better word… my Mercedes estate steering is light enough it can be steered with my finger tips but that doesn’t make it a great driving car. I’d rather not sneeze and find I’ve changed lane because the steering is so twitchy which is my perception with the 296 (I don’t know about other Ferraris) - like a fighter jet joystick. I understand this is a characteristic of modern Ferraris so maybe a case of getting used to it with time.

 

Yes, that's the concept and it is a matter of preference and accustomization.
In older Ferraris, the steering weight could be adjusted via the diagnostics tool; I don't know if that's still possible, but I guess it must be.

 

I’ve owned my 296GTB since March. I am coming from a 911 C2S.
Positives:
1. Getting to 3 digit speed is lightening quick and effortless, the best part is you don’t feel unsettled or unnerved doing that.
2. The car did not oversteer on the track even once even though I tried my best to push it as hard as I can in the corners. Literally zero body roll on top of that.
3. My 911 with sports exhaust is a quiet mouse compared to the superb exhaust note from 296.
4. Initially I liked the F8 lines better but now the 296 has grown on me. Whereas the F8 looks little like the new Vette, 296 looks curvaceous and stunningly elegant in an understated way.

Negatives:
A. Don’t even get me started on the Haptic Touch controls. Very frustrating to choose anything without completely paying full attention to it.
B. The heads up display at its brightest setting is still not as bright as it should be so it is not very useful.
C. The radio comes with a HDD, don’t know how to upload content into it

 

Anyone get clear reception on XM radio? Mine keeps dropping signal and cutting in and out, mostly out. Not a huge deal but annoying. Where is antenna?


Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat

 

My quick review: the next gen 458. When the 458 came out, it rewrote the supercar market segment. I think thats just what the 296 is doing. The 458 was not the purist choice when it came out and look now all these years on its what the purists go for…. Just like people are whining about the 296. I think the car is spectacular.


Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat

 

The antenna is in the windshield.

 

All fine except that the radio is still not working as it should, I only get a maximum of 12 stations, inside my garage only 1 to 3. The antenna and the radio unit had been replaced but the dealer has no idea and THAT is the main problem. Crappy dealer and you are off.

There are still some noises persisting, but hopefully those will be fixed in the next weeks.

 

Drove the 296 GTB on the Fiorano track and the dealer gave me one for two days to go alpine driving. Pure joy, playful, agile, fast, perfect size, great brakes, good sound, nice design. Back in my Pista, I still enjoyed it a lot more. If it would only be a little smaller.

 

So you prefer Pista despite the fact its slower

 

Is it really? Pista is faster around the Nürburgring and acceleration is not much different. The 100kg+ difference also makes a huge difference in feel. As said, I enjoyed the drive in the mountains very much but the “wow, I need this right now” feeling didn’t come up.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

But you travel 700 km minimum with a full tank with the 296

 

it is impossible for the pista to do 0-120 7.1 seconds, where did you find this data?

 

fastestlaps

Other test are also between 7.1 and 7.3 but does it really matter. 0.3 to 0.4 difference to 120. Depends on temp, altitude, surface, etc. A bit academic for an emotional experience.

 

Different cars. Both great.

However, 296 shocked me. I didn't like its styling and the v6/hybrid concept at first. It's an elegant car but has been engineered to be a batsh*t crazy performer which came as a surprise. I am sure Ferrari is sandbagging its performance to protect the SF90 line.

You look at Pista and know what to expect. 296's lower center of gravity, shorter wheelbase, and extra power make it light years ahead of F8 (and I would say better than SF90). Ferrari was very confident designing the 296 (hence understated, elegant styling given the capabilities) and I give them double high five for that.

 

The 296 is actually 2 seconds faster around the Nurburgring than the Pista, and the 296 is faster on almost every other track as well.
As far as straight line acceleration goes, the 296 is FAR faster. My F8 coupe would’ve had zero chance against my 296 or SF90 in a drag race, and neither would your Pista.

Track Ferrari 488 Pista Ferrari 296 GTB
Nürburgring Nordschleife 7:00.03 6:58.70
Autocar Wet Handling Track 1:18.00 1:19.40
Autocar Dry Handling Track 1:05.30 1:03.60
Anglesey International GP 1:32.20 1:32.90
Hockenheim GP 1:45.90 1:44.60
Fiorano 1:21.50 1:21.00