Reviews
Ferrari 296 GTB Review: Brilliant, Flawed and Utterly Addictive
We spend a week with the 819 hp Ferrari 296 GTB to see whether the experience lives up to the numbers.
| 0–60 mph | 2.9s |
|---|---|
| Power | 819 hp |
| Top speed | 205 mph |
| Layout | RWD |
The Ferrari 296 GTB arrives with a clear sense of who it is for, and makes no apology for it. In a market drifting toward sameness, a car with this much conviction is worth taking seriously.
Performance
The headline figures — 819 hp, 2.9s to 60 mph, a 205 mph maximum — place the 296 GTB firmly in serious company. More impressive is how usable that pace is on a real road rather than a spec sheet.
On the road
The RWD layout shapes the entire experience, lending the 296 GTB a balance that flatters an average driver while still rewarding an expert. Body control is tight without crashing over imperfections, and the steering tells you exactly what the front tyres are doing.
The best fast cars do not just go quickly — they make you want to go quickly again.
Living with it
As a companion the 296 GTB surprises. There is genuine refinement beneath the aggression, and the daily realities of fuel, comfort and usability have not been sacrificed entirely at the altar of performance.
The verdict
Judged on its own terms, the Ferrari 296 GTB succeeds emphatically. It knows what it wants to be, achieves it with conviction, and leaves you plotting reasons to drive it again.
