First Drive: The 2024 Ferrari 296 GTS Is One of the Most Spectacular Cars I’ve Ever Driven

Southern California might just be the best possible place to own a Ferrari, packed full of beautiful people enjoying clement weather (the opposite of inclement, look it up), and incredible driving roads—provided you know where to go to avoid rush-hour traffic. But this past winter, torrential downpours hit SoCal with frightening regularity, a serious state of affairs especially for the automotive enthusiasts who lost a number of the greatest canyon thoroughfares to mudslides.

A storm hit almost every weekend for months straight, including my window of four days to enjoy a loaner Ferrari 296 GTS. And yet, even if I only laid the GTS’s roof back for about a half-hour total, the weather actually provided quite a revelation: This plug-in-hybrid supercar, one of the quickest rear-wheel-drive vehicles out there, is still a blast (and easy!) to drive in the rain.

The GTS adds a retractable hardtop to the 296 GTB chassis that debuted late in 2022. Yet, if anything, the Spider version only enhances this ‘Rarri’s incredible design, which purposefully hearkens back to the original Dino of the 1960s and ’70s. That’s because, technically speaking, the 296 is the first series production Ferrari ever to employ a V6 (just don’t ask old Enzo’s son Dino—who designed the eponymous engine that would power the original road-going Dino—that his father then refused to sell wearing the badge of the prancing pony).

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Much More Than Just a Small V6

A lowly V6, skeptical minds might rightfully wonder, in a Ferrari? Surely not. And yet, in this case, Ferrari lived up to the surname by combining a potent 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with an electric motor that combine to produce a gobsmacking 819 horsepower, all of which routes to the rear wheels only. By eschewing the de rigueur AWD layout that so many other manufacturers deem absolutely necessary to responsibly sell such eminently powerful supercars to the masses, Ferrari might well have ruined the potential for safe rainy day drives in the 296, right?

Guess again. Despite so much power, and a 0-60 time tested as low as 2.3 seconds, the 296 handles foul weather with a steadiness that belies the stats on paper. And the GTS adds only 70 kilograms to the GTB’s overall curb weight, a rather large number now, at just under 3,400 pounds—but a number that real-world performance renders largely irrelevant.

In contrast, the 1971 Dino that I drove a couple of years ago would have weighed nearly 1,000 pounds less. Of course, the 2.0-liter quad-cam Dino engine mounted amidships also pumped out far fewer horsepower—only 192 ponies when new. Keep in mind that, for the time, a narrow-angle V6 in such a lightweight sports car with the nimble dynamics of a mid-engine chassis proved more than capable of living up to the Ferrari name—even if Enzo disagreed.

Lighter than light, moderately quick even by today’s standards, and just absolutely teensy, that Dino demanded my utmost attention on a dreamy (sunny) afternoon drive—and not just because it shared an engine with my favorite car of all time, the Lancia Stratos. But with 20/20 hindsight from the modern era, I can also acknowledge the Dino’s terrible ergonomics, the gated shifter that clunked around aimlessly, and the brakes that struggled to slow the car down.

Impressive Ferrari Tech in a Cockpit Where Less Is More

The 296 GTS, meanwhile, sits at the top of the class of supercars that I’ve driven. Among all the Lambos, Aston Martins, Maseratis, and Porsches, the 296 GTS simply strives to achieve a higher concept than the rest. Only a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport might compare—but that’s not quite fair, given that even this half-million-dollar Ferrari costs 1/10th as much.

Slipping into the 296’s cockpit reveals a level of detail that other supercars simply lack. Smooth and serene, leather flows across the dash and all the way down to the Alcantara footwells. The seats both bolster and snug driver and passenger into place, with perfect lumbar support and enough fore-aft adjustability to suit body types up to around 6’4” with ease. On the steering wheel, small haptic surfaces control various drive modes and settings.

Only after a few minutes fiddling with buttons and dials do I realize why the 296 interior looks so much better—other than the obvious lack of piano-black plastics infecting the entire automotive industry these days. There’s no center console! Of course, rear-wheel drive mated to a mid-mounted engine means no transmission tunnel, either—but, more importantly, no massive touchscreen dominates the user experience.

Instead, the gauge cluster serves as infotainment, navigation, and both the ICE and EV powertrain readouts—all controlled by the F1-inspired steering wheel complete with a “Manettino” dial for drive modes. At first, I choose Wet in deference to the rain, but throttle response noticeably dials back—and, hey, that’s no fun in a Ferrari. Time to play with Sport mode on slippery surfaces. Pushing in on the Manettino dial also allows for the selection of softer damper settings, which helps on the Pacific Coast Highway as I head out to find some canyons ASAP.

The 296 GTS Makes Going Fast Almost Too Easy

With miserable weather on the forecast, I try to beat the storms and blast up the 405 freeway toward Santa Clarita instead. Raindrops only get bigger and heavier as the 296 eats up miles comfortably. I’m keeping an eye on the hybrid system’s charging status, curious how much the internal-combustion engine can top up the battery. The figure seems to hover around eight miles or so, even as I pick up the pace when traffic starts to clear out.

The storm seemingly follows my route up into the curves of Bouquet Canyon. At no point do the rear tires squiggle or squirm out on me. I feel planted, almost not even needing windshield wipers, thanks to the roofline’s low rake. And the steering, on display from the first few blocks, simply boggles my mind. It must be electrically assisted, in order to function in full-EV mode, but I would deny it thrice if I didn’t know better. Even firming up the shock dampers still allows for hints of body roll that communicate the perfect amount of weight transfer, as the nose whips flawlessly through razor-sharp corners, again and again. All the typical aphorisms for superb handling fail to do the 296 justice. Knowing better, I still struggle to believe that the hybrid system contributes to that curb weight of 3,395 pounds.

Despite the confidence that such stellar chassis tuning and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires allow, I try to keep my wits about me and keep my speeds at least in a reasonable (read: low-triple-digit) range. That's no small task. Two days later, I finally get lucky with about 45 minutes of clear, dry roads in Topanga Canyon. Time to dial up Race mode.

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All of a sudden, nannies at bay, I can truly crank out every last bit of oomph from the combined hybrid powertrain. The Michelins, which served so well in the cold and wet, now heat up quickly and start to actually perform up to, and past, the limits of traction. I even put the top back to allow in a whole new soundtrack as accompaniment.

Similar to Maserati with the MC20, Ferrari appears to have toned down the 296’s exhaust system to ramp up the auditory experience of forced induction. Intake wails and wastegate whooshes satisfy far better than just a barking or tremulous exhaust note—at least, in my humble opinion. Ripping right up to the 8,500 rpm redline before banging to the next gear on the carbon-fiber paddles, I frequently chirp the rear tires in a straight line before hammering the prodigious brakes into the next corner.

Then I realize how far beyond the pale the 296’s performance brings us. The greatest cars make 90 miles an hour feel like 60. This beast makes 120 feel like 60. I swear, I can even begin to feel the first sensation of aero providing downforce as I once more start to spy rainclouds looming to spoil my fun. At least I got a good, albeit brief, clue as to how rapaciously the 296 GTS eats up roadway.

The Electric Drivetrain Won't Get You Far

On the drive home, spitting and splattering raindrops imitating hail, I decide to try out the full EV mode for range. Though Ferrari claims up to 15 miles of all-electric range, and the onboard computer reads eight miles, even normal driving in traffic below 50 miles per hour consumes electrons at an alarming rate. Soon enough, I pop back into hybrid mode so the internal-combustion engine can contribute to battery charging.

The 296’s all-electric mode probably serves best at keeping the neighbors happy on cold mornings—or, as Ferrari claims, to satisfy urban Europe’s zero-emission driving zones. But the real-world range of the 7.5-kWh battery probably comes in more accurately at a mere handful of miles, if that. For context, a plug-in Prius Prime uses a 13.8-kWh battery to run a legit 44 miles of range. We’re not in Prius land here, obviously, but the techy side of the 296 probably leaves the most to be desired.

All the buttons on the steering wheel, rather than a center touchscreen, take awhile decipher. No joke, I needed the full four days to figure out how to turn up the sound system’s volume other than via the passenger’s small touchscreen. And no car has ever beeped at me more, for leaving my seatbelt unbuckled or the front axle lift system activated or the convertible top open or, at times, for reasons known only to Ferrari engineers.

Final Verdict: 2024 Ferrari 296 GTS

Especially in GTS form, the 296 sets a high conceptual bar—but such is the challenge that Ferrari clearly and purposefully sets for itself. At $500,538 as tested, buyers will no doubt appreciate every little detail that makes driving a Ferrari special, from the unbelievable performance to eminently satisfying turn signal buttons and, with zero hyperbole, the single greatest car key ever made.

I’m not a convertible guy, but I give back the 296 GTS with zero doubt that I’m bidding adieu to one of the most spectacular cars I’ve ever driven—or will ever drive—one that far surpasses my abilities as a responsible driver on public roads. And yet, as a weekend in the wet proved beyond a doubt, this plug-in hybrid supercar is still accessible enough for anyone to just get in and drive.

Specs: 2024 Ferrari 296 GTS

• Engine: Twin-turbocharged and intercooled 3.0L DOHC 24-valve V-6/AC motor with 4.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack

• Horsepower/Torque: 819 hp/546 lb-ft

• 0-60: 2.4 seconds

• Top Speed: 205 mph

• Transmission: 8-speed automatic

• MPG: 16 city / 21 highway

• Price: From $372,000

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