When is an open top Ferrari a GTS and when is it a Spider?
ah You’re looking for logic in Ferrari’s naming strategy. Good luck with that. Back in the day, a GTS was effectively a “targa,” meaning: it had a removable panel instead of a fully folding roof, as debuted in the 1977 308 GTS (remember the opening credits of Magnum PI, right? ) In the nineties F355, you could have a GTB, a GTS or a Spider. This glorious machine was replaced by the 360 Modena, the Spider version of which had a soft canvas top and slightly awkward styling, just like the following F430 (it was nicer, though).
Since the 2011 458 Italia Spider, open Ferraris have had a retractable aluminum roof, cleverly packaged ductwork for high-speed hedonism without compromising structural integrity. That’s exactly the deal with the 296 GTS, the first road-going Ferrari, er, Spider to use a six-cylinder engine. If you discount the Dino GTS, which isn’t technically a Ferrari. Or actually a chandelier, because it only had a removable ceiling panel.
Maybe you’re overcomplicating yourself?
May be. The RHT (retractable hard hood) itself is an elegant solution, designed by GTB and GTS, says design director Flavio Manzoni, at the same time. Design is obviously subjective, but the 296 is a fabulous and fascinating thing to look at, completely of the moment as it harks back in a very nuanced way to the 250 LM drag racer of the mid-sixties. Look at the visor cockpit, rear buttresses and engine compartment and the lineage is clear. The latter two have been reworked on the GTS, and there’s more than one step between the roof and the “aero bridge” that runs the width of the car.
The roof is split into two sections that fold over the front of the engine, retaining the same heat dissipation features as the GTB, and ensuring that the silhouettes of the two cars are almost identical. The GTS gets a viewing window in the engine cover so you can glimpse the exotic plumbing underneath. The roof folds behind the seats in 14 seconds, at speeds of up to 28 mph. Packing the roof was no more difficult than before, despite the extra hybrid gubbins, but cooling everything was more complicated, says Ferrari.
It is also highly aerodynamic. There’s a cooling intake next to the ultra-slim LED headlights. An underbody funnels hot air away from the sides of the car’s body, allowing cooling air to flow freely to the intercoolers. An aerodynamic device that Ferrari calls a “tea tray” dominates the front end, uniting two competing pressure fields into an “energized” vortex that sucks the car into the road. And an active spoiler is built into the rear bumper, good for 360kg of downforce at 155mph.
Is there supposed to be a weight penalty?
Inevitably But it’s a small one. The GTS weighs 70kg more than the GTB, so 1,540kg dry. Virtually all of that extra weight is on the roof, but 5kg is down to extra carbon fiber reinforcement at the bottom. The sills and A- and B-pillars have reinforced joints, and Ferrari claims the 296 GTS is 50% stiffer than the F8 Tributo Spider. And this is still a deadly serious, high-performance car, with a zero-to-62mph time of 2.9 seconds, 124mph in 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 205mph (even with the roof down ).
As with the GTB, the GTS is available with the track-oriented Assetto Fiorano package, the extra £25,920 outlay nets Multimatic dampers and sticky Michelin Cup 2R tyres. We know that the well-equipped GTB is absolutely dynamite on the track, but a little restless on bumpy roads, unsurprisingly. Also, despite its parity with the GTB, how often would you actually use your 296 GTS on a track day?
Are you suggesting the GTS doesn’t have the same fire in its belly?
oh yeah But with the roof immediately stowed as we head out of Maranello towards the passes of Raticosa and Futa della Toscana, there’s still a sense that the GTS is a bit more attentive, if you can describe anything that encompasses a total of 819bhp from this way It’s always wise to let yourself go in an experience like this, and such is the bandwidth of a contemporary Ferrari that the GTS will glide unobtrusively in top gear, its supple suspension mopping up rough road surfaces.
Put it in electronic mode, for maximum awareness, by pressing one of the countless buttons on the steering wheel, for arguably the 296’s funnest party trick. It’s good for 15 miles in this configuration and can run at speeds of up to 83 mph (though not at the same time). Yes, this is a Ferrari that voluntarily strangles itself.
And with the roof down, you’ll hear things you never normally hear above the insistent idling of a Ferrari combustion engine. Birdsong, maybe. Italian truck drivers whistling the ‘Amarcord’. But that would be a criminal waste of this astonishingly impressive V6 hybrid.
oh yes The internal combustion engine lives. Is it really as good as everyone says?
oh yeah Zero tailpipe emissions is one thing. But in reality, the hybrid technology gives Ferrari’s engineers an additional power source to play with, and the resulting energy is vigorously wired around the car to improve every aspect of its behavior. The 2.9-liter turbo V6 is in a 120-degree “hot” V configuration, so it’s low and wide to optimize the center of gravity, and produces 654 hp on its own. It’s connected to a quick eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and electronic differential, integrated with a rear-mounted electric motor that produces an additional 165bhp.
In “qualifying” mode, the 296 GTB can use a total of 819 hp, the engine and electric motor are perfectly combined by an additional clutch that sits between the two power sources, decoupling them when the car is running in pure mode A 7.45 kWh high-voltage battery powers the electric motor. Persuading all these things to start a meaningful dialogue is the really clever part: Ferrari uses a device called a TMA (Transition Manager Actuator) to monitor and optimize the flow of energy between electric and internal combustion, with software owner that keeps everything smooth and instant. He is very intelligent.
Does it really sound like a little V12?
Turbos traditionally dampen an engine’s harmonics, but Ferrari’s claims about the V6’s soundtrack aren’t hyperbole. A symmetrical cylinder firing order and tuned equal-length exhaust manifolds and an 8,500-rpm redline make this Ferrari sound mostly like a Ferrari should: a low rumble, rising to an operatic crescendo at as the revolutions increase. Pushing it to the limit is a total blast, and there’s no point in any delay. It feels naturally aspirated.
It is exceptionally well integrated: hardware, software and aerodynamics are fully harmonized. Recent Ferraris have had too-quick steering, but this one is quieter and more linear. Or maybe we just got used to it. Unlike the all-wheel-drive SF90, the 296 GTS is rear-wheel drive only, but there’s grip, traction and texture to its handling. In fact, it is more interactive than its hybrid big brother, easier to play.
How much of this is due to electronics and algorithms?
Ferrari loves acronyms, so say hello to 6w-CDS – for 6-Way Chassis Dynamic Sensor. Basically, it collects and analyzes data acquired from steering, throttle, gearbox, braking and sound to combine the entire driving experience. Another new device is ‘ABS evo’, which works in parallel with the traction control system and 6w-CDS to further improve handling and braking. And Ferrari’s ever-evolving “sideslip control” is a drift mode by any other name; he’s almost comically good at serving slides, although when the skies opened up at Raticosa we opted for a different kind of mindfulness. Fortunately, the traction control is spectacular, even without selecting “wet” mode on the wheel.
Any problem areas?
Normally, we’d say the Ferrari HMI is the only thing off the pace. The company’s insistence on grouping everything on or near the wheel is great in theory, but it can take some getting used to. A small haptic square activates access to various submenus displayed on the instrument’s main screen; it works more efficiently than the one that regulates the mirrors or the climate control. The gear selector cleverly mimics the open-door layout of so many classic Ferraris, letting you shift between M for manual, R for reverse, and so on.
The interior is well made and well finished. Spend too much time in Ferrari’s Atelier and prepare to spend a fortune on exotic finishes, seat and door inserts, and more. Taller drivers may find things a bit cramped in terms of space. Slide the seat back and the rear bulkhead is scrubbed. Do it forward and your knee will brush the underside of the board. The back of the neck benefits from the warming effects of an air scarf.
We can cope. Where will we register?
oh well It goes without saying that the 296 GTS is a) quite expensive and b) not available for several years because it sold out. It’s a wonder Ferrari still asks us to drive their new cars, really. It probably has to do with validation, not that they need it, and there’s no doubt that the V6 hybrid is a hugely accomplished achievement attached to a car that’s phenomenally satisfying to drive and extremely easy to look at. The folding roof just adds another element to one of the truly vital driving experiences.