Retractable hardtop for Ferrari’s entry model
Silent open-air cruising. From a Ferrari?
Ferrari‘s V6 supercar is back. The second prancing horse to wear the 296 badge is getting a retractable hardtop variant called the Ferrari 296 Gran Turismo Spider, or GTS.
The wide-vee turbocharged V6 has 3.0L of displacement and puts out 663 hp. That’s no small figure on its own, but this is a plug-in hybrid and the electric motor brings the total up to 830 hp and 546 lb-ft of torque. Enough for a 2.9-second run to 100 km/h and 330 km/h flat out. Keep it in EV mode and go a little slower and it offers a 25 km EV range.
This is Ferrari’s first rear-drive convertible to get an electric motor. Ferrari calls the electrics MGU-K, to make it sound like the comapny’s Formula 1 engines, and says that the gas engine sounds like a small V12. We’ll want to hear it to verify that claim.
Raising or lowering the hardtop takes 14 seconds, and it can be done at speeds up to 45 km/h. The roof fold splits into two sections that sit flush in front of the engine. Allowing a rear cover to see the V6 and make sure the engine can still dissipate heat.
Apart from the roof, there are few changes to turn the 296 GTB into the GTS. The spider will even still offer the Assetto Fiorano package that helps cut weight and give the aero package a more track-focused setup. There is a weight penalty for the hardtop, somewhere around 70 kilos.
Expect the Ferrari 296 GTS to appear in showrooms by the end of the year, though if you want one of those early cars, we’re guessing you should already be on the list. After all, this is likely the last new Ferrari before the company’s first SUV is revealed.
