Ferrari 296 GTB: The "Entry Point" That Embarrasses Its Elders

Calling this Ferrari's entry-level model tells you everything about how far performance figures have moved — and almost nothing about how it actually feels to drive.

Illustration for editorial purposes

When "Entry-Level" Stops Meaning What It Used To

There's a peculiar problem facing every performance car maker right now: numbers that used to define a flagship now describe the cheapest model in the range. Few cars illustrate that shift as clearly as this one.

Generations at a Glance

The V6 That Outruns Ferrari's Old Flagships

A high-revving 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 works alongside a plug-in hybrid system, driving the rear wheels only, for a combined output just shy of 830 horsepower. The result is a 0-62mph time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed beyond 205mph, alongside roughly 15.5 miles of electric-only range — figures that would have defined a range-topping flagship a decade ago, not the model Ferrari itself positions as its accessible entry point. A drop-top GTS version offers the same drivetrain in open form, and a more hardcore Speciale variant pushes the formula further still for buyers chasing outright performance over everyday usability.

Why Some Ferrari Purists Still Won't Buy One

The V6 was, and to some degree remains, a genuinely divisive choice for a Ferrari — the brand's traditional flagships have run V8s or V12s, and swapping in a turbocharged six-cylinder raised eyebrows well before anyone had driven the car. In practice, reviewers have been near-unanimous that it doesn't just compete with pricier Ferraris, it arguably makes some of them redundant on a pure performance-per-pound basis, and the engine's high-revving character and note have won over most sceptics who've actually spent time with it. The genuine holdouts are collectors chasing a specific sound: if you want the scream of a naturally aspirated V8 like the 458 Italia or 430 Scuderia, no amount of turbo lag-free response fully substitutes for that, and that's a fair reason to look at an F8 Tributo instead.

Why Its Resale Value Hasn't Behaved Like a Typical Ferrari

Here's the part that's genuinely surprised the market: unlike most modern Ferraris, the 296 has not held its value the way buyers expected. Owner forums have described the secondary market bluntly as "a disaster" for resale, and at various points more than fifty 296s have been listed for sale in the US below their original sticker price of around $340,000-$347,000 — including some cars specced with the pricey Assetto Fiorano track package that would normally command a premium, not a discount. It's a genuinely unusual position for a current-production Ferrari, and specialists remain divided on whether it reflects lingering scepticism about the hybrid V6, simply more supply reaching the used market than earlier limited-run models, or both.

What It Actually Costs to Own

New pricing starts from around £230,000 in the UK before options, with popular packages and colour choices adding substantially to that figure — and colour and interior trim reportedly matter more for eventual resale than performance options like Assetto Fiorano, which specialists suggest skipping unless you genuinely plan regular track use. Budgeting realistically for ownership matters here: total running costs across a typical two-year ownership period, including servicing and consumables, commonly run to $36,000-$66,000, with a further $10,000-$20,000 worth of headroom sensible for anything unexpected. New cars come with Ferrari's standard warranty package — seven years or 100,000 miles on the powertrain, three years unlimited-mileage bumper-to-bumper — which meaningfully de-risks the early ownership period compared with buying an older, out-of-warranty exotic.

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Sources: Motoring Research, Ferrari press materials.