Ferrari had their work cut out in maintaining their reputation as engine masters and producing something to indirectly succeed that V8. The new V6 could go the distance, revving to 8,500rpm and adding 663PS (488kW) to the power mix. It’s supposed to sound good too, with Ferrari engineers supposedly referring to it as the “little V12” in development.
No, it’s not related to Maserati’s ‘Nettuno’ engine from the MC20 and upcoming GranTurismo. It’s made of different alloys, set to a different V-angle and doesn’t feature the pre-combustion technology of the Maseratis.
The electric motor sandwiched between the engine and transmission adds the remaining power in what we expect will be a ‘torque fill’ style. Yes, the engine can be switched off for 16 miles of electric-only driving. All power goes to the wheels via Ferrari’s new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The hard figures? The 296 GTB will get to 62mph in 2.9 seconds, on the way to a 204mph top speed.