Misunderstood at first and now overshadowed by new releases, is the sub-£200k Ferrari 296 the best bang for buck supercar you can buy?
In the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen two big car launches that offer eye-opening performance from hybrid powertrains. First, we had the new Porsche 911 Turbo S, with the 992.2 generation using hybrid tech for the first time to amplify the Turbo’s already ridiculous performance to new levels with over 700hp and 0-60 in 2.4 seconds, all while helping minimise its characteristic lag.
Next, we had the Ferrari SF90’s replacement, the 849 Testarossa. It’s certainly divided opinion with its styling, but there’s no denying its biblical performance with 1,050hp — truly hypercar-humbling performance.
The downside? The 911 Turbo now costs £200,000. The Ferrari? Double that! And that got us thinking about a car that is very popular with Supercar Driver members, especially on tours. A lightly used one can be had for less than the new 911 Turbo, and yet it offers more performance and offers much of the Porsche’s usability. It’s half the price of the Testarossa while giving 80% of its performance — still far more than you could possibly use on the road, or even on track if you’re not a serious wheelman.
That car is the Ferrari 296 GTB, or indeed GTS if you like the wind in your hair. Many people didn't get it when it was launched, myself included. It ditched the V8 for a V6, introduced hybrid tech, and frankly boasted far too much power to tame on the road.
Then, people started to buy them. Some people have had their teething problems with the hybrid trickery, but the majority of people we speak to who have driven or owned them absolutely love them. The performance is obviously breathtaking with 819hp, but its the way it delivers it that has them so smitten.
It’s easy to drive fast, but keeps you on your toes, it’s loaded with tech, but actually offers one of the most involving drives of a ‘normal’ Ferrari in recent years, accompanied by a surprisingly vocal soundtrack inside the cabin as it hurtles towards its 8,500rpm redline — drive one and you’ll understand why Ferrari calls it ‘the piccolo V12’ — little V12.
I think those who use them on tours understand them even more because of their huge breadth of ability. One minute you can be cruising down a motorway in total comfort, the next you can be pootling through a sleepy village in electric mode, the next you can be deploying all 819 horses on the way out of an Alpine hairpin.
That improved reception hasn’t been quite strong enough to resist depreciation though. List price of a GTB is around £260,000 plus options, so most cars are knocking on the door of £300,000, if not more. On the used market, it’s of course spec and mileage dependent, but there’s a hefty selection of two-to-three-year-old cars with less than 10,000 miles on the clock for under £200,000. In fact, our friends at Tom Hartley and Romans International even have cars with just 250 and 90 miles on the clock respectively for £50k under for base list price.
There are currently 15 296s for sale at our trusted dealer partners, so I’m not going to list them all, but here’s a selection of the best value and most interesting cars, organised price low to high.
2023 (23) | 3,942 Miles | £197,950
2022 (22) | 8,314 Miles | £199,995
2023 (23) | 250 Miles | £209,950
2023 (72) | 2,170 Miles | £212,950
2022 | 4,599 Miles | £214,991
2023 (23) | 5,109 Miles | £249,995
2025 (25) | 150 Miles | £259,995
2025 (25) | 700 Miles | £298,880
