Ferrari established a whole new school of thought with its 296 GTB. It’s a supercar for the modern age, with a full hybrid setup helping to bring the option of pure-electric running in a car that can still bring fearsome acceleration. But far from resting on its laurels, Ferrari has now transferred this into a new drop-top version – the 296 GTS.
Continuing a long and esteemed bloodline of convertible Ferraris, can the 296 GTS deliver the same high-octane experience as its GTB stablemate? We’ve been finding out.
Now obviously, the biggest change here is that folding hard top roof. Elegant in design, it takes just 14 seconds to raise or lower at speeds of up to 28mph. When it’s fully retracted, a height-adjustable section of glass sits in the middle, helping to reduce buffeting at speed.
Ferrari has also added extra strengthening to the 296 GTS to compensate for the roof being lopped up, but despite this, it weighs only slightly more than the GTB. You can also specify a more focused Assetto Fiorano package for the GTS, bringing Multimatic shock absorbers and bodywork tweaks for extra downforce. It’s a set of measures designed to angle the GTS towards on-circuit work.