The Ferrari 296 GTB has pushed the ‘junior supercar’ market to new heights, offering levels of performance reserved for flagship hypercars just a few years ago. In fact, it is so ferocious that it is now officially the quickest rear-wheel drive car that Car and Driver has ever tested.
The publication has been performance testing cars since 1956 and after getting its hands on the 296 GTB, set out to see what it is capable of. Power comes from a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 supplemented by an electric motor that sits between the engine and the transmission. All up, the 296 GTB is good for 819 hp and 546 lb-ft (740 Nm) of torque, giving it significantly more grunt than the hybrid McLaren Artura.
To achieve the best possible performance times with the car, Car and Driver tested it with the launch control and traction control systems enabled as the latter is able to intelligently adjust itself based on available friction levels. It was able to rocket to 60 mph (96 km/h) in a mere 2.4 seconds on the best run, eclipsing the McLaren Artura and Lamborghini Huracan STO that both required 2.6 seconds to reach the same mark.
Read: A 296 GTB Just Posted The Fastest Ever Ferrari Nurburgring Time, But Did It Really Go Sub-7?
After 60 mph, the 296 GTB continues to extend its lead, hitting 100 mph (160 km/h) in 4.7 seconds, almost a second quicker than the McLaren and the Lamborghini. It also needed just 9.7 seconds at 150 mph (242 km/h) to storm down the quarter-mile, significantly quicker than the 10.3 seconds needed by the Artura.
It’s not just the acceleration of the 296 GTB that makes it special. The car also brakes extremely well thanks to a combination of regenerative brakes, mechanical brakes that include 10-piston calipers up front, and a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires. It needed just 130 feet to stop from 70 mph (112 km/h), beating the McLaren Senna and not far behind the shortest 70-0 mph braking distance that Car and Driver has ever recorded, 127 feet with the C7 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.
