![The Ferrari 296GTB is a future classic Classic & Sports Car – Future classic: Ferrari 296GTB](/sites/default/files/styles/article/public/2023-09/Classic-%26-Sports-Car-Future-classic-Ferrari-296GTB-01.png?itok=v8e87Ylk)
As the era of the mid-engined V8 Ferrari neared its end in a swelling of turbo power and the pointedly named F8 Tributo, there was some unease about where an all-new V6 hybrid would take the junior supercar that has for so long been a crucial stepping stone for the fans, dreamers and customers of Maranello.
The 296 programme has pursued simplicity through painstaking engineering, and the result is a marvel of lean, potent elegance.
Active aero has been banished in preference for targeted airflows, producing neat, clean lines that belie the complexity behind them.
![The Ferrari 296GTB’s cabin Classic & Sports Car – Future classic: Ferrari 296GTB](/sites/default/files/2023-09/Classic-%26-Sports-Car-Future-classic-Ferrari-296GTB-03.png)
![Bucket seats in the Ferrari 296GTB Classic & Sports Car – Future classic: Ferrari 296GTB](/sites/default/files/2023-09/Classic-%26-Sports-Car-Future-classic-Ferrari-296GTB-04.png)
There are few physical buttons in the Ferrari’s cabin (left); lightweight seats hug you tight
Teardrop intakes formed with the headlights channel air through vented calipers to cool the brakes, while the ‘tea-tray’ front bumper generates an underbody vortex that pins the front axle to the ground.