. Ferrari 296 GTB

 

. Ferrari 296 GTB

Any worries that the demise of the pure-petrol Ferrari would signal the end of the unique and compelling character the underpins so many of Fiorano's finest have been obliterated by the 296 GTB. While the ferociously quick but slightly spiky SF90 Stradale represented a toe-in-the-water exercise for the firm's plug-in powertrains, this smaller and less costly offering (relatively speaking, because it's still a £250,000 car) feels far more resolved, to the point that you wonder why you worried the folks at Maranello might have got it wrong.

At the heart of the car is a new twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine that's mated to a 164bhp electric motor to deliver a staggering combined total of 819bhp - in what's essentially an 'mid-ranking' Ferrari. As you would expect, performance is relentlessly, savagely sensational, plus it will also crack a claimed 15.5 miles of electric-only range. More importantly, the ICE feels and sounds as special as any that has carried he prancing horse logo on its cam covers, responding with zeal to every input and emitting a howl that has you convinced that it packs twice as many cylinders.

What's more remarkable is that Ferrari has managed to make a car with this much power and performance potential feel so approachable and engaging. The trademark wristily quick steering is still perhaps a little to over-eager to help you change direction, but the car's mid-corner balance, control and poise beggars belief. This is a machine that's as happy to play a neat-and-tidy game of hunt-the-apex as it is to hang it all out. It's packed with driver assistance systems and various modes, but the 296 GTB always feels natural and on your side.

It's a remarkable supercar, and one that shows that increasing levels of electrification don't necessarily mean diminishing driver rewards.