Every time a new Ferrari sports car hits the scene, you just know a topless version won’t be far behind it. Right on cue, the mega-hot 296 GTB, a mid-engine plug-in hybrid plaything loaded with Ferrari firsts that debuted last year is being joined by the 296 GTS, the same basic PHEV, minus a fixed roof. The name change is attributable to that convertible body style: Ferrari dubs this the “Gran Turismo Spider.”
Instead of the GTB’s fixed roof, the GTS has a retractable hard top, which can stow behind the cabin in 14 seconds; deploying the roof when raindrops begin falling—or your sun tolerance runs out—takes the same amount of time. The roof’s transformer action can take place at up to 28 mph, and sees the panel above the occupants split in two before arranging themselves in a stacked manner ahead of the engine. This ensures the engine’s “thermal dissipation characteristics” and the car’s overall look are unchanged, per Ferrari.
To atone for the extra cut lines across the 296’s lid, Ferrari installs a nifty vertical window between the cabin and the rear deck that you can raise and lower with the top down. Leave it up for less wind rush inside, or put ‘er down for some extra noise from that mid-mounted, 2.9-liter V-6 engine, which thanks to its wide 120-degree cylinder bank angle and symmetrical firing order sounds almost like a V-12. The “hot tube” sound ducting that pipes noise from the exhaust (pre-catalytic converter) directly into the cabin has been revised to keep its song going whether the top is up or down, and Ferrari even kept the 296 GTB’s horizontal decklid window that allows onlookers, truckers, or nearby SUV drivers to peer down into the engine bay from above, though the portal here is smaller due to the movable panels that allow the roof to stow.
The rest of the 296 package holds firm for GTS duty, which is totally fine: The plug-in hybrid powertrain, which consists of that glorious V-6 (654 hp and 546 lb-ft of torque), electric motor (165 hp and 232 lb-ft), and a 7.5-kWh battery combine to deliver 818 hp to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. (Due to the way the hybrid system metes out its power, combined torque is “just” 546 lb-ft, the engine’s maximum—but based on our experience with the GTB, this isn’t an issue.) Besides making sexy noises and punting the 296 around, the PHEV setup can rely on its EV motor alone for distances up to 15 miles on a full charge at speeds up to 84 mph.
Ferrari gives GTS buyers the same drive modes GTB buyers get: eDrive (EV mode), Hybrid (engine can go off for brief periods), Performance (engine stays on), and Qualify (maximum performance, less battery charging). Ditto the Side Slip Control (eSSC) system, which can manage front and rear grip to allow drivers to indulge in some goofball antics with the stability control system actively keeping things from going awry.
GTS shoppers also are given access to the same Assetto Fiorano performance package offered on the 296 GTB, which includes lightweight carbon-fiber parts, higher-downforce aerodynamic add-ons, Multimatic dampers, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2R track tires. More visibly, Assetto Fiorano models can be specified with a sweet stripe package (pictured on the red car here) inspired by the 250 Le Mans.
Keyword: 2023 Ferrari 296 GTS First Look: 818 Horses Run Wild in the Open Air