New Delhi: The drive started with the car moving in EV mode and a Ferrari driving experience that begins with absolute silence is a shock to the senses! This is the first time for me that I start driving a supercar in silent/zero emissions EV mode but it does show how the supercar has adapted. Here I was in Mumbai in the middle of a usual weekday behind the wheel of Ferrari’s newest supercar- the 296 GTB. It is not just a new car though but a plug-in hybrid and the start of an electrified era. Of course, Ferrari has had previous hybrid hypercars like the SF90 but this is its mid-engined replacement for the F8 Tributo and is also a strong volume seller.

Anyways back to the driver and you can drive the 296 GTB in pure electric mode for about 25km- unreal for a Ferrari. However, I liked the idea behind it to start or cruise at low speeds in EV silence while waking up the engine when needed. It is a new world and even supercars have to adapt.

Everything feels surreal about the 296 GTB right from how the dashboard is wrapped around the driver to the touch capacitive buttons along with the whole futuristic vibe. There are lots of controls for the driver including many modes. In the hybrid mode, I cruise silently but soon the engine wakes up and yes, the typical Ferrari roar also comes back.

This is a new engine for Ferrari a twin-turbocharged V6 petrol unit which when combined with an electric…