Prototypes spotted so far have used old Maserati Levante bodies, which suggests that the new model could be a higher-riding proposition in the mould of the Purosangue, Ferrari’s first SUV.
Indeed, electrification suits this configuration because the fitment of batteries under a vehicle’s floor requires additional ground clearance, raising it to an SUV-typical height.
Of course, Ferrari may not use the typical ‘skateboard’ design but instead centralise the mass around the front or rear axle. This would provide a distribution of weight to mirror that of its existing front- and mid-engined models.
Regardless, the brand’s priority is for drivers to “have a lot of fun”, CEO Benedetto Vigna said recently. “When we do electric cars, we will produce them in the right way,” he added.
296 to get more hardcore focus
The more aggressive version of the Ferrari 296 – a sports car that earned a five-star Autocar road test rating in standard guise – has much to live up to, following in the footsteps of the acclaimed 488 Pista and the 458 Speciale.
It’s expected to adopt broadly the same formula as those cars, with a smidge of extra power and notable weight reduction to improve its raw pace.
For reference, the 458 Speciale gained 35bhp and shed 90kg compared with the Italia on which it was based, improving its power-toweight ratio by nearly 50bhp per tonne, or 13%. A similar treatment would give the harder-hitting new 296 around 630bhp per tonne. That compares with the existing car’s 557bhp per tonne and, coincidentally, almost exactly matches the ratio of the now-discontinued SF90 Stradale.
Images of prototypes captured testing near Ferrari’s Maranello base in Italy suggest the more hardcore 296 is also in line to receive a range of aerodynamic tweaks. These include a prominent duck-bill spoiler at the rear and what appears to be a more prominent front splitter.
SF90 in line to top 1000bhp
