Ferrari 296 GTB wins 'Production Car' category plum from Car Design Award

MANILA: The Ferrari 296 GTB has won the Production Car category of the prestigious Car Design Award, which was launched in 1984 by  Italian magazine Auto&Design. The supercar was awarded at the ADI Design Museum as part of Milan Design Week.

The Car Design Award is presented to cars that have made a significant contribution to the evolution of car design. The winners are selected by an expert jury of 11 expert journalists from leading international motoring publications, including Auto&Design. 

Citing its reason for giving the Ferrari 296 GTB the Production Car award, the award jury explained: "Creating a form this beautiful and organic whilst still complying with all current regulations and giving the car an incredibly high level of technology and performance, is a truly impressive feat. 

"The legendary sports prototype racers of the 1960s have informed the Ferrari 296 GTB’s design and the end result is a superb, contemporary interpretation of a classic design language" 

The 296 GTB, an evolution of Ferrari’s mid-rear-engined two-seater sports berlinetta concept, was a revolution for the Maranello-based company with the supercar's brand-new 2.9-liter V6 engine coupled with a plug-in (PHEV) electric motor capable of unleashing up to 830cv. Ferrari promises that the 296 GTB brings fun behind the wheel not just when being pushed to its limits, but also in day-to-day driving.

The 296 GTB is the first-ever Ferrari developed under a rear-wheel- drive-only PHEV architecture wherein the ICE is integrated with an electric motor that produces up to 122kW. The electric motor and ICE connect through the transition manager actuator (TMA) that allows them to be used simultaneously to produce a combined power output of 830cv or separates them to allow the electric motor to be solely used.

The 296 GTB’s plug-in hybrid system helps bring the pedal response times down to zero and deliver a 25-km range in all-electric eDrive mode. The car is built with compact dimensions, advanced dynamic control systems, and optimized aerodynamics to let the driver experience agility and responsiveness.

Photos from Ferrari

Also read: Tailor Made Ferrari Roma carries design elements from Japanese culture, crafts