Ferrari 296 Buying Guide: What to Check Before You Buy
The 296 is the car that made a V6 a proper Ferrari. The 2992cc F163 develops 654 bhp on its own and revs to 8,500 rpm, with unusually fast-spooling turbochargers mounted inside the vee, and a plug-in hybrid system on top of that. The wheelbase is 50 mm shorter than previous mid-rear-engined Ferrari berlinettas.
For a buyer, the 296 presents a different problem from an older Ferrari. There is not yet a long fault history to study. What there is instead is a car with a high-voltage system, an options list where one package materially changes the hardware underneath, and a naming quirk that trips up UK car adverts specifically. This guide covers all three.
At a glance: which 296 is which
| Version | Body | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 296 GTB | Coupé | The launch car, revealed 2021 |
| 296 GTS | Retractable hardtop | Unveiled April 2022, same powertrain |
Both are available with the performance package covered below. Later derivatives exist but are outside the scope of this guide.
The UK naming trap
The Assetto Fiorano kit is sold in the UK as the Fiorano Performance pack. Same package, different name, and UK car adverts use both, sometimes inconsistently within a single advert.
This matters more than a naming quirk usually would, because the package is one of the largest single value items on the car and because of what it changes underneath.
The pack replaces the dampers rather than upgrading them. It fits passive Multimatic dampers, which take the place of the adaptive magnetorheological system fitted to a standard car. It also brings weight-saving panels, a larger rear spoiler and stickier tyres, with over 12 kg saved from the redesigned door panels alone, plus an optional Lexan rear screen and an optional livery.
The consequence for a buyer: a car advert claiming both the Fiorano pack and adaptive suspension is describing a car that cannot exist. One of those two claims is wrong, and which one is wrong changes what the car is worth. This is exactly the kind of internal contradiction that is invisible when you read an advert quickly and obvious when the specification is checked against the factory baseline.
Carbon aero on pack cars is also expensive to repair, so any damage history around the front splitter or spoiler deserves more attention on a pack car than on a standard one.
What to check
The hybrid system
The 296 carries a 7.45 kWh battery with a short all-electric range, and a set of drive modes that determine when the V6 runs. Battery health is assessable by diagnostic scan, and it is the single most important check that cannot be done by looking at the car.
Hybrid system diagnostics need specialist equipment. A car with meaningful mileage and no dealer or recognised specialist history is a car whose high-voltage system has never been properly interrogated, and that is a materially different proposition from the same car with a full record.
Standing time
A plug-in hybrid left standing for months is not being preserved. Ask how the car has been stored, whether it has been charged and driven, and whether it has been left at a very high or very low state of charge for long periods.
Warranty and the maintenance programme
Current Ferraris are covered by a factory warranty and a seven-year Genuine Maintenance programme covering routine servicing. On a car of this age, the remaining warranty and maintenance position is often the largest piece of value attached to the individual car rather than to the model, and it is worth establishing by VIN rather than by assumption.
Track and hard use
The 296 is quick enough and capable enough that some cars see track use, and pack cars more than most. That is information rather than a fault, but it changes how hard the consumables and the drivetrain have worked relative to a low odometer reading.
Recalls
Check by VIN with a Ferrari dealer. On a recent car, recall completion is more likely to be outstanding rather than less, because the cars are still moving between owners quickly.
Specification and originality
Ferrari’s options on the 296 are individually priced and extensive, and on a car this new the original build sheet drives value heavily. Carbon interior and exterior items, seat choices, wheels, audio and the front suspension lifter were separately ordered.
Two things to hold in mind. Ferrari operates a customisation programme that allows later owners to retrofit items the original buyer did not specify, so an option present today was not necessarily present at build. And on a car where almost every example is still close to its original specification, an unverified claim carries more weight than it would on an older car, because buyers price these on spec sheets rather than on condition.
Beyond the mechanicals: history and provenance red flags
- Service history, which on a hybrid Ferrari means dealer or recognised specialist attention rather than a general workshop.
- Mileage that does not add up against the MOT record.
- Outstanding finance. On a car this new and this expensive, more likely rather than less.
- Accident or write-off markers, with particular attention to carbon aero damage on pack cars.
- Specification that does not match the car advert, including the pack naming contradiction described above.
None of these require you to be in the same room as the car. All of them are checkable in advance.
What a car advert and a test drive will not tell you
It helps to think of a 296 purchase as three layers of truth:
- What the seller says. Useful, but unverified.
- What the records say. MOT and mileage consistency, finance, stolen and write-off markers. This is data verification, and it can be done before you travel.
- What only a physical inspection reveals. Battery health by diagnostic scan, carbon condition, the things that need the car and the right equipment in front of you.
Most buyers do layer 1, go straight to a viewing, and never do layer 2 at all.
To be clear about the limits: data verification confirms a car is what it claims to be on paper. It does not replace a physical inspection, and on a hybrid it does not replace a battery health assessment. The two do different jobs, and a careful buyer does both, in that order.
How Chequered Past helps
Chequered Past is the layer-2 step. You give us the registration; we check the official records on that car: the factory spec, MOT and mileage consistency, outstanding finance, stolen and write-off markers, keepers and the value, and we’re explicit about anything we couldn’t confirm.
What it does: tells you, before you travel, whether a car is what it says it is. What it does not do: replace a physical inspection of mechanical condition or a battery health check. We will always tell you where that line is.
Run a history check on a 296 you’re considering →
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Assetto Fiorano and the Fiorano Performance pack? Nothing. They are the same package, sold under the Fiorano Performance pack name in the UK. Car adverts use both, which is worth knowing when comparing cars.
Does the Fiorano pack make the suspension better? It makes it different. The pack fits passive Multimatic dampers in place of the standard car’s adaptive magnetorheological system. That is a track-oriented choice rather than a straight upgrade, and it means a pack car does not have adaptive dampers.
GTB or GTS? The GTS is the retractable hardtop version and shares the powertrain. The choice is about what you want rather than about performance.
Do I need the car’s registration? Yes. The free check and the £10 vehicle history check both run on the registration.
Other Ferrari guides: Ferrari buying guide hub
Chequered Past is an independent analysis service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Ferrari S.p.A., Ferrari North Europe, or any vehicle manufacturer. Data is drawn from licensed DVLA and DVSA records via our data provider.