Ferrari Never Considered Dino Name For 296 GTB V6 Hybrid Supercar

The original Dino represented more than just a V6 engine.

A top-down view of the Ferrari 296 GTB.

Christopher Smith

By: Christopher Smith

Jul 7, 2021 at 4:16pm ET

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On June 24, something rather momentous occurred in the supercar realm. For the first time ever, a V6 engine debuted as the heart of a Ferrari. Not so fast says some of you. What about the Dino? That's an area of contention since Dino was part of Ferrari, but the cars weren't marketed as Ferraris. Now we have the 296 GTB with its hybrid V6 powertrain, and Ferrari says it's definitely not a Dino not was it destined to be one

As it turns out, the reasoning for that is actually the same as it was back in the original Dino era of the 1960s and 1970s. In a report from Autocar, Ferrari's Chief Marketing Officer Enrico Galliera explained that the Dino wasn't simply a V6-powered Ferrari. The idea behind the Dino brand was to bring new clients to the company and enter a new segment. As such, Galliera said that compromises were made with regard to vehicle dimensions, performance, and price. The details of those compromises aren't mentioned, but the takeaway is that the original Dino didn't quite live up to Ferrari's standards.

Gallery: Ferrari 296 GTB

Ferrari 296 GTB Assetto Fiorano

Ferrari 296 GTB Ferrari 296 GTB Assetto Fiorano

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Flash forward to 2021. The new 296 GTB does live up to Ferrari's standards, which is why it's not called Dino despite the V6 connection. There definitely isn't a compromise on performance, as its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter engine develops 654 horsepower (488 kilowatts) on its own. Combined with a rear-mounted e-motor, total output rises to 818 hp (610 kW). That's enough juice to match the F8 Tributo and its glorious twin-turbo V8 in pretty much every performance metric. And with a weight of 3,241 pounds, it's only slightly heavier than the Tributo. The only thing we don't know about is price, but don't expect any compromises there, either.

Get To Know The New 296 GTB:

Ferrari 296 GTB Debuts With Plug-In Hybrid V6 Producing 818 HP

Still, we know more than a few Ferrari fans will consider this the spiritual successor to the Dino. And they will undoubtedly call it as such, whether Ferrari approves or not.

Source: Autocar

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