Ferrari 296 GTB laps the Nurburgring in under 7 minutes

The Nurburgring is said to be the ultimate test for automobiles. Automakers from all over the world scramble to post the fastest time around the Nordschleife to earn bragging rights. However, one carmaker that is least bothered is Ferrari.

The guys at Sport Auto took up the challenge and decided to see how the Ferrari 296 GTB compares with other hybrid supercars in its segment. This time, engineers from Ferrari were at hand though.

Christian Gebhardt took the wheel of the 296 GTB and set a lap time of 6 min 58.70 seconds, making it the first Ferrari to dip under the 7-minute mark. The 296 GTB was around a second quicker than the V12-powered Lamborghini Aventador SV. But, it failed to beat the Porsche 911 GT2 RS’ time by half a second.

The Ferrari 296 GTB is powered by a 3.0-liter, V6 engine that develops 654 hp. It is mated to an electric motor that boosts the overall output to 818 hp and 546 lb-ft. The car used by Sport Auto for the run was equipped with the Assetto Fiorano pack, which reduces the overall weight to 1470 kg dry.