After forty-seven years, Maranello has returned to six cylinders. It has two turbos, revs to 8500 and with 830 horsepower is anything but a baby!

The Ferrari 296 GTB is supposed to be the ticket to the Maranello family. Instead of a mid-mounted atmospheric V8, it has an all-new hybrid six-cylinder mated to an electric motor, and Ferrari plans to deliver the first cars to its customers from the end of next year. I know full well that as a loyal fan of the brand, you can think whatever you want about a turbocharged six-cylinder, hybrid-powered Ferrari, but you have to respect it. And something tells me that by the time you finish reading, you’ll have an irresistible urge to try it. Just like me.

You see, this car accelerates to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, 200 km/h in 7.2 seconds and 330 km/h is its top speed. The time at Fiorano, Ferrari’s test track, is 1 minute and 21 seconds, which is as fast as the Ferrari F12tdf and 1.5 seconds faster than the F8 Tributo. These numbers alone should get your attention…

The new forked six-cylinder spins eight and a half thousand revs, and Ferrari assures us that the sound of the new six-cylinder will be enchanting. At the factory, they call it the “V12 piccola”, the little V12. The 165 hp electric motor (the hybrid powertrain produces a full 830 hp, 110 more than the eight-cylinder F8 Tributo) provides more low-end dynamics, but also gives the car a range of more than twenty miles on pure electricity. The weight of the car is very decent – we are talking about 1470 kg.

The design is purely a subjective matter, but I like it. The clean silhouette is meant to reference the legendary 250 LM from 1963, but it also hides a lot of interesting finesse. An active rear spoiler, air intake to the brakes next to the lights, variable ground clearance…

No, this really isn’t a baby. This will be a Ferrari you’ll want to drive!

The second basic Ferrari model is the Ferrari F8 Tributo. The successor to the 488 GTB has the specs of the brutal track version of the 488 Pista and weighs just 1330 kg!

Yes, the Pista… The fastest, most ultimate, most controllable and many other superlatives Ferrari was the template for the F8 Tributo and it takes that from it unabashedly. Actually, it’s just inspiring us to speak the language of Ferrari.

The turbocharged V8 engine produces 720 hp (at 8,000 rpm) and 770 Nm (from 3,250 rpm). It reaches 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, 200 km/h in 7.8 seconds and doesn’t slow down until it reaches 340 km/h. It’s every bit as fast as the rival McLaren 720S.

Ferrari has long had its own design centre and its specialists have focused on refined aerodynamics. The aim was to increase downforce on the front axle, improve engine cooling and note how they redesigned the rear spoiler compared to the 488. The latter not only improves stability at higher speeds, but also allowed the designers to go back to twin round taillights years later.

Compared to the 296 GTB, the interior is more traditional. Compared to the 488 GTB, you’ll definitely notice the new steering wheel and the round exhausts. Probably the most significant change is the seven-inch display on the passenger side, which is mainly intended to shock with dizzying figures in the form of current speed or G-force.

And there’s plenty to look forward to… The F8 Tributo is equipped with Ferrari’s Dynamic Enhancer Plus system, which is part of the driving stability system. It premiered in the Pista and it ensures better acceleration out of corners while coordinating the active dampers, electronically controlled differential, vectoring dynamics control, 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and engine response. The enhanced Side Slip Control feature then allows the car to be driven through colossal skids without the car spinning uncontrollably. If you would like to experience all these qualities on the famous roads in the Maritime Alps and compare them with other supercars, at Ricard & Bonette we’ve arranged the F8 Tributo in the fleet for the Maritime Alps Magic Tour.

Even at the launch of the F8 Tributo, it was clear that the moniker symbolically closed a chapter for the brand. The six-cylinder hybrid 296 GTB is therefore clear proof.

Of the trio, this is the most GT and the most sci-fi design. The Ferrari Roma is meant to be a fast touring car first and foremost. The beautiful design conceals a 2+2 interior, but also a 600hp turbocharged fork eight.

When the Ferrari Roma appeared less than a year ago, the world gasped in admiration. The all-new design style evoked Aston Martin models in some, but in reality is more reminiscent of the sleek old Ferraris of the 1950s and 1960s. A long hood, a low front end with a classic 250 Series-style grille, a flowing rear end adorned with four lights following the four exhaust tips… This is a good one! The Portofino, from which the Roma is technically based, looks aggressive next to it.

Wait, seriously the Portofino? Yes, it is. It doesn’t seem like it at first glance, but in fact the Roma is a derivative of it. Just a little faster, as you’ll see now. The same twin-turbocharged 3.9-litre V8 engine sits under the long hood. It has 612 horsepower and 760 Nm and drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The coupe weighs 1,472 kg (the Portofino is some seventy kilos heavier, thanks to its fixed folding roof) and accelerates to 60 in 3.4 seconds (0.1 seconds faster than the Portofino) and to 200 in 9.3 seconds (now 1.5 seconds faster than the Portofino), and the car’s top speed is a more than adequate 320 km/h.

The modern interior contrasts sharply with the clean elegance of the exterior. It’s not lacking in sleekness, no, but the driver has a purely digital cockpit and a steering wheel littered with buttons so he doesn’t have to take his hands off it to drive. The cockpit is significantly divided into driver and passenger compartments by a central tunnel and features a touchscreen infotainment display. The passenger then has another, smaller display in front of them, where they can adjust the air conditioning, tune the radio or just watch how fast you’re going.

The Roma is the most elegant car of the three, there is no doubt the 296 GTB is the revolution of the 21st century and the F8 Tributo is the pinnacle of the eight-cylinder Ferrari generation. It’s up to you which one you want to drive…