The design of the new Ferrari 296 GTB has been well received for the most part, though our own comment section would suggest that not everyone is in love. How does a former Ferrari designer feel about it, though?
Frank Stephenson is turning his designer’s eye to the V6 hybrid Ferrari to highlight all of the Italian brand’s successes and a few of its misses in his latest video.
The initial impressions are good. Stephenson admires the overall look and Ferrari’s nods to the 250 LM. With disappearing A-pillars, he says the front-end looks good and the overall look is elegant. He also applauds Ferrari for putting the peak of the front fender over the center-point of the wheels, which he says helps the driver know where the front wheels are and hit apexes with more accuracy.
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Stephenson’s lightly redesigned version of the 296 GTB
He does take issue, though, with the signal lights that fail to match up with the hood lines, which will no doubt trigger the internet’s collective OCD now. He also complains that the taillights aren’t round, a design feature that screams Ferrari to him.
As for things that Stephenson would have designed differently, he starts with the front grille, which is too aggressive for his liking. In his redesign, he shrinks it a bit giving the side intakes a little more room on the front.
He also suggests that the slightly awkward angle at which the roof meets the A-pillar could have been easily remedied by simply painting the roof black and giving the 296 GTB even more of a jet fighter canopy look.
He also redesigns the rear end to make it a little more classically Ferrari, in his view. By rounding out the taillights and moving the exhaust pipe up a bit, he makes the back simpler and more arresting.
Stephenson points out, though, that what the 296 GTB shows best of all is that having a historical car providing themes to play on is an extremely valuable tool for designers.
“This Ferrari 296 GTB definitely proves it,” says Stephenson. “It’s got two wheels in the past and it’s got two wheels in the future, blends them both. It combines the emotion of the past with the technology of the future and they’ve done it very well.”