2022 Ferrari 296 GTB - Fast And Victorious

Dieter Knechtel, president of Ferrari Far East and Middle East, tells us how a winning combination of well-designed, well-positioned cars, like the new 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB, and “caring leadership” allowed the brand to sail through the pandemic

- Jonathan Ho

DON’T BE FOOLED by the V6 engine, the 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB is by no means entry level. In fact, at S$1.13m before COE, the super fast GTB is even more expensive than the F8 Tributo. It is the brand’s latest plug-in hybrid-electric sportscar, a compact body, following the daily drive ethos of the well-received Ferrari Roma, but with the supercharged performance of a 830hp racing machine. Sure, the signature V8 engine is missing but Dieter Knechtel, president of Ferrari Far East & Middle East tells Augustman that developing cars that fit consumer expectations while respecting stricter emissions standards have made for one of Maranello’s best periods of growth in modern history.

Almost half a year since the launch of the Roma in Singapore, are you able to gauge the relative importance of the model to the market and to the brand?

The Roma is extremely successful and it is a very important model for our strategy of attracting new customers from other brands. The Roma is a very different concept. It is an understated luxury car by definition. It is more discrete, and consumers looking to be a little more understated in their public personas appreciate that. We are very satisfied with the current number of Romas that have been ordered and it is still ongoing, but I consider it a very successful start. We were hoping that two-thirds of our Roma orders would have been from customers who have never bought a Ferrari before – that was part of our thinking behind the strategy. It’s going well, we’re on track but we still have some way to go.

Are the customer profiles for the Roma very different from your usual customer?