Ferrari 296 vs Lotus Eletre

What's the difference?

I know, picture Ferrari and you'll likely be conjuring images of potent V12 or V8 engines, a scenery-shaking exhaust bark on start-up and a fuel bill that would make a Sheikh wince.

But this one, the 296 GTS, doesn't have, or do, any of those things. In fact, it doesn’t so much explode into life as it does kind of whirr gently, as though you’ve just switched on a photocopier.

And yet, people I trust on these matters reckon this just might be the best Ferrari to have ever worn the badge. So, I guess we better get to figuring out what the hell is going on with this plug-in Prancing Horse.

This is a Lotus - but it’s not like any Lotus you’ve ever known.

In fact, forget everything you know about Lotus, the British brand previously famous for small, lightweight sports cars is now evolving into something very different. Very, very different.

Under the control of Chinese automotive giant Geely since 2017, Lotus will shed its past and focus its future on all-electric, luxury vehicles like the Eletre we’re testing here.

The Eletre is a full-size luxury electric SUV designed to take on the likes of the Audi SQ8 e-tron, BMW iX and Mercedes-AMG EQE on the electric side, while also trying to lure buyers away from the likes of the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus.

So, how does this radically different Lotus measure up to the brand’s reputation and stack up against its would-be competitors? Read on to find out…