Ferrari 296 Speciale, a special edition that takes the performance of the 296 GTB to even greater heights

Ferrari presents the 296 Speciale, a model based on the 296 GTB presented in 2021, which continues the line of earlier predecessors such as the Challenge Stradale, the 430 Scuderia, the 458 Speciale and the 488 Pista. These are vehicles that stand out for their superlative agility, cornering response and stability, all accompanied by a significant increase in power.

Visually, the Ferrari 296 Speciale differs from the 296 GTB at first glance with a more radical design language that puts the new features on display. At the front, we can already see that it carries a new bonnet with more pronounced lines and three vents on each side, which already shows that this is a different model, while at the bottom a suspended splitter has been installed, carrying aerodynamic fins on its sides that also help emphasise the car’s width.

From the side of the 296 Speciale we see a design feature characteristic of the 296 GTB and 296 GTS that has been accentuated: the cabin area, now with a black-painted roof, creating the impression that the cabin is a separate element from the rest of the bodywork. From the side we can also see how the front visually sits closer to the ground than on the 296 GTB, not forgetting the new five-spoke forged wheels inspired by the carbon-fibre wheels of the Ferrari F80, a design that is of course exclusive to the 296 Speciale.

We finish this exterior tour at the rear, where the side fins that frame it stand out greatly as they protrude beyond it. We can also see that the number of parts painted in the body colour has been reduced and the black areas increased, now with a wider strip that also includes the rear light cluster, while the rear diffuser is also more aggressive as it grows in width. Right above the diffuser sits the new exhaust pipe, with cleaner yet more technical shapes, also inspired by the Ferrari F80. To round things off, Ferrari has created the new Nurburgring Green colour exclusively for the 296 Speciale, complemented by a decoration with two longitudinal white stripes and the option to fit a number from 0 to 99.

It should be noted that all the aerodynamic elements fitted to the Ferrari 296 Speciale, although they may seem purely decorative or serve only to widen the bodywork, are not so: they generate 435 kilograms of downforce at 250 km/h, which translates into a 20% increase over the 296 GTB and will undoubtedly contribute to better performance on track, especially compared with the base version.

Inside the Ferrari 296 Speciale there are also changes aimed at achieving a cabin whose first impression, as soon as you get in, is that of a vehicle with a clear orientation towards the circuit and competition. To this end, simplification has been chosen, with fewer elements overall, which also helps reduce the weight of the whole, along with greater use of materials such as carbon fibre, Alcantara and aluminium. New door panels have been created, for example, made from a single block of carbon fibre, as has the centre console, likewise built as a single structure from the same material, and we should not overlook how well the safety harnesses suit both seats.

Under an engine cover with a more radical, darker look sits the same plug-in hybrid mechanical configuration found in the 296 GTB and 296 GTS: on one hand, a 120° V6 with two turbos mounted in the centre of the V, whose power has been increased to 700 CV thanks to changes such as higher combustion chamber pressure and components that have been reinforced while being lightened. Alongside this engine is an electric MGU-K motor situated between the V6 and the 8-speed automatic gearbox, which sees its power increased by 13 CV to reach 180 CV, resulting in a combined system output of 880 CV, which is 50 CV more than the 296 GTB.