Ferrari’s 296 Speciale: The Prancing Horse Sheds Weight, Gains Muscle
Ferrari’s latest special edition doesn’t need marketing hyperbole. The numbers speak for themselves.
868 horsepower. 132 pounds lighter. 20% more downforce.
The 296 Speciale follows Ferrari’s time-honored tradition of making already-fast cars faster, already-sharp cars sharper, and already-expensive cars even more unobtainable.
The Diet Plan That Works
Ferrari engineers attacked the 296 GTB’s weight with surgical precision.
Titanium connecting rods borrowed from the upcoming F80 hypercar.
Forged pistons replace standard units.
A lighter crankshaft spins more freely.
The result? A 60kg (132 lb) weight reduction compared to the standard 296 GTB.
Lightness matters. Especially when paired with more power.
Hybrid Power, Amplified
The 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 now produces 691 hp – up from the standard car’s output.
Electric assistance jumps to 177 hp.
Combined, they deliver 868 hp of hybrid fury to the rear wheels only.
Ferrari tuned the gearbox for more emotional shifts, adding torque during gear changes for a more visceral experience.
It’s hybrid technology that enhances rather than sanitizes.
Track-Focused, Road-Legal
The Speciale sits lower than the standard 296.
Suspension tuning prioritizes response over comfort.
Aerodynamic enhancements increase downforce by 20% at 150 mph.
Performance metrics tell the story:
- 0-100 km/h: 2.8 seconds (0.1 seconds quicker than standard 296)
- Top speed: 330 km/h (205 mph)
- Fiorano lap times: Matches the AWD SF90 Stradale
Ferrari offers both coupe and convertible variants, with the latter carrying a 50kg weight penalty.
Already Gone
If you’re reaching for your checkbook, save yourself the trouble.
The entire production run sold out before Ferrari even made the official announcement.
Base price hovers around $500,000 in the US market.
The 296 Speciale continues Ferrari’s lineage of track-focused special editions that began with the 360 Challenge Stradale and continued through the 458 Speciale.
It’s not about being exclusive. It’s about being exceptional.
The 296 Speciale delivers both.
