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The baby Ferrari is fast, but apparently not fast enough
As far as modern design is concerned, few cars measure up to the utterly stunning and quintessentially Italian 296 GTB. Although it is a cut below the likes of the SF90, the 296 is the modern answer to the F8, with the added boost of hybridisation. However, Maranello desired a little more from the 296 GTB hybrid, so the 296 is now known as the Speciale, like all good Ferraris.
It’s a common practice for supercar manufacturers to put their cars through fat camp to cut some weight off and add a little more polish under the bonnet. And when this particular precision is worked into a car on the cutting edge of physics, these little touches can make a world of difference. So, what makes this new 296 so speciale?
More weight requires more energy, so the easiest way to speed up your car is to slim it down. The Speciale removes 50 kilos through the use of carbon fibre. Carbon fibre additions to the front bumper, engine cover, and wheels account for a significant portion of the weight reduction, but a healthy use of titanium allows for even greater savings. Titanium engine internals, exhaust, all fastenings, and head studs—just to name a few— shave off the remaining weight, with excess metal being removed from the crank and block to ensure there isn’t a wasted gram to be seen. Unless you buy the Spider, that is, which reinstates the weight shed by adding 50kg back onto the vehicle.
In addition to its diet, the 296 sports an impressive twin-turbocharged hybrid V6. With precision engineering, it's imperative you reinforce components that are rated for less power before you increase the boost. To combat this issue, the Speciale hosts a titanium crankshaft and forged pistons, which assist its new boost strategy for higher output. The 296 Speciale gains 27kW solely from turbo mapping, but the gearbox-mounted electric motor also received some love, totalling a potent 647kW thanks to the across-the-board increase of 37kW.
So, 37kW won't blow anyone's socks off, but these subtle changes sharpen up the driving experience and bring a stronger sense of engagement. At least, that's the idea. However, the power figures aren’t all that has changed on the 296, as its aerodynamics have also seen a fair amount of adaptation. For example, the front houses an aero damper for improved high-speed stability by diverting airflow from the front and over the windscreen, with numerous pressure-releasing vents over the front wheel arches and aerofoils at the rear. This system is designed to work in conjunction with its already efficient active aero system and in turn allows for faster and more stable cornering with a downforce bump of 20%.
In a world of ever-growing car features and tech, the Speciale comes with a new mode called 'Qualify', which manages the amount of boost applied from the turbos to help whittle down lap times.
At the end of the day, the 296 was already a beautiful car, and with a modified diet and a few performance add-ons, the 296 Speciale is near perfection. It's likely that this particular model will head our way in limited numbers, and it will set you back a hefty R8,610,467 for the coupe and R9,774,044 for the spider, not counting any import duties and taxes. It's a stunning vehicle that now has a little more zing in the tank.
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