► Latest Ferrari Special Series model driven
► Is 868bhp going to be enough? (only joking…)
► Can it live up to its glorious predecessors?
The Ferrari 296 Speciale certainly has some big tyre tracks to fill. From the 360 Challenge Stradale to the 430 Scuderia, 458 Speciale and 488 Pista, Ferrari’s mid-engined, lightweight track-focused specials are widely regarded as some of the most capable and invigorating driving machines ever created.
Now, Ferrari has applied the same ethos to the 296 model, reducing its weight by 60kg, honing its dynamics and increasing the amount of downforce generated. And of course, it’s found even more power: an additional 49bhp, to be precise.
At a glance
Pros: Spectacular performance, dramatic styling, accessible dynamics
Cons: Can a car be simply too fast?
What’s new?
A lot of work has gone into achieving the overall 49bhp gain, even if an additional 36bhp from the twin-turbo V6 doesn’t sound like a big number by itself. Consider that there’s a new crank, new pistons and rods (taken from the F80 hypercar) and revised cylinder heads, lighter turbochargers and even the way the block is machined has been revised to save weight. All in, the engine is 9kg lighter than the one in the GTB/GTS.
Like the standard car, the Speciale is a hybrid, with a limited amount of pure EV range, an everyday-sensible hybrid driving mode and a Performance mode where both systems work together for maximum performance. The final destination on the row of mode buttons is ‘Qualify’, where you’ll get the full benefit of battery boost for maximum acceleration around a lap, the MGU-K figure now being slightly higher at 178bhp. Add this, and the ICE part together, and you get that colossal 868bhp peak power figure. It’s enough to spin the rear tyres just thinking about it.
In fact, every area of the Speciale has been developed over the standard car. The eight-speed twin-clutch gearbox now uses the e-motor to torque fill on changes, so they’re not only quicker but more dramatic as well.
Notice how much more purposeful the 296 now looks? Much of that is down to its revised aerodynamics, which see an increase in downforce to 435kg of the invisible wonderstuff at 155mph. Ferrari says that 70 per cent of this improvement has been applied to the front axle, improving front end grip, but that the downforce is now also more consistent to the benefit of predictable handling. One of the key ways this has been achieved is with what Ferrari is terming the air damper. It’s essentially an air outlet in the ‘frunk’ that draws air from an opening in the floor, and it’s teamed with additional vents from the GT3 car and a larger front opening. You’ll notice wider side skirts too, and the flat rear haunches from the Challenge car along with FXX-K-style rear winglets. The active rear spoiler now has three positions, too.
Naturally, there’s so much more to geek out on. The chassis has been revised, with stiffer spring rates, reduced roll and a choice of dampers: the track choice is to go for the Multimatic passive dampers with titanium springs, similar to the GT3 car. For a road bias, Ferrari offers its Magneride setup; we drove the latter on the road (with the bespoke Michelin Cup 2 tyre) and the passive car at Fiorano (with the Cup2 R tyre).
What are the specs?
Unsurprisingly, 868bhp tends to make for a rather quick car. To put some numbers on it, the 0-62mph launch takes 2.8 seconds; to get from zero to 124mph is an incredible seven seconds dead. At its lightest it weighs 1,410kg dry, but you can add a fair chunk on to that for a Speciale that can move under its own steam.
Note, to achieve the best figure you’ll need to spec the carbon bumpers and engine lid. Oh, and you’ll find the economy and emissions figures in the spec panel, but really – you weren’t losing sleep over those, were you?
How does it drive?
The first thing that makes an impression in the Speciale is just how easy it is to drive, and to mooch around in. While this might sound like a bizarre quality for such a focused driver’s car, it is not by accident. Ferrari says the Speciale buyer is someone who has already owned and enjoyed a 296 and is looking for more performance and reward without sacrificing much in the way of everyday usability. So, you could indeed drive this car to the office, daily, and apart from a bit more road and engine noise, a sparingly trimmed cabin and the will power required to not unleash 868bhp at every opportunity, it is astonishingly easy to live with. The Magneride dampers give a wonderfully supple, controlled ride quality.
But that’s not what you’re wondering about, is it? Yes, you can glide along silently in electric mode, but you’ll soon want to hit the Performance button and twist the manettino up into at least Race. The acceleration unleashed now is a torrent: even in the dry it can pick up a Cup2 in a straight line and make the car wriggle.
In the wet, as much of our road driving was, it is genuinely difficult to access even half of the available grunt. The Speciale is just so, so very fast, everywhere, whether through the mid-range or bursting for the redline. It’s a good noise too, for this set of ears, at least. Ferrari has worked hard on it, and the gruff, business-like tones are suitably serious and involving. For me, the best element is the turbo noises, though – that’s when you realise there’s some serious boost involved.
As for the chassis, the Speciale is like a regular 296 but with even more agility and, it must be said, ability to build confidence. There’s a little more weight to the usual very fast steering, but it has a wonderfully friction-free feel to it, and the front end grip is mighty (in direct contrast to what happens at the rear when you give it a bootful of throttle).
On a circuit it’s agile and fun, and as long as you’ve kept some stability control engaged it feels remarkably vice-free. The work Ferrari has done with the ABS Evo setup allows you to brake really late into corners while maintaining stability, and the big carbon-ceramic discs have immense power with excellent feel underfoot.
What’s the interior like?
I can tell you that Ferrari are proud of the one-piece carbon door panels, with their push button release mechanism, and that the floors are bare, with visible welds, and your feet rest on metal pads.
But other than that, and the optional carbon reclining bucket seats, it’s obviously a 296 inside, except one with physical buttons now on the steering wheel. That’s a big improvement over the haptic switches in my view, although this is still a very busy driving environment that won’t be to all tastes.
Before you buy
Given you already need to be a Ferrari customer to purchase a Speciale, there’s not much relevance to this section. You won’t need us to tell you that the £359,779 price tag can be inflated very quickly once you start speccing options and customisation features.
Verdict: Ferrari 296 Speciale
The 296 Speciale is an incredibly polished piece of engineering, possessing the kind of accelerative fireworks that initially tend to leave the brain frazzled. It’s also a joy to drive quickly – agile, incredibly capable, but – with its driver aides left on – amazingly forgiving. Such polish has enabled a car that’s also eminently usable, and surprisingly undemanding, which creates a subtly different type of car than its forebears. That could potentially leave room for something more raw, and, dare we say it, lighter but less powerful. In the meantime, this is a very special 296 indeed.