Every Ferrari is special in its own way but, every now and then, the company sets certain models apart using just one word. Over the past few decades, those words have included Scuderia and Pista. Speciale is also on that list and was last applied to the ultimate version of the 458. Now Ferrari is bringing it back to identify a more powerful, athletic, and aggressive variant of the hybrid 296 GTB known as the 296 Speciale.
The visual differences between the 296 Speciale and the car it’s based on are easy to see, especially in the new Speciale-specific color of Verde Nürburgring and the available white livery. The entire front end was restyled to improve the Speciale’s aerodynamics. A 296 Challenge-style front aero damper, which sends some of the airflow from the underbody to the upper body, helps keep downforce on the nose more consistent.
The FXX K and 296 Challenge influenced the rear end, which features vertical fins and small wings designed to reduce drag while simultaneously increasing downforce. In addition to a new diffuser, the active rear spoiler’s new Medium Downforce setting, which maximizes high-speed stability, joins the Low Drag and High Downforce configurations; new programming shortens the transition time between those last two modes. According to Ferrari’s calculations, the 296 Speciale produces 435 kg (959 pounds) of downforce at 250 km/h (155 mph) – a 20-percent improvement over the 296 GTB. Additional external changes result in better cooling of the enhanced hybrid powertrain as well as the brakes.
What’s not so obvious are the materials Ferrari used to lighten the Speciale. Of course, carbon fiber is one of them, making up some of the body panels and, if a Speciale buyer chooses, the bumpers and engine compartment cover. In addition to Alcantara and aluminum, there’s more carbon fiber inside the cockpit, which has door panels made out of single blocks of the lightweight composite.
Ferrari’s diet for the Speciale also covered its twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 engine, which is equipped with the F80’s lighter titanium connecting rods, a nitrided steel crankshaft, and racing-derived titanium screws and stud bolts. Even the turbos show a lower number on the scale. Ferrari went so far as trimming excess metal from the engine block and crankcase. Combined, those cutbacks make the Speciale’s engine nine percent lighter than the one in the 296 GTB. Overall, the Speciale is down 60 kg (132 pounds) compared to the base 296.
It should come as no surprise that the Speciale is more powerful than its regular counterpart, too. The V6’s upgraded hardware and the seven-percent-higher combustion chamber pressure unlocked by a new boost management strategy add up to 700 cv (690 horsepower) at 8,000 rpm and 755 Nm (557 lb-ft) of torque at 6,000 rpm. New acoustic ducts and individually tuned tubes that carry engine sound into the cabin should “express the rich harmony of the engine to the full.”
Thanks to optimized operating and cooling strategies, the Speciale’s electric motor is 13 cv (12.8 horsepower) more potent than the one in the 296 GTB and provides up to 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) of all-electric driving range. The eManettino dial’s “Qualify” setting engages a new overboost mode that produces up to 180 cv (177 horsepower) and 315 Nm (232 lb-ft) of torque between 6,000 and 8,500 rpm. Altogether, the more potent engine and electric motor bring the Speciale’s total output up to 880 cv (867 horsepower), “50 more [cv] than the 296 GTB and a record for a rear-wheel-drive production Ferrari,” according to the automaker.
Special roll-reducing spring and damper settings and new 20-inch forged wheels with specially designed Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires transmit the hybrid’s higher power to the road or track. New upshift settings for the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox’s first seven gears lower shift times.
So just how fast is the 296 Speciale with these comprehensive improvements? Ferrari’s stopwatch shows that it can reach 100 kph (62 mph) in 2.8 seconds and takes only 7.0 seconds to hit double that speed. It only needs 1:19 to complete a lap of Ferrari’s Fiorano test track. All three of those figures better the ones achieved by the 296 GTB. Flat out, the Speciale can go past 330 kph (205 mph).