Ferrari 296 Speciale revealed with 868bhp and radical aero set-up
The new Ferrari 296 Speciale is billed as the 'most fun to drive, emotionally charged' car the marque has built yet, with its 868bhp claimed to be 'very close' to the limit of what a rear-wheel-drive car can offer.
Priced from €407,000 (£349,000) in Italy and offered in both coupé and spider forms, it packs 49bhp more than the 296 GTB, has 20% more downforce and is 60kg lighter.
However, it is 'not just an exercise where we put a few additional horsepower', said Ferrari marketing chief Enrico Galliera. The Speciale instead represents a more comprehensive engineering effort.
For instance, its twin-turbo V6 uses aluminium pistons and the titanium conrods from the new F80 hypercar, and the head is secured to the block with titanium bolts.
This has allowed an increase in combustion chamber pressure of 7%, boosting the V6's output from the previous 654bhp to 690bhp.
Moreover, the crankcase has been shaved down to save 1.2kg and the turbo design has been reworked to shed another 1.2kg.
Ferrari has also doubled the size of the 'hot tube' – the sound pipe linking the engine bay and cabin – to improve the sound quality and volume of the V6.
Revised cooling for the hybrid system has unlocked a further 13bhp, independent of the V6.
'We are very, very close to the limit of the maximum horsepower that we can manage for a rear-wheel-drive car,' said development chief Gianmaria Fulgenzi.
With that in mind, an aerodynamic overhaul has resulted in a redesign of the 296's rear end, inspired by the Challenge and GT3 racers.
This has brought about the fitment of two winglets atop the car's rear haunches and a small active spoiler that rises from the back end – from just above the Prancing Horse badge.
The spoiler has three possible positions and adjusts based on the steering angle and throttle position.
It plays a key role in boosting the car's maximum downforce by 20% compared with the 296 GTB, with 435kg at 155mph.
The damper and spring set-up has been revised, bringing a 5mm drop in ride height and a claimed 13% reduction in maximum body lean when cornering.
The cockpit has been reworked to minimise weight, with new seats that are said to be 5kg lighter than those in the 296 GTB.
There is more carbonfibre than before, including on a new single-piece door card, and the new steering wheel swaps the previous unit's touchsensitive control pads for traditional buttons.
Ferrari said the Speciale will not be strictly limited in number but by the time it spends in production, which will be significantly shorter than for the GTB. It will be 'very exclusive', said Galliera.
Ferrari will offer the car only to what it calls 'active' clients: those who have bought a new or approved-used car (or maintained an older car) through an official dealer within the past five years.
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