Latest news with #296Challenge
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Ferrari 296 Speciale unveiled: The Prancing Horse's fastest, ‘most extreme' car yet
Common rule of thumb for extreme track-focused supercars is the uglier they are the faster they are when hot lapping. Function over form dominates and if engineers can get away with bolting a wing onto the back of a handsome coupe, you can bet they'll screw on the biggest, ugliest appendage they can find in pursuit of precious downforce. So you might expect the latest, most extreme 648kW Ferrari 296 Special to have fallen from the very top of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Except in the flesh the lighter, more powerful hard-core 296 is still somehow as handsome as ever and, if anything, benefits from all the enhancements required to efficiently manage the air around its svelte body to boost high-speed stability needed for hot lapping. There's a tweaked nose and a revised lower front bumper that sports larger air intakes. Aerodynamicists have also added a scalloped bonnet that now packages a new S-duct-style intake that both reduces dive under braking and then does the opposite and reduces lift under acceleration. At the rear, Ferrari has pinched the fender flares from the 296 Challenge racer but resisted the temptation to borrow its big wing. Sure, some might miss the racer-for the road look, but Ferrari claim that the 296 Speciale produces 435kg of downforce at 250km/h – 20 per cent more than the standard car, although that figure is a long way off the incredible 860kg maximum the 911 GT3 RS can muster. The modest boost is easy to explain, says Ferrari. If you want to go fast on track feel free to buy one of our race cars, but if you want to have fun behind the wheel you'll want the 296. Originally rumoured to ditch its electrification in pursuit of maximum kilo-cutting, the 296 Speciale keeps its ultra-compact plug-in hybrid twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 but winds up power to a dizzying 648kW. The power comes from new internals lifted from both the inbound F80 hypercar and Prancing Horse's two-time Le Mans-winning 499P racer. There's also tweaks to the electric motor that now pushes out 132kW and 315Nm and, combined with a 7.45kWh battery, can still drive the Ferrari in near-silent EV mode at speeds of up to 135km/h for 25km. Off the line from 0-100km/h the hotter 296 takes just 2.8 seconds – 0.1sec faster than the standard car, while 0-200km/h is dispensed in seven seconds flat. Emphasising the sense of thrust is the faster-shifting eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, the fact that all its power is channelled to the road via the rear wheels and the fact that engineers have carved away 60kg. Improving the way the 296 drives on road and track, engineers have revised the suspension and introduced stiffer springs and new trick damper that are said to reduce roll by 13 per cent which leads to 4 per cent harder cornering. That might sound hard to get your head around. But all that extra power, less weight and new-found downforce the 296 Speciale is now faster round Ferrari's Fiorano home circuit than any modern Ferrari you care to name, including the LaFerrari, with it posting an identical time to the near million-dollar SF90 hypercar. Which brings us to the thorny issue of cost and availability. On sale in the first quarter of next year in both coupe and roadster body styles we think the Ferrari 296 Speciale will be priced from $700,000 (plus on-roads) for the Berlinetta coupe and $800,000 for the Aperta droptop – a huge sum of money but a significant saving over an SF90. The problem is, despite Ferrari not capping volumes, the famous Italian car brand says to be eligible to buy you first need to currently own a Ferrari and the next is you need to have already built a relationship with your local dealer. So unless you have current 296, Roma or SF90 tucked away in your garage and are godfather to the dealer principle's firstborn even if you have the cash, odds are, you'll still miss out on what could be the fastest, most capable and prettiest supercars money can buy.
Hindustan Times
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Ferrari 296 Speciale unveiled with 880 bhp, is the hardcore version of the 296 GTB
Ferrari 296 Speciale features a power increase to 880 hp and significant weight reduction. Ferrari has unveiled the new 296 Speciale in the global market. It is the more hardcore version of the standard model, which is the 296 GTB. The new model will be sold in two body styles - Coupe and Aperta. The brand has added track focused upgrades, more power and reduced the weight as well. Ferrari 296 Speciale: Most powerful RWD Ferrari road car Total power has increased to 880 hp, a 50 hp gain over the GTB, making it the most powerful rear-wheel-drive Ferrari road car to date. Aerodynamic changes are equally significant. Downforce is up 20 per cent compared to the GTB, with 435 kg generated at 250 kmph. Weight reduction has been another major focus. At 60 kg lighter than the GTB, the 296 Speciale features carbon-fibre bodywork, titanium engine parts and a pared-down interior. The result is a weight of just 1,410 kg (coupe), which translates to a class-leading power-to-weight ratio of 1.6 kg per horsepower – again, a record for a rear-drive Ferrari. The five aspects that the brand says have been improved are sound, gear shifts, braking, acceleration and lateral grip. The 3.0-litre V6 engine that is turbocharged now puts out 698 bhp. There are electric motors that have a power output of up to 178 bhp and torque is 315 Nm in the Qualify driving mode. Ferrari says the total power output from the combine setup stands at around 878 bhp. It comes mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that drives the rear wheels only. Because it is a hybrid, there is a battery pack which has a capacity of 7.45 kWh and it has an electric-only range of 25 km. The interior uses a lot of carbon fibre, racing bucket seats and gated design for the gearbox shifter. Ferrari 296 Speciale: What are the acceleration times? Ferrari claims that the 296 Speciale can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in 2.8 seconds 200 kmph comes up in 7 seconds. Also Read : Man's dream Ferrari 458 Spider went up in flames just an hour after being delivered Ferrari 296 Speciale: What are the aerodynamic changes? The bodywork on the track-focused car is new to provide better aerodynamics. The newly designed vertical fins at the edges of the bumper enhance wake management and minimize drag; they also feature an upward curve, with the shape of the horizontal surface contributing to increased downforce. These aerodynamic components have been adapted from the 296 Challenge and the FXX K, and are integrated into a cohesive unit in this design. The front of the vehicle features a redesigned duct that facilitates the movement of air from beneath the chassis to above it, a characteristic inspired by the 296 Challenge. Additionally, there are enhanced louvres on the sides, aerodynamic fins at the edges of the bumper, and a significantly more pronounced splitter to improve airflow around and beneath the vehicle. New side winglets are also available. Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India. First Published Date: 30 Apr 2025, 17:07 PM IST
