Ferrari 296 Speciale Review: Is It Really Special?

What Is the Ferrari 296 Speciale?

The Speciale tops the 296 line-up. Compared with every earlier 296 it is lighter and carries more downforce, and its 880hp makes it the most powerful rear-wheel-drive Ferrari to enter full production. The engine is the 2,992cc twin-turbo V6 first seen in the 296 Berlinetta, now with extra torque and 50hp more than before.

Special editions like this are where Ferrari takes the car it already sells and applies lessons from the race track to make it lighter, quicker and more focused.

What makes the Ferrari 296 Speciale special:

• 880hp, the highest output of any rear-wheel-drive production Ferrari
• 60kg lighter than the 296 GTB, including a 9kg saving from the engine
• A power-to-weight record for a RWD Ferrari Berlinetta of 1.60 kg/hp
• A 13hp electric boost in Qualify mode, using a system derived from F1 and seen in the SF90 XX Stradale
• Faster gearshifts and revised ducts that feed more engine noise into the cabin
• A quicker Fiorano lap than any other 296, and then the LaFerrari hybrid hypercar
• Aerodynamics borrowed from the race cars, including a retractable spoiler and a new medium downforce setting

What Does the Ferrari 296 Speciale Look Like?

The styling comes from Ferrari's design chief, Flavio Manzoni, and his team. They gave the Speciale cues shared with the F80 hypercar and the 12Cilindri, so it reads as part of the current Ferrari family.

Function drives much of the shape. The 296 Challenge race cars lent several ideas: wings fixed to the outer edges of the rear bodywork, an exhaust positioned above a large rear diffuser, and mesh across the engine cover.

• The front undertray joins the bonnet, sending air underneath the car to cut drag and produce 20% more downforce than the 296 GTB
• New louvres on each side, plus an inlet duct inspired by the F80 that carries air from the undertray to cool the brake callipers
• A retractable spoiler that deploys and retracts to assist with speed, cornering or braking, or all three together
• Stripes and numbers can be added to the bodywork for a more individual look
• The Speciale Aperta convertible is available for a small premium

How Does the Ferrari 296 Speciale Drive?

Performance and Powertrain

A twin-turbo V6 and an electric motor share the work, giving 880hp in total. Ferrari has also sped up the gearshifts and reshaped the ducts that carry engine sound into the cabin. Vicki was delighted with the result: inside a car you often hear less of the engine than people outside do, and here the driver gets a proper share of it.

On paper the acceleration gain is small, with 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds against 2.9 for the standard car, and the top speed unchanged at more than 205mph. The real improvement shows on a circuit: at Fiorano, Ferrari's test track, the Speciale is quicker than any other 296 and has also beaten the lap time of the LaFerrari.

Sound and Engagement

Shift lights on the steering wheel turn red and then blue to signal when to change up. Vicki found the gear changes highly involving, both up and down the box, with the car responding crisply to each one and leaving her feeling closely connected to what it was doing.

Electric Mode

As a plug-in hybrid, the Speciale can run on electric power alone for roughly 15 miles and up to 84mph, although pushing towards that speed drains the range quickly. The engine can also top up the battery while driving, in addition to plugging in.

Vicki sees a contradiction here. Low-speed town driving is where a Ferrari most needs to be heard, because onlookers expect the sound as soon as they spot the car, and running silently feels like short-changing them. She would prefer to use electric mode on the motorway, where the noise is least welcome, and save the full soundtrack for places where it can be enjoyed.

Qualify Mode and the Boost System

Selecting Qualify on the eManettino dial brings every power source into play. Across the first seven gears of the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the electric motor supplements the engine wherever acceleration would otherwise dip, and a 13hp boost is available on top. The system is derived from F1 technology and also appears in the SF90 XX Stradale, Ferrari's most extreme road-going track car.

The right side of the instrument cluster shows when the boost can be used and how many bursts remain. The car analyses the layout of the circuit and suggests where it is best deployed: 14 times over two laps at Fiorano, or 15 times over a single lap at Mugello.

Handling and Braking

Handling is the quality Vicki rates most highly in a driver's car, and the Speciale is built around it. The body sits 5mm lower than before to limit roll in corners, and the car combines a short wheelbase, Ferrari's latest chassis control systems and a 60kg weight reduction, of which 9kg comes from the engine. The result is a power-to-weight ratio of 1.60 kg/hp, a new best for a rear-wheel-drive Ferrari Berlinetta.

Aerodynamics

The active spoiler adjusts to help with braking, cornering and straight-line speed. A new medium downforce setting adds stability at the rear at high speed, a change Vicki suggests was prompted by someone finding out the hard way that it was needed.

Race-derived suspension and finely tuned electronic systems complete the package, intended to keep the car quick and consistent over repeated laps.

What Is the Ferrari 296 Speciale Interior Like?

The cabin is trimmed in Alcantara, aluminium and carbon fibre. The centre console is carbon fibre, as is a new door panel whose grab handle is formed from the same single piece of material.

Sitting behind the wheel, Vicki's test is whether the car leaves her smiling. In the Speciale it clearly does.

What Wheels and Tyres Does the Ferrari 296 Speciale Have?

With this much power and grip involved, the tyres carry a heavy load. The Speciale is fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber on 20-inch alloy wheels. Michelin positions the tyre for drivers who want to use their Ferrari to its limit on a circuit, offering high grip, precise response and strong handling in demanding conditions while staying legal for the road.

Tyre details:

• Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 on 20-inch alloy wheels
• Ferrari's K marking on the sidewall shows the tyre was co-developed by Ferrari and Michelin

How Does the Ferrari 296 Speciale Compare?

Ferrari 296 Speciale vs Ferrari 296 GTB

The Speciale is based on the 296 GTB and costs roughly £100,000 more. For that money you get 50hp extra, 60kg less weight, 20% more front downforce and a 0-62mph time of 2.8 seconds instead of 2.9, plus a faster lap of Fiorano than any other 296.

Ferrari 296 Speciale vs LaFerrari

Around Fiorano, the Speciale edges out the LaFerrari hybrid hypercar, which shows how much ground Ferrari has gained.

Ferrari 296 Speciale vs Porsche 911 GT3 RS

The £360,000 price equals that of two Porsche 911 GT3 RS cars, which puts the Speciale's cost in perspective.

Is the Ferrari 296 Speciale Worth Buying?

The price is the first thing that stands out. At £360,000 the Speciale costs around £100,000 more than the GTB it is based on, and the same as two 911 GT3 RS models. Vicki still concludes that it justifies the money, as the best expression of what Ferrari's supercars offer today.

The case for the Ferrari 296 Speciale:

880hp, the most of any rear-wheel-drive production Ferrari

60kg lighter than the 296 GTB, with a record 1.60 kg/hp power-to-weight ratio

F1-derived 13hp boost in Qualify mode, with the car advising where to use it on track

Quicker around Fiorano than any other 296, and than the LaFerrari

A cabin trimmed in Alcantara, aluminium and carbon fibre

Before you buy:

At £360,000 it costs around £100,000 more than the 296 GTB

Vicki would prefer a car that is loud in town and quiet on the motorway, the reverse of how electric mode works

Electric range is around 15 miles and drops sharply as you approach 84mph

Straight-line gain over the 296 GTB is just one-tenth of a second to 62mph