Ferrari launches configurator for 296 GT3 racer
Demand for Ferrari's GT3 racer is at an all-time high. Better get your order in, then...
Economies across the globe may be in freefall, but customer racing appears to be at an all-time high. So much so, in fact, that Ferrari is making it easier for its ultra-wealthy clienti to purchase or upgrade their racing machinery by treating its all-new 296 GT3 car as one of its regular models – configurator and all.
That’s right, it’s the Prancing Horse’s first racing model to be given the configurator treatment, allowing customers to wander into showrooms with a code for their ideal GT3 spec. And there are more options that you might expect on a car that does without leather, sat nav and wireless charging. To start with, the GT3 comes with the usual mix of colour options, including the new-for-2022 Rosso Imola and bare carbon fibre, along with a decal set that matches the launch car. This is clearly for customers who want to buy a GT3 to win a game of track day Top Trumps, or simply for the sake of owning one, as those who intend to race it will plaster the exterior with their own colour scheme and sponsors.
Next up, you’ll need to pick the configuration of your car. If you intend to enter the Nurburgring 24 Hour or take a spot on 24 Hours of Le Mans grid for the switch to GT3 cars in 2024, then you’ll want to spec the 24H Lights Pack. These add an extra set of LEDs to the front bumper either side of the Ferrari badge. Yellow tints for the headlights are available, too. These are mandatory for some endurance events and make an already fetching GT3 car look even better. No wheel options here, sadly, but you can choose whether you want black or gold anodising on the tips of the centre lock wheels. It’s the little details that matter, right?
There’s a surprising amount of interior customisation for a car that doesn’t really have one. You can spec either red or blue fabric for the racing seat – though we’re disappointed there’s no option for an early-90s F1-style crema suede – plus there are a bunch of colours for the Sabelt six-point harnesses. You can even install a second seat if you fancy taking your mates out for a few passenger laps. And while there’s no need for infotainment, you can spec a marshalling display that relays real-time flag waving and a handy rear-view camera that should reduce the number of trips to see the stewards.
As it’s built for GT3 regs, there are no performance packs or extra driving modes to give you an edge over the competition. That means you get the road car’s 3.0-litre turbocharged V6, albeit without the hybrid system, which sends a restricted 600hp to the rear wheels. Further power restrictions can be applied if the balance of performance adults don’t look favourably upon you, along with success ballast applied on top of the 1,250kg dry weight if you’re whooping the competition. Compared to the road car, the wheelbase has been increased by 60mm and, naturally, the track has been greatly increased at the front and rear. An assortment of fins and a giant rear wing improve peak downforce by 20 per cent over the old 488 GT3. And, no, the configurator doesn’t come with a rear-wing delete option, which is probably for the best.
The configurator is all in the name of streamlining the customer racing experience, with Ferrari now handling sales of its GT3 cars in its showrooms. This new approach has, apparently, put demand for a Ferrari GT3 racer at an all-time high. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed, but deliveries are due to get underway next year before the 296 GT3 makes its Le Mans debut alongside the new 499P hypercar prototype in 2024. Or, you know, you could come and join us for the centenary event next year...
Take a look at the configurator here
.Does mildly amuse me that it appears to be very much ‘GTE is dead. Long live GT3’. The recent new GT3’s seem only mildly less extreme than the outgoing GTE cars and surely will be doing similar lap times at LeMans within a couple of years. I think the days of picking up a GT3 drive ‘on the cheap’ are long gone sadly. Not that I was likely to be in a position to do so these days of course, but I do wonder if GT2 really can fill the void as they seen to want…
Makes me smile than a used Huracan STO (i.e. a GT3 race car wannabe) costs double that of an actual bonafide GT3 racecar.
Lewis isn't bleating this year about how he 'looks the best' so shouldn't be finishing so low down the championship.
ergo.....it can't be 'too fussy'.
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