Ferrari reveals astonishing 880hp 296 Speciale

Yes, it's quicker and costlier. But Ferrari is adamant it's better too in a way that mere mortals can appreciate

Given most people needed to have a little word with themselves after driving the Ferrari 296 GTB (our own John H certainly did after his extended go at the original launch) you’d think that a go-faster version would be about as applicable to a wider audience as a small sachet of chilli sauce at the World Championship Chilli Cook-off. Of course, that’s not the way Maranello sees it: behold the new 296 Speciale, a lighter, leaner version that builds on the GTB with 880hp - a record for a rear-drive Ferrari - and generates 435kg of downforce at 155mph. Because race car.

Needless to say, the Speciale family tree is impressive to the point of exemplary and presents terrifyingly large boots for a mid-engined plug-in hybrid to fill. Ferrari has set out to do this in a mostly familiar way: combining (slightly) more power with less weight (60kg overall, options pending) and an increasingly banzai approach to lateral speed at pretty much any given apex. The increase in power, while record-setting (including one for its specific output) is fairly modest: you get a 37hp uplift from a more thermally efficient V6 thanks to an F1-inspired knock control system and a treasure trove of exotic internal components, including titanium connecting rods, reinforced pistons and a lightened crankshaft.

These have helped Ferrari to subtract 9kg from the engine alone, which was also treated to a comprehensive re-machining of the block and crankcase to trim excess metal. The existing MGU-K e-motor, which still offers a modest electric driving range, is located between the V6 and transmission (ditto the 7.45kWh battery beneath the floor), but earns a new boost mode with the eManettino set to ‘Qualify’, ultimately delivering 180hp between 6,000 and 8,500rpm - or 13hp more than the GTB. Depending on operating temperature, of course.

Reservations about the 296's V6 powertrain have tended to focus less on the outright performance delivered (which ought to be even more hair-raising now now Ferrari has employed a new management profile to better synchronise e-motor torque with the eight-speed DCT’s upshifts) and more about the sound it makes. This has apparently been seen to with twice as many acoustic ducts as there were in the GTB, optimising spatial quality. A patented system of tubes carries sound directly from the engine to the cabin, meaning you ought to experience the ‘rich harmony’ of the engine more often and at higher volume.

The Speciale’s new look, as you might expect, combines a stylised evolution of the GTB with the complex motorsport-derived solutions needed to hit that headline downforce figure. Visually speaking, the biggest changes occur at the rear where new side wings, modelled closely on the FXX K, help optimise wake management and improve downforce simultaneously. They work alongside a new diffuser and the retractable rear spoiler, which gets a completely new actuator management strategy for different scenarios. The front end now incorporates an aero damper concept from the 296 Challenge, designed to work in conjunction with an optimised undertray.

Elsewhere adjustments to the design were made to aid cooling performance, Ferrari being adamant that better efficiency should be achieved without altering radiator layout or size. This was achieved by increasing airflow to radiators and optimising brake cooling ducts, doubling airflow compared to the 296 GTB. Bolder still are the chassis revisions, the manufacturer promising four per cent higher lateral acceleration and a 13 per cent lower roll angle courtesy of titanium springs and Multimatic adjustable dampers derived from the 296 GT3. You also get a special version of the Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres co-developed with Michelin. Little wonder the car is said to be a couple of seconds quicker around Fiorano than the already astonishingly rapid GTB.

If that sounds more terrifying than thrilling, Ferrari is promising a concurrent improvement in driveability. While the edge of the envelope in terms of agility and turn-in responsiveness have obviously been targeted - to very near the limits of what can be achieved in a rear-drive supercar, if the engineers are to be believed - the Speciale is also about introducing ‘a sense of predictability and intuitiveness that makes this a car unlike any other’. Some of that is about the better electronic marshalling of the car’s many faculties by the 6D sensor at the heart of the ABS Evo dynamic control system. The rest is in the old-fashioned fine-tuning of a chassis that sits 5mm closer to the road. But with regard to the five quantifiable parameters Ferrari focused on - lateral and longitudinal acceleration, shifting, braking and sound - you should notice a difference.

The Speciale-ness ought to be fairly obvious on the inside, too, where Ferrari has attempted to simplify things (and again, save weight) through unique items like a new door panel and centre tunnel fabricated entirely from carbon fibre. Definitely, you’ll notice a difference in price: the coupe is from 407,000 euros (around £350k); the spider, 462,000 euros. Production of the car is not limited in number, though it will be limited by time - so you’ll want to be elbowing your way onto the wait list fairly sharpish, assuming you're an existing Ferrari customer. Which you will need to be to stand any chance of acquiring a Speciale brand new. Alternatively, you could get an approved used 488 Pista with 720hp from a 3.9-litre V8, and save yourself a few bob.

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