Among all the incredible stats and various achievements of the new Ferrari 296 Speciale, it was perhaps its launch colour that was most surprising. Because everyone knows that the really racy Ferraris, the GTOs and Scuderias and Pistas of this world, are red. It’s the heritage, it’s the motorsport link, it's everything, really. But here was a green Speciale, Verde Nurburgring no less, and as the launch colour you can expect plenty of customer cars to be painted that way also.
While it might still take some getting used to, there’s no harm in breaking with tradition every now and then. Perhaps one day Ferrari really will do what it’s always said would never be done and paint a car pink. After all, Ferrari knows as well as anyone that the customer is always right in matters of taste - and never has the adage been truer than with this spectacular 360 Challenge Stradale.
These stripped-out Modenas are typically seen in Rosso Corsa, almost always with the stripe, and with interiors as sombre as a December Monday morning. It’s a spec that’s nothing if not appropriate for a raw, unapologetic kind of Ferrari road racer. But the first owner of this example, delivered new to Ferrari Wilmslow back in the day, decided they wanted something a little more lavish. So they asked for Tour de France Blue, tan leather and no stripe whatsoever. They got the Challenge Stradale they asked for, and the car is utterly beautiful, less overt than most colourways and all the more interesting for it.
Of course, any CS will be pretty extreme to drive, and that’s exactly why they’ve become so prized of late. It wasn’t the first Ferrari of its kind (because there were a few 348 Competiziones made once upon a time), but the Stradale was better publicised than that car was. And it arrived at a better time, too, with a greater interest in track days - where a lighter, louder, firmer and faster Ferrari 360 could really shine. Delivered in the same period as the first M3 CSL and the first GT3 RS, for that matter, it really was a golden age to be a top-tier track toy.
Despite that, the first owner of this car used it seldom. As in barely at all. Indeed, across three owners and more than 20 years, this Challenge Stradale still hasn’t covered 1,000 miles. Which is pretty remarkable, really, given how intoxicating this V8 berlinetta must be to drive. Perhaps its three owners have just been gawping at it all this time - easy to see how that would happen.
As a result of all that - the spec, the mileage, the rarity - this CS presents as probably one of the very best in the world. From where we're sitting, there’s not an imperfection to be seen on it anywhere, and for a car pitched as the ultimate circuit weapon two decades ago, the 360 now looks positively dainty. It’s become the pretty, delicate, classic mid-engined Ferrari V8. And nobody would have thought that was possible for a long time after it replaced the 355.
With so few miles under its wheels, probably this Challenge Stradale should continue to be used sparingly. There are certainly more affordable examples around for those who want to embrace the unfiltered Ferrari experience. But those cars aren’t Tour de France Blue with tan; they aren’t perhaps the most stylish Ferrari 360s you ever did see. For that reason, we’d try and find any excuse possible to have it out in the world, showing everyone how good a Challenge Stradale can look. The unforgettable driving experience can be a nice bonus…
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