Ferrari revisits an iconic name with its latest hybrid

Ferrari has revealed the new 296 Speciale, a sharper, lighter and more powerful version of its V6 hybrid-powered 296.

Available in both hardtop and convertible form, the 296 Speciale borrows its name from one of the most highly-regarded Ferraris of the modern age, the 458 Speciale, and in doing so puts a whole heap of weight on its wide, honed shoulders.

The new car sticks to a familiar recipe. Ever since the era of the 348 and 355, Ferrari has followed up on its latest mid-engined supercar with a sharper, lighter and more powerful successor. There was the 360 Challenge Stradale, the 430 Scuderia, the 458 Speciale and the 488 Pista. The short-lived F8 Tributo curiously missed out on the track-focused treatment, but now Ferrari is back to the tried-and-tested script.

The 296 already had a set of upgrades available, in the form of the Assetto Fiorano pack, named after Ferrari’s private test track and comprising track-focused suspension and lightweight components, among other upgrades.

To earn its Speciale badge the 296 has been taken even further. Extra turbo boost pressure sees the output of the 296’s 3.0-litre V6 engine increase from 654 to 691 horsepower, while torque jumps from 546 to 557 lb-ft. The electric motor has also received an upgrade, with its output boosted from 165 to 178 horsepower, while torque remains the same at 232 lb-ft. Combined, the 296 Speciale sends 868 hp and 557 lb-ft to its rear wheels – an increase of 49 hp and 11 lb-ft.

Gear changes are quicker, the engine is lighter, the radiators are larger and the exhaust system has been made louder. To that end, Ferrari said the 296 Speciale “takes the engine sound to a whole new level, with accentuated volume and an even richer harmony evident in the higher frequencies.”

Although stopping short of pumping augmented sounds through the stereo speakers, Ferrari has seemingly put a lot of effort into channelling sound directly from engine to cabin, via special tubes. The car has “a patented system of tubes which carry sound directly from the heart of the V6 into the cabin: each one of these tubes is tuned individually for a mid-high frequency band to express the rich harmony of the engine to the full.”

Outside, the new car gains some aerodynamic enhancements. These include new “gamma wings”, which extend from the rear wheel arches and appear to hover over the light clusters. Between these is a movable rear wing that can rise to a near-vertical position to help with both downforce and braking performance. Ferrari says the various aero tweaks produce up to 435 kg of downforce at 155 mph, up 20 percent on the standard 296.

The claimed 0-62 mph time is 2.8 seconds, the 0-124 mph time is 7.0 seconds and the top speed is 205 mph. There’s also a new drive mode, called Qualify. This strategically serves up extra boost from the electric motor to punch you out of corners as quickly as possible, in a bid to post the quickest lap time.

A new dashboard display indicates how many servings of boost you have left per lap, and Ferrari says the system varies its boost deployment based on where your track day is being held. It'll work 14 times over two laps at the Fiorano circuit, or 15 times per lap at Mugello, for example.

Ferrari’s sportier cars are as much about saving weight as gaining power. The Speciale weighs almost 60 kg less than a regular 296 equipped with all of Ferrari’s weight-saving options. Carbon wheels, bumpers and engine cover are all optional extras available for the Speciale, for buyers who want the lightest – and most expensive – version possible.

The Italian company says the hard-topped coupe version of the 296 Speciale will arrive first, during the first quarter of 2026. The open-topped Spider version (about 5 kg heavier than the coupe) will come during the second quarter, and prices for the former are expected to start at around £350,000, depending on optional extras.

This isn’t a limited-run car as such, but Ferrari says it is limited in terms of time, and only customers who have bought a new Ferrari in the last five years are eligible to buy a Speciale.