The Speciale is Back! 880hp Lightweight 296 Unveiled

Hear the word Speciale, and one of Ferrari's greatest ever driver's cars springs to mind. The 458 Speciale was the last ever naturally-aspirated V8 Ferrari, and what a way it was to send off such a special (get it?) engine. It elevated the 458 Italia to something that felt like a completely different car. It was raw, exciting, beautiful to look at, and used values have reflected the market's admiration for it as well. The Speciale badge hasn't been used since (bar the California T 'Handling Speciale'), until now, when Ferrari has swished its lightweight wand at the hybrid 296 GTB.

The 296 GTB was a pretty divisive car. On paper, most had a problem with downsizing to a three-litre V6 and the hybrid drivetrain. "It's too complicated", "It's too heavy", "It won't have any soul", we cried. Then, people got behind the wheel, and those gripes disappeared as they experienced one of the great driving experiences Ferrari has ever produced. I still maintain it's far faster than it should be for a road car, but such is the world right now, and the way the 296 handles, not to mention the way it sounds inside the cabin (Ferrari's 'Piccolo V12' nickname is apt), makes it an incredible thing to drive.

Anyway, as ever, Ferrari believed there was more to extract from the 296 recipe, and here it is, the 296 Speciale, reviving a name with rather big shoes to fill. Power is up from 830 to 880hp, all through the rear wheels, and weight is down by around 60kg. Those numbers mean performance should be right up there with LaFerrari. Imagine 10 years ago, if someone said the 458 Speciale of 2025 would be as quick as a LaFerrari! Of course, power is nothing without control, and the 296 Speciale is said to generate 435kg of downforce at 155mph, thanks to a whole host of aerodynamic measures.

The chassis promises four per cent higher lateral acceleration and 13 per cent lower roll angle thanks to titanium springs and Multimatic adjustable dampers, derived from those on the 296 GTB. Special versions of the Pilot Sport Cup 2 Tyres help further, and the Speciale is said to be 'a couple of seconds' quicker than the GTB around Fiorano. And whilst pace is obviously on the edge of terrifying, Ferrari promises an improvement in drivability, aiming to make the car more intuitive and predictable. On a less exciting but equally important note, cooling has been improved by optimising airflow to the radiators and brake cooling ducts, doubling airflow compared to the GTB.

Immediately obvious from the outside are the styling changes, with far more aggressive features than the understated GTB, with features like the rear side wings modelled on those from the FXX K, supposedly to help optimise wake management whilst improving downforce. A redesigned front bumper combines with a bonnet scoop and an aero damper system from the 296 Challenge. There's a new rear diffuser and whilst there's no fixed spoiler like the SF90 XX, there is a retractable one.

They're the hard facts, but the emphasis of the Speciale (that still sounds strange to say when not referring to a 458) is on delivering a more engaging driving experience. To enhance the 'rich harmony' of the engine, Ferrari has used twice as many acoustic ducts compared to the GTB, with a patented system of tubes carrying sound directly from the engine to the cabin, rather than any fakery coming through the speakers.

Unlike the 458 Speciale, the drop-top version has been released at the same time of the coupe. Just like the 458, the topless 296 Speciale is called Speciale A, for Aperta (Italian for open). It shares all the new technical features of the Coupe, the only difference being the folding hardtop.

There's no limited-number production run, although like the Speciale and Pista before it, it will only be produced for a limited time, and one suspects you'll have to already be quite pally with Ferrari for any hope of an allocation, such is the game. You'll also need €407,000 (around £350,000) for the Coupe, or €462,000 (around £393,000) for the Aperta, over £100,000 more than the GTB and GTS respectively.