A Brief Recap of Lightweight, Hardcore Ferraris

In 1984, Ferrari took the 308, modified its body with larger bulges, flared wheel arches, and a spoiler and replaced its 3.0L naturally aspirated V8 with an all-new 2.8L twin-turbocharged V8 derived from Formula 1. The result was the legendary 288 GTO and from this car came two staples of the Ferrari range.

The first was the F40 which subsequently gave birth to Ferrari’s limited edition Halo cars that lead the way in innovation and excitement. But at its core, the 288 GTO was a limited-edition, lightweight, hardcore variant of the 308 GTB, and from it came the birth of Ferrari lightweight, hardcore, baby supercars.

Many of Ferrari’s most beloved models come from this range, from the brilliant 488 Pista, the terrifying F430 Scuderia, the legendary 360 Challenge Stradale and the amazing 348 Competizione. But best of all was the 458 Speciale, a car so precise and tactile, that most consider it Ferrari’s greatest ever car behind the F40 and 250 GTO.

Ferrari 296: The Best Supercar on Sale

Now, the mid-engine baby line-up has evolved into the 296. A car that changes that status for Ferrari’s mid-engine baby greatly. All previous baby Ferraris were V8s, the 296 uses a twin-turbo V6. All previous variants were purely petrol-powered, the 296 is a heavy hybrid.

On paper, it looks like Ferrari lost sight of what made them special in the goal for emissions. Yet what has resulted is a truly incredible car that has taken the world by storm. Most consider it to be the best supercar on sale.

These include its gorgeous styling, its clever hybrid drive, its sonorous twin-turbo 819 horsepower V6 (that Ferrari describes as a ‘Piccolino V12’), the resulting immense speed that results and its sharp and tactile handling. But as incredible as the standard 296 is, there is always room for improvement, and that comes in the form of the future lightweight model.

Visual Changes and Lightweight Aerodynamic Advances

Undoubtedly when creating a lightweight, track-hard variant of any Ferrari supercar, some of the beauty is lost. Undoubtedly, the lightweight 296 will go through similar changes with modifications. A larger grill for one, a carbon-fibre splitter, an s-duct or two in the front bonnet, carbon-fibre winglets and at the back a more advanced active aero spoiler.

Of course, these changes will make the car look more striking in one aspect but aren’t just there for show. Undoubtedly, the front splitter, S-ducts and winglets will channel more air across the 296. And if the standard 296’s rear spoiler produces 100kg of downforce, there’s no denying the lightweight variant will produce even more.

Speaking of lightweight, there’s no denying this car will weigh significantly less than a regular 296. With all the carbon-fibre construction and advancements as well as thinner carpets and glass, this car will result in a 50-100kg weight saving over the standard GTB.

Performance and Name

But as well as less weight, this variant will produce more power than the regular 296. More than likely the engine will be fettled and tweaked and borrow elements from the F80 hypercar. More than likely it will produce between 880 to 910 horsepower. The result would be a 0-62mph sprint of 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 208mph.

In addition, thanks to the added aero advancements and lightweight design, this car will dart and scamper like a true Ferrari. More than likely it will challenge the F80s 1:15.3 lap record at Fiorano. But even more interesting than the performance is what this car will be called.

So far we’ve had GTO, Competizione, Scuderia, Speciale and Pista. So what will the 296 variant be called? Well , most sources state the car will be called the Versione Speciale but there are rumours it could be called Mugello after the famous Italian race circuit. More than likely we’ll know by next year.

Price and Rivals

Now, of course, like all lightweight editions, this variant will cost a fair bit more than the regular 296 which at base costs around $323,000. This version will likely be just under $400,000 and of course, you’ll never get one. Unless you buy nearly every car in Ferrari’s current line-up and promise you won’t buy anything else.

Now the more interesting question is what will likely challenge this car and the answer is fairly obvious. Spy shots around the Nürburgring have shown an all-new GT2 RS being powered round the Green Hell Circuit. Considering the last hardcore “baby” Ferrari, the Pista went head to head against the previous GT2 RS, it's guaranteed that these two newbies will be natural rivals.

Unlike the lightweight 296 which uses a traditional hybrid setup, the new GT2 RS will likely feature the same 3.6l electrically turbocharged boxer Flat-6 as the Carrera GTS t-hybrid. Certainly an interesting comparison between two lightweight hybrids and you can guarantee F1rstMotors will conduct a thorough comparison test when these cars arrive in the Middle East.

A Worthy Successor

So we know undoubtedly a lightweight variant of the 296 is coming. But the bigger question is will it be a worthy successor to what’s come before? Only time will tell, but given the high bar set by the standard 296, it's likely this will be an incredible car. But then again, that is the Ferrari way, always at and continuing to be the peak for the perfect drive.

Source: TopGear