Ferrari’s History of Lightweight, Hardcore Variants

In 1984, Ferrari shocked the world with the release of the 288 GTO. A car that appeared very similar to the much loved 308 GTB but on closer inspection was substantially different. For starters, its 3.0l naturally-aspirated V8 was replaced with an all-new 2.8l twin-turbo V8 derived from Formula 1.

The result was 394 horsepower and a top speed of 189mph. To cope with this new firepower, the 308’s body was modified substantially with larger bulges, flared wheel arches, and a spoiler. The result of the 288’s impact was incredible for not only did it result in Ferrari creating the legendary F40 but from it came Ferrari’s beloved range of lightweight, hardcore, baby supercars.

In 1994, Ferrari gave us the 348 Competizione, a car that greatly improved upon the rather drab 348. 10 years later, came the wonderous 360 Challenge Stradale, a car still revelled upon to this day. 4 years after that, came the brilliant 430 Scuderia, a car so raw and vicious, it demanded every driver to be at their a-game.

But of course, most notably were the two released in the 2010s. The wonderous 458 Speciale, a car so precise and tactile, that most consider it Ferrari’s greatest ever car behind the F40 and 250 GTO. And the simply spectacular 488 Pista, Ferrari’s a truly fabulous car. Ferrari’s pinnacle of Turbocharged power.

The release of all these hardcore, lightweight variants to many is just as exciting to petrolheads as the release of the standard variants. Their more raucous, raw and visceral drives most view as more in line with what makes a “proper Ferrari.” So you can only imagine, how anticipated people were for the release of the “hardcore, lightweight 296.”

The 296 Speciale: Ferrari’s Seventh “Lightweight” Member

Now the prayers have been answered with the car you see above. The 296 Speciale, a car that seeks to make the already fairly brilliant 296 a lot more special, as the name suggests. What’s surprising about this new model doesn’t feature a new name like its predecessors. Instead, Ferrari went into their back catalogue, realised Speciale was their best ever-hardcore model and to create a buzz, called this one exactly that.

Doesn’t change the fact that like all models, “Speciale” or Special as it's translated to is a silly name. What’s even more surprising is that Ferrari launched the Speciale A, the convertible variant at exactly the same time as the hardtop. That rarely happens, usually, the cabrio is released at least, 7 months after the hardtop.

The Changes to the Exterior

The first trick behind creating a hardcore, lightweight Ferrari is well, to make it light. And obviously, the Speciale has made a variety of changes to the 296’s Exterior to make it light. As with all lightweight Ferraris, the design takes great inspiration from the 296 Challenge cars with several noticeable styling cues.

For starters, the bonnet is deeply scalloped and shaped through a play of positive and negative surfaces that reduce volume while adding drama. The lower section features a suspended splitter and a bold wing shape, which not only widens the visual stance but also enables larger air intakes to feed air into the engine.

At the rear, two prominent side wings stretch outward, framing a more compact rear deck than on the standard GTB. The diffuser’s horizontal geometry extends further than it does on the GTB and a wide black strip spans the tail. In addition, the tailpipe itself is mounted higher than before, inspired by the F80 hypercar.

The floating engine cover of the GTB has been replaced by a dark metal mesh element and a dark-coloured roof creates a sharper contrast with the result of the body. The flanks of the car are more sculpted, with a lower visual centre of gravity at the front and protruding winglets at the rear.

In addition, the Speciale features unique five-spoke forged wheels with cut-outs behind the spokes. This not only reduces weight but gives the rims a sense of depth and movement. To top it all off, the front radiator air vents not only aid with the aesthetics but also enhance the airflow over the car.

Overall, I’d say Ferrari had hit the nail on the head with design. Normally these lightweight Ferraris, particularly with the 458 and 488 look significantly worse than their standard variants but here, these design tweaks actually work. Granted, it’s not as beautiful as the standard 296, but it’s still a spectacularly good-looking car.

A Minimalist Interior

Ferrari have consistently had a very different approach to their rivals when crafting their hardcore lightweight variants interiors. Companies like Lamborghini and Porsche often try to mask their weight-saving through beautifully sculpted interiors and minimalist changes to conceal the weight-saving.

Ferrari though have had a far more blunt approach. They don’t try to hide anything and just showcase their weight-saving full-on. The 296 Speciale is no exception, especially through its excessive use of both carbon fibre and Alcantara. Nowhere is this more obvious than on the doors of the 296 itself.

For starters, the door panels are made from a single block of carbon fibre with the grab handle integrated into the door panel, as part of that same piece. Secondly, the Hi-Fi speaker system is integrated into the door panel to again save weight. The seats also save weight by being constructed of a blend of carbon fibre and Alcantara.

The Centre Tunnel of the Speciale is also further emphasised by being constructed entirely of carbon fibre with the console set into the tunnel with the 296’s bespoke shift-gate being highlighted. Overall this minimalist feel does give the impression to any driver that they are in a serious driver’s car, built to be driven and driven hard.

Overall, the combination of both interior and exterior enhancements sees the Speciale weigh a total of 1,410kg. This gives it a 60kg weight reduction over the standard GTB’s 1470kg. The Speciale A with its folding roof comes in at 1490kg almost 50kg less than the GTS.

Aerodynamic Enhancements

The other improvement lightweight variants bring over the standard car is in Aerodynamics. The Speciale sought to make two improvements. First was to improve the 296’s aerodynamic efficiency and second, to effectively integrate solutions developed from the 296 Challenge race car.

Using extensive CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and wind tunnel testing, Ferrari sculpted the car’s surfaces with purpose ensuring every curve, vent, and duct works in harmony to improve performance. In addition, the merged vertical fins, reduce drag and generate downforce.

Ferrari have also revised the 296’s active spoiler to offer an intermediate Medium Downforce setting, improving rear stability under high-speed cornering and braking. In addition, the Speciale features a quicker actuator response and a new diffuser to enhance air expansion, even in low drag mode.

Finally, the front undertray is more efficient than ever featuring an enlarged intake to direct more air to the aero damper and openings on the bonnet improve both drag and lift. The overall result of all these sees an improvement of 20% more aerodynamic grip over the GTB with 435kg of downforce generated at 155mph.

Revising the V6 Hybrid

Of course, as well as less weight, a hardcore Fezza also benefits from more grunt. For starters, this meant modifying the 296’s 2.9L twin-turbo V6. For starters, this meant revising the engine with titanium connecting rods, lighter pistons, and a redesigned nitride steel crankshaft to reduce weight on the engine by 9kg.

In addition, the engine block and crankcase were machined to remove excess material and the combustion chamber is up by 7% aided by the advanced knock control inspired by tech from Ferrari’s Formula 1 and Le Mans teams respectively. These changes not only improved throttle response but aided in a 15% reduction in weight.

The result of these modifications was a power increase from 654 horsepower to 690 horsepower respectively in the V6 alone. The Electric Motor was also modified with an improved axial-flux MGU-K motor. The result is 10 more horsepower up from 167 horsepower to 177 horsepower.

The Performance That Results

The results of these tweaks are astonishing. Total horsepower is now 880 horsepower, over 50 more than the regular GTB. Though Ferrari haven’t mentioned the torque figure, to reduce wheel slip, this will likely be only slightly more than that of the GTB. Though the top speed of 205mph is identical to the GTB, 0-62mph now takes just 2.7 seconds, 0.1 seconds less than the GTB.

Ferrari also doubled the number of acoustic ducts and used 3D simulation tools to refine their placement resulting in a deeper and richer sound than that featured on the 296 GTB. Ferrari also modified the 296’s 8-speed dual clutch with a much faster shift between 1st and 7th gears that also makes the engine note sharper and more responsive. And with less weight, this car will corner with increased sharpness and tactfulness that one would expect from a Ferrari.

Price, Exclusivity and Options

Despite not being a limited-edition model, the 296 Speciale is available only to "active" Ferrari clients—those who have purchased a Ferrari within the past five years. The 296 Speciale will set clients back a whopping $462,000, almost $100,000 more than the regular 296 GTB. Tick the Speciale A option and that number increases to a mind-blowing $500,000.

And as with all Ferraris, things only become more complex when you turn to the options lists. Owners can now choose 99 different livery options, such as the launch specs Verde Nürburgring exterior colour, with the option of two longitudinal stripes that extend the length of the car.

What I hope from the 296 Speciale

As many are aware, I recently drove a 296 GTB for F1rstMotors. Whilst it was undoubtedly a brilliant car, beautifully balanced, monstrously fast and tactile as a Ferrari should be, the overall feel left me desiring more. Everything for the most part felt artificial, like it was engineered to feel like a Ferrari rather than naturally feeling like a Ferrari.

Hopefully, like how the Scuderia did with the F430, the Speciale can do to the 296. Make everything less computerised and more raw. More raucous, more Ferrari-esque. If what Ferrari claims with the improved soundtrack and noise is to be believed, then this should be true.

That will not only justify this car’s $100,000 price increase but also revel in the fact that this is a Ferrari through and through and not something engineered to be a Ferrari. Fingers crossed it all comes to fruition. But until then, let’s at least celebrate the fact that Ferrari still understands its clientele to make a car like this.

F1rstMotors Facts and Figures

Manufacturer	Ferrari S.p.A
Model	296 Speciale/Speciale A
Year of Release	2025
Engine	2.9l Twin-Turbo V6 with single Arial Flux Motor
Horsepower	880 horsepower
Torque	N/A
0–62mph (100km/h)	2.7 seconds
Top Speed	205mph (330 km/h)
Weight	1,410 kg (1.4 tonnes)/1,490 kg (1.5 tonnes)
Power to Weight	624 hp per tonne
Gearbox	8-speed-dual-clutch
Driven Wheels	Rear-Wheel-Drive
Rivals	Upcoming Porsche 992 GT2 RS

Source: Ferrari