Ferrari 296 Speciale: The lighter, more powerful baby Ferrari

Ferrari has launched a heavily upgraded version of the 296. The new 296 Speciale and Speciale A are lighter and more powerful than the standard car and cost almost half a million dollars.

On the outside, the Ferrari 296 Speciale features several aero upgrades, which include a redesigned front end with an aggressive splitter, an S-duct similar to the SF90 XX and a louvred bonnet. It has more pronounced side skirts and a heavily revised rear fascia with a central exhaust. Another notable element is the aero blades that wrap around the rear end, forming the ends of the spoiler. Ferrari claims a 20% increase in downforce over the standard 296 GTB and GTS.

The 296 Speciale and Speciale A get a stripped-out interior with no carpets. There are body-hugging sports seats wrapped in Alcantara and a lot of carbon fibre. Ferrari claims that the overall weight has dropped by 132 lbs and 110 lbs for coupe and spider, respectively.

Powering the 296 Speciale is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 plug-in hybrid. It features titanium con rods, new pistons and a lighter crankshaft. The internal combustion engine churns out 690 hp, while the upgraded electric motor puts out 177 hp, taking the combined from 818 hp to 867 hp. The transmission is an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic.

The 296 Speciale also gets a retuned suspension which uses stiffer and lighter titanium springs and Multimatic adjustable shock absorbers from the 296 GT3 race car. The car rides on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 tires.