Ferrari 296 Speciale Goes Hard With 867 HP, Carbon Diet, And GT3-Grade Upgrades

Ferrari just dropped two wild versions of the 296—the 296 Speciale and Speciale A (that’s the open-top one)—and both are absolute beasts. They now pump out a whopping 867 horsepower, up from 818 in the regular model.

Most of that grunt comes from the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6, pushing 690 horses on its own, which is the same setup as the 296 Challenge race car. Ferrari even brought over some F1 tech, like a knock control system, and upgraded internals—titanium rods, a lighter crank, the whole shebang.

Then there’s the electric motor, which adds another 177 hp, all sent to the rear wheels through the familiar 8-speed DCT. The gearbox hasn’t changed physically, but Ferrari tweaked the shift points to make the most of the power bump. Since it’s a plug-in hybrid, you can glide around town silently for about 15 miles if you’re feeling chill.

Both versions—the coupe and the convertible—get the same power output, but they also shed some weight. The hardtop drops 132 pounds, and the convertible loses 110, mostly thanks to carbon fiber. There are aero tweaks too: new bumpers, an aggressive rear diffuser, and a retractable rear wing that moves based on speed and drive mode.

Ferrari says these cars produce 20% more downforce than the regular GTB and GTS models. On the open-top version, there’s even a little air deflector behind the headrests to cut turbulence and smooth airflow over the back.

Underneath, the suspension has been reworked with titanium springs and adjustable Multimatic shocks like the ones from the 296 GT3. The Ferrari 296 Speciale also sits lower, grips harder, and wears custom Michelin Cup2 rubber. Even the wheels are fresh: five-spoke, clean, and classic Ferrari. All this spicy goodness won’t come cheap. Word is, the Ferrari 296 Speciale will start around $464,000.