Weekend Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: An extra Speciale edition
Ferrari’s 296 Speciale is light like a sports car and swift like a fighter jet. It’s made for the sheer love of speed and style
What happens when Ferrari decides to go all out and make a car just for people who really love to drive? You get the new Ferrari 296 Speciale, a wilder, faster, more intense version of the already bonkers 296 GTB.
This new Ferrari, available as a coupé and a drop-top version called the Aperta, is the latest special-edition Ferrari designed to deliver an unforgettable driving experience. Past models such as the 458 Speciale and 488 Pista became legends because they felt more alive, more raw, and more exciting to drive. The 296 Speciale follows in those footsteps — and maybe even takes it up a notch.
Let’s start with the numbers. The 296 Speciale packs 880 horsepower, which makes it the most powerful rear-wheel-drive Ferrari. It rockets from 0 to 100kph in just 2.8 seconds, and can hit 200kph in 7 seconds. But as Ferrari will tell you, it’s not just about the speed, it’s how the car feels doing it.
To make it feel more like a race car for the road, Ferrari has made the 296 Speciale lighter, louder, and sharper. It’s 60kg lighter than the regular version, thanks to carbon-fibre body panels, lighter engine parts and a stripped-back interior. Even the suspension springs are made of titanium.
And while it’s still a hybrid, combining a petrol engine with an electric motor, Ferrari has tuned it for sheer exhilaration. A button on the steering wheel gives you an Extra Boost — like a shot of adrenaline — especially handy on a racetrack. The engine itself is a 3.0-litre V6, but built with parts borrowed from Ferrari’s racecars. The wings, vents, and fins have been reworked to offer 20% more downforce, which basically means it sticks to the road better, especially in fast corners.
Even the exhaust has been tuned to sound more thrilling. Ferrari says the Speciale “sings” at high revs, something petrolheads will certainly appreciate.
There’s a huge front splitter, more sculpted lines, race-inspired touches such as bonnet vents, and a striking black strip at the rear where the tail-lights sit. You can personalise it with racing stripes, a number, and a green paint Ferrari calls Verde Nürburgring, after the German racetrack.
Inside, it’s all business. Carbon-fibre everywhere, bucket seats with harnesses, and a minimalist cabin that feels like you’re in a race car.
There’s just one catch: Ferrari hasn’t capped the number of cars, but the production window for the 296 Speciale will be short. Expect the coupé to launch globally in early 2026, with the Aperta arriving a few months later. An India debut could happen after.
As Ferrari moves into hybrid and electric cars, the 296 Speciale proves that it hasn’t forgotten how to make a car that tugs at your heartstrings. It’s loud, fast, and focused, just the way Ferraristas like it.
From HT Brunch, May 10, 2025
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