Cars
A Speciale For The Sun
Ferrari has been combining its most driver-centric sports cars with the thrill of open-air motoring since 2008. Now the 296 Speciale A continues the legacy of the Scuderia 16M, 458 Speciale A and 488 Pista Spider to offer engagement and fun like never before.
As with its predecessors, the 296 Speciale A fuses the best of the road-going GTS with the extra attitude of the Ferrari Challenge and 296 GT3 race cars. This time, however, a heavily revised plug-in hybrid powertrain raises the bar, offering the biggest ever power increase between generations.
Performance from the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 jumps 37 cv to 700 cv, while the electric motor – neatly integrated between engine and eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox – adds a further 180 cv, a 13 cv increase. The combined 880 cv is some 50 cv more potent than the 296 GTS, not to mention an incredible 160 cv up on the Pista Spider.
Click the video to learn five key facts about the new 296 Speciale A
Even the weight of the engine falls by a huge 9kg. Some of these savings come from structural components such as titanium fasteners and an engine block and crankcase machined to trim excess metal, but Ferrari has chased gains on internal parts too. Titanium connecting rods, a lightened nitrided steel crankshaft and uprated pistons shared with the new F80 supercar all contribute to a 2.2kg reduction in rotating and reciprocating mass. And with less mass to turn, an already responsive engine becomes more energetic still.
A further 41kg of savings are reaped in part thanks to carbonfibre for some body parts, the seats and door casings, contributing to an overall dry weight of just 1490kg.
While some Ferrari engineers have dedicated themselves to trimming kilos, their colleagues in aerodynamics have been busy adding them back on, if in an entirely complementary manner. Notice, for instance, the 296 Challenge-inspired aero damper that guides air through the front bumper and bonnet for extra stability, particularly during acceleration and braking, and the new active rear wing that’s framed by vertical fins that rise up and wrap over the Speciale A’s shapely rear corners.
Producing 880 cv from its hybridised V6 engine, the 296 Speciale A is 160 cv more powerful than its predecessor – the 488 Pista Spider
These innovations contribute to a peak of 435kg downforce – up 20 per cent over the 296 GTS and a dead heat with the Speciale’s coupe sibling. For that parity we can thank the two models’ near identical profiles and a parallel development programme.
The 296 GTS is already a benchmark for agility and balance thanks to its short wheelbase and low-set 120° V6 engine, but the Speciale A takes thing even further thanks to lighter titanium springs, new dampers derived from the GT3 race car, the latest ABS Evo brake control system and Michelin Cup 2 tyres. The stats say maximum roll angle is reduced 13 per cent but the seat of your pants says more stability and the confidence to push yet harder on track.
The 296 Speciale A's profile is nearly identical to the 296 Speciale's (shown in green), contributing to an identical 435kg of peak downforce
Adding to the exhilaration, the Speciale A introduces a retractable hardtop, which offers the refinement of a coupe but opens and closes in just 14 seconds, including at low speeds. The vertical pane of glass behind the occupants offers further versatility, lowering to allow fresh air and more V6 music into the cabin – perfect for imperfect weather and for introducing even more aural drama from a new single tailpipe design on high-speed laps. And yet with the Speciale A offering silent zero-emissions driving for up to 25km, this is a hardcore spider that can stretch like never before.
Given its predecessors stand among the most collectible of all modern Ferraris – with remarkable values to reflect that status – this sun-seeking Speciale is set to be very hot property indeed.