A new supercar has been spied outside the Maranello gates, and it’s set to be Ferrari’s most hardcore road-going version of the 296 super sports car yet. What’s more, it may ditch the hybrid system to lower weight and increase engagement and appeal. In 2021, we got the 296 GTB as the new entry point to Ferrari ownership, and last year, the 296 Speciale arrived. Ferrari normally only produces two versions of a single model, but that may be changing with this, rumored to be called the Ferrari 296 Challenge Stradale. Could a road-going race car be one of the five cars Ferrari reveals this year? Stradale means road, and this camouflaged development vehicle hasn’t been spied on a track…
What to Expect from the Third Ferrari 296 Road Car
Derek Cornelissen/Instagram
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If you know your Ferrari lore, you’ll know that the CS suffix, last seen on the 360 model line, bridges two worlds: motorsport and the road. These images from Derek Photography seem to show just that. While the overall package looks like something meant to live on a track, we don’t see the quick-release hood latches, slick rubber, or polycarbonate windows of the 296 Challenge, a racecar that ditches the GTB’s hybrid gubbins and is built for a one-make series entered by Ferrari’s wealthiest gentleman racers.
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What we do see are parking sensors, a license plate, and road-legal treaded tires on a new design of wheel. A new front fascia not shared with the existing GTB, Speciale, GT3, or Challenge models is also worth noting, though the enormous swan-neck rear wing and the vented hood seem to be from the latter racer. A pair of exhaust tips within a see-through mesh fascia adds to the hardcore nature of this Fezza, but the cabin appears not to be stripped out, further hinting at its destiny as a road car. Thus, this seems to effectively be the 296 Challenge with some road manners.
Non-Hybrid Ferrari 296 Powertrain Rumored
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According to both the photographer responsible for these images and The Supercar Blog, this prototype heralds the first non-hybrid Ferrari 296 for the road. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 in the 296 Speciale makes 690 horsepower on its own (total output in the electrified powertrain is 858 hp), up from 654 in the GTB (819 hp total), thanks to forged pistons and a titanium crankshaft lifted from the F80 hypercar, but less power wouldn’t matter, particularly not if Ferrari makes this even rarer than the limited Speciale variant. The highly collectible Daytona SP3 is built on the bones of the LaFerrari Aperta, and losing electric motors hasn’t impacted its desirability. The same would be true of a combustion-only 296, which could be one of the last of its kind. The only element of this prototype that seems in need of change for production is the camouflage, so a reveal is surely coming soon. Not too soon, though. The 296 Speciale has only just started reaching customers, and Motor1 says the new 296 CS could debut at the Finali Mondiali event in Barcelona, Spain, around mid-November.
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