Hold onto your toupe: open-top Ferrari 296 Speciale A revealed with 880hp

• New Ferrari 296 Speciale A revealed
• 880hp version of the V6 hybrid supercar
• Slightly quicker from 0-60mph than the GTS
• Tweaked suspension and lighter
• More aggressive styling
• Expected to cost over £300,000

Ferrari has just unveiled a limited-edition version of the 296 GTS called the Speciale A. Not only does it have quite a lot more power from its V6 engine than the standard car, it’s also lighter and gets tweaked suspension.

The result of all this is a wind-in-the-hair supercar which is even more thrilling to drive than the standard car. Deliveries will begin in 2026, but don’t expect any change from £300,000.

New Ferrari 296 Speciale A engine and performance

Let’s start with arguably the most important part of any Ferrari – the engine. The new 296 Speciale A uses the same basic 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 and hybrid system as the GTS, only here it’s been fettled to produce an extra 50hp.

This results in a combined 880hp, up from 830hp in the GTS, and 0-62mph takes just 2.8 seconds – 0.1 of a second quicker than the GTS. The engine is also 9kg lighter thanks to a collection of new parts such as the pistons, rods and some of the casings.

It’s not all about performance either, because this car can also be a sensible hybrid when you want it to be. It’ll do nearly 16 miles on electric power alone around town, perfect for when you’re trying to sneak your parent’s Ferrari back up the driveway Ferris Bueller-style.

New Ferrari 296 Speciale A chassis and suspension

The main difference between the 296 Speciale A and the GTS is weight – with multiple measures taken to shave off a few extra kilograms.

Ferrari stopped short of saying exactly how much lighter this car is compared to the GTS, however it did say that that 9kg taken out of the engine accounted for 15% of the overall savings. Some quick maths therefore reveals that the Speciale A is around 60kg lighter than the GTS.

A lot of that weight has been saved with the increased use of carbon fibre. You can get carbon fibre bumpers and engine covers for example, saving you 50kg.

Then there are some aerodynamic tweaks, such as the adjustable spoiler which can move about to offer either maximum downforce or minimal drag depending on the situation, and the suspension has been tuned specifically for this car to make it feel more agile.

New Ferrari 296 Speciale A design

Obviously if you’re spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on a special-edition Ferrari then you want it to look the part, and the 296 Speciale A has been given a few tweaks to help it stand out.

The most noticeable changes are at the rear with the addition of some new winglets to the side. These are taken from the 296 GT3 racing car, and certainly make it look more aggressive.

The racing theme continues with a unique livery which you can option on this car, featuring two white stripes across the top and a number from zero to 99 on the side. The Speciale A also has a slightly recessed engine cover compared to the GTS.

New Ferrari 296 Speciale A: when can I buy one?

Deliveries of the new Ferrari 296 Speciale A will start in early 2026. However, as is the case with a lot of special-edition Ferraris, getting yourself onto the waiting list could be tricky.

Once you’ve got yourself a build slot you can then expect to part with between £300,000 and £400,000, depending on how crazy you go with the options list.

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