Well, they sure made the coupe show a lot better. I do like the CF engine cover, but overall they are very similar.
Nice catch. However, the Coupe doesn't seem to have Bumpy Road Mode? Seems very odd. https://www.topgear.com/sites/default/files/2025/04/Ferrari%20296%20Speciale%2814%29.jpg
It would appear we have our answer- the Magnaride based standard suspension which offers bumpy road and lifter will be offered as well as the Multimatic suspension which does not offer either of these things but does offer better body control. For the XX models, Ferrari supposedly tightened up the Magnaride so that it approximated the the standard car’s MultiMatic suspension, and they said the (apparently) updated MultiMatic was set so stiff that you really had to expect to use the car mostly on track. Purely conjecture by yours truly, but I wonder if they’ve done a similar thing here. We will find out more in the coming months for sure.
The revised magnaride in the SF90XX is quite good on the street — in fact, on bumpy roads the magnaride in my XX feels more planted than my SF90 Assetto Fiorano car did. I’m assuming the same upgrade will be carried forward to the Speciale — and I’ll be getting the magnaride on the Speciale. I was fortunate enough to see the car this weekend in Miami and it’s simply spectacular in person. They only had the coupe there, so I haven’t seen the Aperta in person, but the car is simply amazing. Lots of aero touches from the challenge car. Ferrari has a home run on its hands with this car.
Thanks for sharing @AlamoPoke. Did you get to hear the car? interested in hearing how it sounds vs. what we have heard through all the video/audio recordings posted at reveal. thank you.
The car sounds rawer than the normal 296. I had been in Fiorano last Monday. Great car, less space than the normal 296 though.
thats great to hear. I dont know how they improve on the sharp handling of the regular car but if they have made the engine feel and sound raw and visceral it will be phenomenal.
They didn’t start the car at the Miami unveiling but Varryx (among others) have posted some very nice exhaust videos. We did not get a chance to see the front trunk dimensions as the hood release had been disabled, but there appears to be slightly less front trunk space in the Speciale due to a likely intrusion of the S duct/aero. I know they quoted 169L for the Speciale front trunk space which is down from about 200 liters of front trunk space in the 296 GTB.
Sorry for expressing myself badly. Cabin space is the same but no glovebox, no nets on the inner doors and the top of the trunk is obstructed by the air intakes on the front hood.
Yes BUT they did add nets on both sides of the center console (near the pedals) + slots on the center console sides where the center compartment previously was
MSRP on this yet? i expect ferrari is having a tough time getting current owners to be willing to lose 100k on their GTb/GTSs to order this one. a bunch of these will have people backing out when thye arrive and the trade-in get nailed at those prices. no way this car is worth 200k (100 loss and 100 price premium). might as well get 911 GTS daily driver and keep your 296.
The $200,000 price walk you describe was probably proportionately very similar to the price walk between the 488 and the Pista. Perhaps, this time around might be same, lose money on the 296, preserve money on the 296 Speciale. Strictly, conjecture, but I think ultimately demand for the 296 Speciale will be robust. The driving characteristics will be even better, and the styling changes address all the criticisms of the standard model.
i frankly do not see the V6 going away for Ferrari. Their once in a generation hyper car is a v6. that technology is what i would expect to filter into newer models. If they kill the v6, it will not fair well with the TOPS/VIPs or the brand.
