Ferrari 296 VS spied – hardcore hybrid successor to Speciale and Pista inbound
With over 850bhp the extreme Ferrari 296 will be one of 2025’s most exciting new cars
Joining the all electric Ferrari that’s set to debut this year will be a more traditional Ferrari, the 296 Versione Speciale, its latest mid-engined hardcore special. Based on the hybrid 296 GTB, the car that’s currently known as 296 VS will pick up where the 488 Pista and 458 Speciale left off, as a no-compromise, focused driver’s supercar.
What can we expect from the hardcore Ferrari 296? Well, it’ll wear a lot more aggressive, sculpted, scalloped bodywork, designed to channel airflow to increase downforce. It’ll take inspiration, loosely at least, from Ferrari’s successful 296 GT3 racer.
Not that it needs it but it’ll also likely pack more power than the 296 GTB. Whatever power it has, we can be sure it’ll use a revised version of the existing 296 GTB powertrain, which consists of a 2992cc, 120-degree twin-turbo V6 and an electric motor. The engine alone produces 654bhp and can rev to 8500rpm, working together with the electrical elements for an 819bhp total.
If the 488 Pista’s jump to 711bhp from the 488 GTB’s 661bhp is any indication, the hardcore 296 could take a 50bhp leap to 869bhp in total. An educated, perfectly feasible guess, given we already know the version of this engine that’ll serve in the upcoming Ferrari F80 hypercar (along with hybrid gubbins for a 1184bhp total) produces 888bhp on its own and can rev to 9200rpm.
What can we actually see in these spy images? Well, the overall 250 LM-inspired silhouette of the 296 GTB appears to be preserved, in part at least. The haunch intakes look like they could be engorged by comparison to the GTB, based on how this disguise rests on the prototype’s bodywork.
There are definitely hints of some form of revised tail end, with either a traditional upswept treatment, an F80-style movable spoiler or also, possibly, separate 12 Cilindri-style movable spoiler elements. We see hints of a more aggressive diffuser and an exhaust tip that appears to be lifted from the F80 – possibly a decoy item.
It’s likely we’ll see the Ferrari 296 Versione Speciale before the end of the year. The Pista it succeeds was a March debut, while the 458 Speciale of 2014 was a September reveal, so exactly when is anyone’s guess. Surely, it’s one of the cars we’re most excited to see in 2025.
