Ferrari are no strangers to a white-hot special edition. Since the 360 Challenge Stradale they’ve been releasing limited-run, hardcore variants of their mid-engined supercars, and it’s safe to say almost every iteration — from Scuderia to Pista — has been a hit. Now the Speciale badge is making a return for the first time since the 458 with this: the Ferrari 296 Speciale. 

Ferrari describes the 296 Speciale as “The new pinnacle for the Ferrari production range in terms of driving fun,” and to add to the sense of occasion, they’ve endowed the Speciale with an additional 50 horsepower from its hybrid V6 powertrain, with 37 of those horses coming from the uprated engine alone. All in, this new Speciale produces 868bhp; a new record for a rear-wheel-drive production Ferrari.

Naturally, the aero has also been honed for a 20% increase in downforce over the regular 296 GTB, thanks to a split active rear side wings that hark back to the FXXK. There’s even an aero management system that can optimise the car for low drag, high downforce, or somewhere in the middle depending on the scenario. 

Of course, no special edition would be complete without weight saving measures, and the 296 Speciale has been put on a 60kg diet through the use of materials such as carbon fibre for some of the bodyshell parts and titanium for components in the engine. Overall, we think the 5mm lower 296 Speciale strikes a great balance between beauty and aggression, and we have no doubt the Tifosi will be fighting for builds slots. So, is this as special as the name suggests or would you rather have the already brilliant standard 296?