The headlines concentrate on one number: With a thumping 648kW under your right foot with the manettino on the steering wheel switched to Qualify mode, the Ferrari 296 Speciale is essentially the most powerful rear-wheel drive automobile Maranello has ever built.
Not even the 12 Cilindri, with its mighty 6.5-litre V12 that screams to 9500rpm, outpowers the brand new performance version of Ferrari’s entry-level mid-engine supercar.
How? The 296 Speciale’s plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain architecture is unchanged from that of the regular 296 GTB coupe and GTS convertible, however the 3.0-litre, 120-degree V6 at its core now produces 515kW of power at 8000rpm and 755Nm of torque at 6000rpm, marking increases of 27kW and 20Nm, respectively.
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The e-motor mounted between the engine and eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission now produces 132kW, a 10kW increase. Its torque stays unchanged at 315Nm.
The increased electric power is the results of optimising the dual-rotor, central-stator, axial flux e-motor’s operating and cooling strategies. The additional grunt from the twin-turbo internal combustion engine is the results of a seven per cent increase in boost pressure, made possible by a Formula 1-inspired combustion strategy that enables the engine to run right on the knock limit, and sometimes just beyond it, when under maximum load.
That headline is impressive, nevertheless it doesn’t tell the total story. Though it doesn’t appear to bristle with the overt racing hardware of, say, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, the 296 Speciale has been developed with the careful attention to detail of an organization that owns its own Formula 1 team.
Powertrain engineer Raul Dautry, who once worked on F1 engines for Renault, says essentially the most difficult a part of the 296 Speciale’s powertrain development program was reducing its weight.
The engine has the identical titanium connecting rods as utilized in the F80 hypercar version of the V6, that are 35 per cent lighter than the steel items utilized in the regular 296. The nitrided steel crankshaft has also been lightened, reducing the general weight of the key rotating masses within the engine by 2.2kg, which also improves throttle response.
Following the identical process used to arrange the 296-based V6 utilized in the Le Mans-winning Ferrari 499P, excess metal was faraway from the aluminum block and crankcase, saving an extra 1.2kg. Replacing the engine’s steel screws and stud bolts with titanium items saved a surprising 1.9kg, and every turbo was lightened by 1.2kg.
In all, almost 10kg was trimmed from the powertrain, accounting for 15 per cent of the Speciale’s 60kg weight reduction compared with the regular 296.
More power and fewer weight means increased performance. Ferrari claims a 0 to 100km/h acceleration time of two.8 seconds. Based on independent testing overseas of the 296 GTB Asetto Fiorano, that could be conservative. But what’s more vital is the 296 Speciale will even be quicker through corners, not only between them.
As with the powertrain, the 296 Speciale’s chassis and suspension architecture is basically the identical as that of the regular 296. Among the many changes are the fitment of Multimatic adjustable shocks derived from those used on the 296 GT3 race automobile and stiffer, lighter titanium springs that help reduce the utmost roll angle by 13 per cent. The ride height has been dropped 5mm, lowering the centre of gravity.
Ferrari vehicle dynamics engineer Andrea Giacomini says the aim of the chassis tweaks was to extend mechanical grip, especially in lower speed corners. He says the 296 Speciale is able to 4 per cent higher lateral acceleration than the regular 296.
Engineers also wanted to boost the basic agility of the relatively short wheelbase chassis while ensuring a high degree of consistency within the automobile’s dynamic responses. To do this, they focused on the front axle, using Ferrari’s sophisticated six-axis vehicle dynamics sensor to exactly calculate the grip levels of the front tyres.
Those values determine how the SSC 9.0 dynamic control system adjusts the responses of the traction control, stability control, e-Diff, and ABS Evo electronic brake control to maintain the tail end of the automobile under control.
The SSC 9.0 system also seamlessly integrates the influence of the 296 Speciale’s various aerodynamic systems into the general dynamic mix.
Compared with the regular 296, essentially the most noticeable aero changes are on the rear of the automobile, in the form of two winglets that rise from the bodyside behind the rear wheels and kink excessive of the rear fenders. Their vertical fins optimise wake management to scale back drag, while the profile of the horizontal surface generates downforce.
The wings also interact with the cooling air flow from the rear radiators, improving their efficiency, and assist the lively spoiler that rises vertically between them from the trailing fringe of the rear bodywork.
Derived from that used on the 296 GTB, the spoiler has a totally revised actuator management strategy that speeds the transition to its high downforce and enables a medium downforce configuration to enhance rear-end stability at high speeds.
Also on the rear is a brand new diffuser, and the vortex generators on the rear undertray have been optimised to separate the air flow between the centre and the lateral venturis to extend rear downforce and make sure the correct aerodynamic balance of the automobile in all rear spoiler configurations.
Up front is an aero damper system that channels air from the redesigned front undertray to the upper body just ahead of the windscreen to enhance the efficiency of the undertray’s vortex generators. The system also increases the extent of downforce acting on the front wheels, ensuring it stays constant at the same time as the front ride height changes during acceleration and braking.
Either side of the aero damper vent, integrated into the carbon structure that locates it on the hood, are louvers that vent high pressure air from the front wheel wells.
Ferrari claims the 296 Speciale generates 20 per cent more in downforce than the regular 296, peaking at 435kg at 250km/h.
Aerodynamics engineer Salvatore Sedda says 70 per cent of the event team’s effort was focused on increasing front axle downforce. This, combined with the changes designed to enhance the front-end’s mechanical grip, suggests the 296 Speciale can be a hyper-alert driver’s automobile.
Indeed, Ferrari product development chief Gianmaria Fulgenzi says that on road-legal Michelin Cup 2 tyres, the 296 Speciale is 2.5 seconds quicker around Ferrari’s Fiorano test track than the regular 296, and can have the option to lap any racetrack at greater than 80 per cent the pace of the track-only 296 Challenge race automobile.
Visually, the 296 Speciale doesn’t look all that dramatic a step change from the regular 296. Except for the rigorously integrated aero hardware and a reprofiled bonnet, the automobile contains a black roof that Ferrari design chief Flavio Manzoni says transforms the cabin right into a cockpit.
Other visual changes include a revised rear graphic between the tail-lights, a more scalloped bonnet, a dark engine cover, and a novel forged alloy wheel. Inside is a lot of exposed carbon-fibre and Alcantara, with exposed fasteners and light-weight seats which can be 5kg each lighter than the usual items.
The 296 Speciale also debuts a brand new exterior paint color within the Ferrari palette, Verde Nürburgring, a punchy metallic green.
And a convertible version, dubbed the 296 Speciale A (for aperta, which suggests open in Italian), and said to weigh just 50kg greater than the coupe, will even be available when the automobile goes on sale in Australia.
Gianmaria Fulgenzi insists the 296 Speciale is a road automobile, not a race automobile.
“The automobile is kind of a rocket,” he said. “It’s designed to have incredible performance on course, but in addition for use on normal roads.
“It has a balance of performance. It’s not extreme. It’s a automobile that’s meant for use; a automobile that won’t destroy your neck or your back. It is going to be essentially the most fun [to drive] automobile in the marketplace.”
We are able to’t wait to seek out out if he’s right.
This Article First Appeared At www.carexpert.com.au
