The 2026 Ferrari 296 Speciale Aperta is a high-performance supercar that embodies the essence of a true Italian supercar, offering a thrilling blend of speed, power, and precision.
While everyone was too busy whining about the Luce's existence or the Testarossa's design, I was ripping through the hills around Maranello in what is hands-down the best-driving cavallino money can buy right now: the 2026 Ferrari 296 Speciale Aperta. And while I did, I couldn’t help but think how short-sighted all that criticism really was, because, if I were a multi-millionaire, I’d not only buy the very model I was driving, I’d buy the entire lineup, because every Ferrari has a different personality; something different to offer.
In the case of the 296 Speciale Aperta, that’s relentless, mind-bending speed. The Speciale moniker lives in rarified air, with the 296's predecessors including the 360 Challenge Stradale as well as the incredible 430 Scuderia, which is, to date, one of the best cars I’ve ever driven. And then there were the 458 Speciale and 488 Pista, which I never got to experience.
View Price on AmazonThe recipe for these thoroughbreds isn’t all that complicated: lose weight, gain power, and improve aero. Oh, and do it all with the focus that all of this madness will be theoretically exploited on the track, even if that’s not always the case. Now that I’ve explained Speciale, I can move on to Aperta. Italian for “uncovered,” the term has adorned only the most exclusive convertible Ferraris, like the LaFerrari Aperta, 458 Speciale Aperta, and the super rare, 599-based SA Aperta.
It goes without saying the base model here is the rear-mid-engine 296 Spider, which is then turned up to 11. It features a power-folding hard top that can open or close in 14 seconds at up to 30 mph. Behind the cockpit is a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V6 aided by an axial-flux electric motor shoved between the engine and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The internal combustion engine now brings 691 horsepower to the party courtesy of a 3-psi bump in boost, while the electric motor adds another 178 horsepower. Together, they produce a staggering 869 horsepower and 557 lb-ft of torque, all of which are sent exclusively to the rear wheels: 305/35 ZR20 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s (245/35 fronts).
A strict diet is central to the Speciale’s ethos, so Ferrari replaced (or removed) many components to shed 132 pounds compared to its regular counterpart. The engine alone weighs 20 pounds less, thanks to extensive work including replacing the crankshaft with a new one that’s nearly five pounds lighter. There are also titanium pistons and connecting rods taken straight from the ultra-exclusive, multi-million-dollar F80 hypercar.
Aero has been heavily revised, and it’s easy to tell just from looking at the exterior. There are now dual rear winglets at each corner, and an active flap between them that’ll automatically extend whenever full downforce is needed. I only saw it deploy once to its most vertical position, and that was during a heavy, heavy braking situation.
Source: thedrive.com
