Brand New 2026 Ferrari 296 Speciale (First U.S. Customer Car)
A brand new red 2026 Ferrari 296 Speciale with white wheels arriving at and leaving the 2026 Concorso Ferrari, organized by the Southwest Region of the Ferrari Club of America (FCA), on Colorado Boulevard in Old Town Pasadena. Introduced in April 2025, the Speciale is a performance-focused variant of the 296 GTB and features revised bodywork for improved aerodynamics including side wings and an active rear spoiler with a new Medium Downforce (MD) configuration. It utilizes a plug-in-hybrid (PHEV) powertrain consisting of a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 and an electric motor producing a total of 868 horsepower, 50 more than the 296 GTB. This example, sold through Ferrari Westlake, was just delivered a few weeks ago to David Lee, Chairman and CEO of Hing Wa Lee Jewelers, and was the first customer car in the U.S.
Challenge Stradale, Scuderia, Pista... it seems like Ferrari has had lots of fun coming up with different creative names for each track-focused variant of its standard models. Well, friends, it looks like they've finally run out of ideas. The high-performance 296 variant resurrects the name also used on the high-performance 458 Italia, not to mention various limited-production historical models. And of course, it comes with the expected improvements in power, handling, and aerodynamics. As for styling, it all comes down to whether you prefer the simpler and more organic look of the base 296 or the more aggressive and beefed-up look typical of performance-focused variants. I wouldn't call the Speciale pretty, but I think Ferrari did a great job bringing the 296's design more in line with its newest offerings. I especially appreciate the clever use of three-gilled vents on the front hood - a motif also found on some other track-focused Ferraris like the SF90 XX and a nod to the 206/246 Dino that many people think the 296 was inspired by. A year or two from now, 296 Speciales will be common sights at high-end car meets. But for now, it's new enough - and special enough - to deserve a spot on the red carpet next to an F80!
Do you think this performance-focused 296 variant is worthy of the Speciale name? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!