After introducing the 296 GTB with 819 horsepower and then superceding it with the 858-hp 296 Speciale, a new report from Italian media claims that the third iteration of the Ferrari 296 may exceed 900 hp, making it even more powerful than the 819-hp 12Cilindri, which has twice as many cylinders. According to Automoto, optimization of the electrical components of the plug-in hybrid powertrain and tweaks to the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged, 120-degree V6 engine could take the new 296, expected to adopt the Challenge Stradale nomenclature last seen on the Ferrari 360, to or even beyond 900 hp.
Why Ferrari May Want Even More Power in the 296 CS
Ferrari doesn’t like to be shown up, even if it’s only on the spec sheet, and this new variant may be its way of putting the Lamborghini Temerario in its place. When the Ferrari 458 Italia’s 562-hp output was beaten by the 592-hp McLaren MP4-12C, Maranello responded with the 458 Speciale, wringing 597 hp out of its 4.5-liter naturally aspirated V8. With the Lamborghini Temerario developing 907 hp from its plug-in hybrid twin-turbo V8, it would not be a surprise to see Ferrari retake the Top Trumps title with even more power. Of course, the new road-going Prancing Horse will need more than just a higher horsepower rating to justify its undoubtedly large price.
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Spy shots of a 296 CS prototype reveal new wheels, a revised front bumper, and a swan-neck rear wing and vented hood that appear to be borrowed from the track-only 296 Challenge. Two exhaust tips peeking through a see-through mesh rear fascia also appear, and the entire package seems to be barely road-legal, but from what those images revealed, the cabin is not stripped out, so the 296 Challenge Stradale ought to be relatively civilized.
Ferrari 296 Challenge Stradale Expected to Debut in 2026
Ferrari has confirmed that it will reveal five new cars in 2026, and the new 296 Challenge Stradale is almost guaranteed to be one of them, possibly as a send-off to the nameplate before a substantially restyled and revised replacement arrives with a new name by the end of the decade. The Ferrari SF90 XX closed that model’s chapter before resurrecting its ethos in the form of the 849 Testarossa, and the Roma was replaced by the Amalfi, so this 296 CS would make sense as a farewell to the 296 before Ferrari introduces an updated replacement. However, we may have to wait a while to confirm any of the above assertions, as a debut is only expected at the Finali Mondiali event in Barcelona, Spain, around the middle of November.
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