The Ferrari 296 Speciale Piloti is an 868bhp supercar you (probably) can’t buy
The 296 has only just been given the hardcore Speciale treatment, but Ferrari’s already devised a new special edition for its very best customers
As if an ordinary Ferrari 296 Speciale wasn’t ‘special’ enough, this Piloti variant has now been launched to increase its exclusivity further still. Revealed at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours where Ferrari took overall victory for the third time running, the model features numerous aesthetic changes inside and out. But there is a catch: the Piloti is available only to Ferrari’s customer racing drivers…
We’ve seen the Piloti name before, with the 488 Pista receiving the same treatment in 2018 to celebrate Ferrari’s WEC success in the LM GTE Pro class. This new take adopts a similar approach, only with its unique partially hand-painted Giallo Modena livery referencing the number 51 Ferrari 499P LMH that claimed victory at Le Mans in 2023, its first year in the top class for half a century.
> The Ferrari 296 Speciale could be the most thrilling Ferrari ever
Ferrari gives buyers four colours to choose from, each inspired by racing cars of the past: Rosso Scuderia, Blu Tour De France, Nero Daytona and Argento Nürburgring. The yellow livery, including a hand-painted WEC logo, an Italian flag on the front bumper and a customisable number, remains consistent across each of the base colours – the number can be anything the buyer chooses, with the launch car featuring the 51 of the winning car from 2023.
There are no hardware or performance upgrades over an ‘ordinary’ 296 Speciale, and so the same pared-back, carbonfibre-heavy cabin remains. What is unique is the inclusion of each car’s chosen number on the carbonfibre seats, upholstered in black Alcantara as standard and featuring inserts utilising the material chosen for the driver’s suits. Even this can be configured to suit the customer, though, with various elements customisable inside and out. The door sill also features an exclusive trim piece, and the textured metal footwell can be customised by each buyer too.
Given the underpinnings are unchanged, the 296 Speciale Piloti features the same 3-litre hybrid-assisted twin-turbocharged V6 as the standard car, but that’s no bad thing. An uplift in power to 868bhp and a drop in kerb weight to 1410kg makes it even more focused than the regular 296 GTB, with an increase in downforce, a 205mph top speed and a claimed 2.8sec 0-62mph time making it one of the most formidable supercars on sale today.
If you happen to run a Ferrari 296 Challenge, XX car, Formula 1 car or race in a competitive capacity for the brand, you’ll qualify for the Piloti, but it won’t come cheap. The ‘standard’ Speciale is priced from €407,000, making a £500,000 price tag well within reach for the Piloti. But then if you can afford to qualify for an allocation, price might not be so much of an obstacle…
Ferrari 296 Speciale Piloti specs
| Engine | 3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 |
| Power | 868bhp (ICE plus electric) |
| Torque | 557lb ft + 232lb ft (ICE, electric motor) |
| Weight | 1410kg (dry) |
| Power-to-weight | 625bhp/ton (dry) |
| 0-62mph | 2.8sec |
| Top speed | 205mph+ |
| Price | c£500,000 |
