The ultra-exclusive new Piloti Ferrari 296 Speciale is inspired by the Ferrari 499P, which just won Le Mans again

Made only for race car drivers (both professional and amateur), the Piloti Ferrari 296 Speciale debuted Friday in France ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which Ferrari won again this year for the third year running. The new Piloti Ferrari 296 Speciale is inspired by the winning car, the 499P; similar design cues can be seen in its livery, which has the Italian flag on the front bumper, a hand-painted World Endurance Championship logo, and a race number, which can be changed at the request of the client. The number Ferrari chose for the debut is 51, which was the number of the winning Ferrari in 2023, when the marque won Le Mans for the first time in almost 60 years.

Inside the Piloti Ferrari 296 Speciale, the racing seats are made of Alcantara, there is extra carbon fibre, and the seat inserts contain fireproof fabric that is also used for Le Mans drivers. Under the hood of the plug-in hybrid 296 Speciale is a twin-turbo V-6 engine that, combined with an electric motor, makes 867 mechanical horsepower. An 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is mated to the engine.

As we mentioned, the Piloti Ferrari 296 Speciale is reserved only for Prancing Horse customers who race at the company’s “official sporting activities”—various races around the world for the brand’s clients who take to the track both competitively and recreationally. The events are perks for some of the best kind of Ferrari clients: those who aren’t interested in buying a car as an investment or as eye candy but as something to drive, which is rarer than one might assume.

The drivers of the marque’s factory race cars, including its endurance drivers and its Formula 1 drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, are also eligible to buy the Piloti Ferrari 296 Speciale, but Ferrari likely has its clients in mind with this one. That’s because the new variant is also part of the brand’s Tailor Made program, which is its bespoke program for clients to make cars—with the help of designers—that adhere to the customer’s every whim.

This story was first published on Robb Report USA. Featured photo by Nicola Fornaciari