At Ferrari, some clients aren’t content with simply buying a supercar. They want a true race car, but not necessarily with the intention of entering a race. It’s precisely for them that Maranello created the 296 GT Modificata.
A GT3 Unleashed
The base isn’t the road-going 296 GTB, but the 296 GT3 Evo race car. A crucial difference, because the latter must comply with GT3 regulations and, above all, the Balance of Performance, the famous system designed to even out performance among cars that are technically very different. The 296 GT Modificata, being homologated for no championship, could drop all of these constraints. Its 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 thus develops 730 hp at 7,500 rpm and 800 Nm, i.e., 130 hp more than the GT3 Evo. And unlike the road-going 296 GTB, no hybridization accompanies the thermal engine.
The engineers didn’t stop at simply boosting turbo pressure: connecting rods, camshafts, intake, intercoolers and internal turbo components were all reworked. These parts even benefit from the experience gained with the very exclusive 499P Modificata. The six-speed sequential gearbox also receives specific ratios and a carbon clutch. All of this in a car that weighs only 1,330 kg dry.
Three Seconds That Say It All
Work also targeted aerodynamics, with an open-front splitter, a purpose-built hood and especially a new rear wing. The brake cooling was also optimized to sustain performance during long track sessions. The result: Ferrari estimates the 296 GT Modificata can lap Fiorano three seconds faster than the GT3 Evo from which it’s derived. Yet this machine has no plans to race the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s reserved for the Club Competizioni GT, Ferrari’s track-day program on some of the world’s finest circuits. The cockpit even retains two seats so that an instructor can accompany the owner, while a full data- and video-collection system allows analysis of driving. The purchase includes two years, or twelve events, of the program. Seven events are already announced in 2027, including at Fuji, Indianapolis, Paul Ricard and Spa-Francorchamps. Ferrari, however, keeps secret the number of units and their price. When you want a car faster than a GT3 race car just for weekend track sessions, you’d probably rather not ask how much it costs.
