Unveiled last July after three years of development, the new 296 GT3 shares close ties with its road-going counterpart, the 296 GTB, albeit with some key distinctions. The GT3 for example utilizes the same 3-litre twin-turbo V6 at the heart of the GTB roadcar – as indeed does Ferrari’s 499 Hypercar – which features one of the highest-specific outputs of any production roadcar (218bhp per litre). In-keeping with GT3 regulations though, the GTB’s hybrid system has been ditched, and power and torque have both been detuned from 819bhp and 740Nm respectively to “around 600bhp” and “around 710Nm,” in accordance with Balance of Performance. 

The V6 itself has been mounted further forward and lower down on the GT3 than on the roadcar to reduce the car’s centre of gravity and increase torsional rigidity over the outgoing 488 GT3 by 10 per cent. The turbochargers remain mounted inside the engine’s ‘hot vee’ configuration for more compact packaging (an aerodynamic aid), which in turn also keeps the engine mass low without sacrificing performance.

The eight-speed automatic gearbox on the GTB has similarly been ditched in favour of a single-clutch, six-speed sequential Xtrac gearbox, designed specifically for GT3 competition and mounted transversely for improved aerodynamics and weight distribution. 

The aluminium chassis is all-new, and as well as dropping the GT3’s overall kerb weight to 1,250kg – some 220kg down on the GTB roadcar – the longer wheelbase should help stability through the turns. Working in tandem with new double wishbone suspension front and rear, which offers a wider window for adjustment, the new chassis also helps maximize tyre grip while simultaneously limited stress on the compound, increasing tyre life as a result. Wheel sizes have dropped from 20-inch on the roadcar to 18-inch on the GT3.

Above the chassis is new bodywork designed in-house by Centro Stile, inspired partly by the “perfect combination of simplicity and functionality” used for Ferrari’s 250 LM in 1963. The most notable aerodynamic features include the new ‘swan-neck’ mounted rear wing, front splitter, vents in the front wing, and the refurbished diffuser, which reduces drag while increasing downforce by 20 per cent over the 488. Significantly, the new bodywork is now easier to remove – as front, central and rear sections – and thus maintain by customer teams.