Ferrari has revealed its new generation GT3 race car, the 296 GT3. Set to replace the 488 GT3 next season, the 296 GT3 features upgraded aerodynamics over the 488 GT3 along with detachable front and rear subframes for easier vehicle maintenance. At the heart of the race car sits Ferrari’s new 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 powerplant developing around 600 bhp and 712 Nm of peak torque. The GT3 lacks the hybrid system from the road-going 296. The unit is paired with a race-developed 6-speed sequential gearbox.
Coming to the design, while the 296 GT3 retains the same proportions and basic design of the road car, nearly the entire bodywork has been upgraded. The GT3 is 100mm wider than the standard 296 with wider tracks front and rear, though the wheelbase stays unchanged. The GT3 is also over 200kg lighter. Up front, the nose appears to sit lower to the ground with a redesigned front bumper with a more prominent splitter and canards on the edges for improved downforce. The bonnet also features prominent vents at the centre for improved air venting while the front fenders are capped with prominent vents to help vent the pressure inside the wheel arches.
Along the sides, the side skirt is more prominent while the vent above the rear wheel arch is now larger as well. Additional venting is visible at the base of the rear fender and on the buttress. A large fully adjustable spoiler sits on the tail. The rear bumper gets a mesh-finished centre section to help vent engine heat while a prominent rear diffuser sits lower down on the bumper. A pair of slim cents sit along the outer edge of the bumper to vent air from the rear wheels arches.
The cabin is stripped-down with a single driver’s seat, digital driver display, toggle switches on the centre console and a yoke-style steering wheel with all necessary controls in easy reach of the driver’s fingers. To meet all regulations the cabin is wrapped in an FIA-spec roll cage and features an access hatch in the roof for driver extrication.
The 296 GT3 will make its race debut at the 2023 Daytona 24 Hours next year.
