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The Ferrari 296 GT3 is a high-end racing car with some interesting features under its bold exterior.

We already know and love the 296 GTB – Ferrari’s hybrid supercar and one which stands out as one of the most elegant cars to come from Maranello in recent times.

That car is notable for its 3-liter V6, the first six-cylinder Ferrari since the Dino which wasn’t strictly a Ferrari – and the performance it offers from the hybrid drivetrain is enough to make the doubters take notice.

Of course, the marque is no stranger to limited-edition models or track specials, and the Ferrari 296 GTB is the inspiration behind the recently-unveiled 296 GT3, a racing model not destined for the streets.

We take a brief virtual walkaround of the cutting edge racing machine to see which features most make it stand out.

As usual, one of the first things to do with a Ferrari is peer under the hood – the hood of the GTB is at the back as it’s a rear-mid engine car, just like this one.

Ferrari says: The latest evolution of the Maranello company’s two-seater mid-rear-engined sports berlinetta concept that redefines the idea of fun behind the wheel to provide pure excitement in pursuit of top performance or everyday driving. The 296 GT3 incorporates the values of its road-going “twin”, while adding depth. This is due to the commitment and know-how of everyone at Competizioni GT’.

Whether this is purely marketing at its very best, the powertrain is likely to impress: like the road-going 296 GTB, this car also has a 3-liter, 24-valve V6 with a twin-turbo arrangement providing 600 hp and 525 lb-ft of torque.

This is less than the 800-plus horsepower in the road car, due to the loss of electric components which would otherwise provide the extra power.

Weighing in at 2750 lbs, it’s light, 500 lbs lighter than the road car, so presumably the weight saving offsets the loss in power.

Changing gears is a single-clutch sequential six-speed transmission too, in contrast with the 8-speed dual-clutch automatic in the Ferrari 296 GTB.

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Ferrari says it’s ‘Beauty At The Service Of Perfection’, but the 296 GT3 is very striking from the official images in the vibrant red and with all the aero parts and extra body appendages in place.

In short, a racing car ready for real racing; in fact the car will appear at the Daytona 24hrs race in January of next year, so there’s a chance the car could get seen carrying out additional last-minute testing and calibration up until then.

That said, the car is complete and was already shown-off in the metal at Spa Francochamps in Belgium ahead of a race.

According to the legendary carmaker, the GT3 is significantly improved and boasts several advantages over the previous Ferrari 488 GT3: the new car generates 20% more downforce thanks to a clever suite of aerodynamic features and the cars’ overall shape which got honed in a wind tunnel and perfected using simulations.

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Prior to this latest racing machine the 488 GT3 was king and was already an accomplished piece of kit, so the new generation has big shoes to fill.

The Ferrari 488 GT3 used a 550 hp twin-turbo V8 engine and featured special electronics and software designed for the track car, alongside a new transverse gearbox and modifications related

to saving weight and optimizing handling.

It ran from 2016 until 2020 when the Ferrari 488 GT3 EVO got released with further improved handling and aerodynamics, creating a formidable racing car.

Since then the Ferrari 296 GT3 has completely redesigned the interior over the 488, taking into account drivers’ feedback to improve ergonomics and the single-seat F1-inspired steering wheel sits proudly in the spartan cabin of the 296 GT3 with a multitude of buttons on its face.

Ferrari’s history and heritage in the world of racing is undeniable and arguably the company’s raison-d’etre.

Enzo Ferrari would begin racing cars and move onto building the marque’s famous vehicles later, resulting in the company becoming the ubiquitous mega-brand it is today.

Other competitor brands such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Lamborghini also have formidable racing cars in the GT3 class that runs in many cups and series around racing brings substantial marketing benefits, especially when the ties to the road-going cars seem clearly marked.

The Ferrari 296 GTB is innovative for its powertrain of course – both a V6 Ferrari and a hybrid Ferrari were once unthinkable, but today this elegant and forward-thinking supercar is also the foundation for the cutting edge of racing.

Hailing from Britain, the home of both MG and Aston Martin, Dave is no stranger to sports cars. Or a little rain. When he's not busy working his day-job or writing songs and pretending to be a musician; Dave indulges his obsession with cars by writing and researching diligently, so that he can inform and convert other people to the dark side.