Ferrari 296 Speciale review

Ferrari itself says there’s an increasing focus on client service. A big part of that is the seven-year maintenance programme, which covers all routine maintenance for the first seven years of a car’s life. That assumes intervals of 12,000 miles or once a year. There would have been a time when that sort of mileage in any Ferrari would have been unlikely, never mind one of the track-focused specials. But we wouldn’t be surprised to see 296 Speciales racking up bigger mileages.

Bear in mind, however, that in this market stratosphere, above-average mileages can impact residuals. And this at a time when Ferraris aren’t immune to the same depressing market forces as other marques. ‘Regular’ 296 GTBs with very modest mileages are available for £200-220,000, though of course these can vary enormously in spec and initial outlay. The 296 Speciale is not a limited series model, but values should track in a manner similar to its predecessors. I.e. it should look after its lucky owner, unless said individual sticks on an intergalactic mileage and does weekly trackdays.

For a quick comparison: we found a 2009 430 Scuderia with 7,425 miles at £219,990, whereas the later 458 Speciale with a similar mileage is £370-400,000. (How does £700k for a 458 Speciale Aperta grab you?) The turbocharged 488 Pista is in the £280-350k price range. The market clearly reveres a normally aspirated Ferrari V8.

Finally, the price list. Specifically, the amazing world of Ferrari options. Here are just some examples. Steering wheel with full hand grips in Alcantara, £1,508; Airbrushed Scuderia logo, £9,517; front bumper in glossy carbon fibre, £13,435; carbon fibre wheels, £20,713; special on-demand colour, £42,781. And that’s before you visit the Tailor Made programme.

Oh, and combined fuel consumption is rated at 19.5-28.0mpg, CO2 emissions at 230-329g/km. Clearly the figure depends on how often you run on electricity alone. We suspect most buyers won’t be too concerned with where either measure ends up in reality.