The Ferrari 296 GT3 Will Replace the 488 GT3 Starting with the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Ferrari’s new GT3-spec race car, which will debut in the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona, builds off the legacy that the Prancing Horse has built using a mid-rear-mounted six-cylinder engine.
The Ferrari 296 GT3 will replace the Ferrari 488 GT3 in worldwide competition next year. The 296 GT3 represents Ferrari’s future in GT racing, a sector that sees the closest relationship with customers and the greatest transfer of technology solutions to production cars. The 296 GT3 grew out of the 296 GTB, the latest evolution of Ferrari’s two-seater, mid-rear-engine sports Berlinetta concept. The 296 GT3 will comply to global GT3 regulations.
The 296 GT3 project concept began in 2020 with the first CFD simulations and simulator models. Then came indoor testing, which defined the car’s aerodynamic shape in the wind tunnel. Following endurance tests in Maranello’s 4WD Dyno, the first on-track shakedown came in April 2022. Since then, the new Ferrari has completed thousands of test miles preparing it for racing in 2023.
The engine is a 120-degree turbocharged V-6. It is based on its road-going twin, as is the positioning of the turbos inside the vee. It results in significant benefits in terms of compactness, lower center of gravity and reduced mass, and also helps to achieve high power levels. The engine is lighter and more compact, having eliminated the external plenums and supports.
Ferrari engineers defined an aerodynamic configuration within the homologation performance window by reducing ride-height sensitivities with the aim of improving handling and drivability. This yielded a gain of 20 percent in downforce on the 296 GT3 over the previous generation.
The 296 GT3 also has a longer wheelbase than its road-going counterpart and a different suspension design to the 488 GT3. The braking system was also revised and upgraded, with newly designed calipers and discs.