Ferrari has pulled back the curtain on just how much performance its 296 GT3 Evo racer keeps in reserve for the sake of fair competition, and the answer is a staggering 130 horsepower. The manufacturer unveiled the new 296 GT Modificata digitally during Ferrari Racing Days in Budapest on September 13, 2026, a track-only special built for members of its invite-only Club Competizioni GT program rather than for any sanctioned racing series.

Unlike its GT3 sibling, the Modificata answers to no rulebook. There's no Balance of Performance table dictating restraint, no competition license required, and no governing body capping output. Ferrari has used the "Modificata" name since 1970, when the 512 M arrived as an unrestricted evolution of the 512 S prototype. The badge resurfaced on the 488 GT Modificata and later the 499P Modificata, and each time it has signaled the same thing: a race-derived car engineered without compromise for series regulations.

The 296 GT3 Evo's twin-turbo V6 produces roughly 600 horsepower in competition trim, a figure shaped largely by BoP restrictions. Freed from those limits, Ferrari's engineers reworked the crank train, camshafts, intake, turbochargers, intercoolers, and fuel system on the same 2,992cc 120-degree V6, pushing output to 730 cv (about 720 horsepower) at 7,500 rpm with 800 Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm. The rev limit climbs to 8,500 rpm, yielding 244 horsepower per liter. Power still runs through the transverse six-speed sequential gearbox with a carbon clutch.

Handling that extra heat required bodywork changes, including a new hood with a larger opening, a slotted front splitter, added rear cooling paths, and a redesigned rear wing and exhaust. Brakes were upgraded too, with 400mm front and 332mm rear discs and recalibrated ABS for higher speeds and harder stops.

Notably, the Modificata retains two seats rather than stripping the cabin for weight savings, allowing an instructor or factory driver to ride along. Ferrari also equipped it with data acquisition, onboard video, traction control, and a track-focused driver display, positioning the car as a coaching tool as much as a performance machine.

Pricing wasn't disclosed, but ownership comes bundled with two years and twelve rounds of Club Competizioni GT track events, echoing Ferrari's XX Programme model. Because it lacks airbags, crash structures, or road-legal emissions equipment, the car can't be registered for street use and would require specialty motorsport insurance. Ferrari claims it laps Fiorano three seconds faster than the restricted 296 GT3 Evo, an unverified but plausible boast given the added power and hardware.

Source: Backfire News

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