Ferrari has unveiled the 296 GT3 Evo, building on the 296 LMGT3, which has competed in the FIA WEC from the 2024 season, and the 296 GT3, which numbers 140 victories, 405 podium finishes and 56 pole positions in 343 races.
Engine and gearbox
The V6 combustion engine of the 296 GT3 Evo remains unchanged from the previous version. It retains the 120° V configuration with the turbochargers positioned inside the V, improving compactness and weight reduction.
The engine remains in the same position as in the 296 GT3, located further forward and lower down than in the road-going version. This location helps to lower the center of gravity and improve torsional rigidity. It has also been tilted by 2° to allow more space for the rear diffuser.
As for the gearbox, the 296 GT3 Evo adopts a new gear ratio cascade, optimized after analyzing data collected during the car’s two years of use, to favor torque delivery at both low and high speeds.
Aerodynamics
The 296 GT3 offered strong aerodynamic performance and efficient load management. For the Evo, Ferrari’s engineers focused on improving stability and predictability in all racing conditions while retaining the original model’s downforce and efficiency, already optimized within regulatory limits.
The aerodynamics team focused on improving front vertical load stability when the 296 GT3 Evo is in the slipstream of another car, and aerodynamic sensitivity – minimizing aerodynamic load variations.
The majority of the bodywork has been reworked. The profiles of the splitter and front floor have been revised, and the expansion volumes and vortex generators have been optimized. The appendages on the front bumper have also been modified in search of the best performance compromise. The rear diffuser has seen modification in terms of its expansion volumes and the number of channels. The front wheel arch louvers were developed in synergy with the front underbody to ensure clean air enters the rear air intakes, both in free air and in the slipstream of other cars.
The simulation methodology, which combined wind tunnel testing with CFD (computational fluid dynamics) calculations, was also improved, enabling the simulation of disturbed aerodynamic fields and the rapid testing of many geometric variations. The performance of the development package has been validated on the track, both in performance laps and in conditions involving other cars. The result of the research can be seen in the car’s ability to maintain high aerodynamic performance in traffic and disturbed air.
From an aesthetic and functional point of view, the 296 GT3 Evo is also recognizable by two air intakes in the front bonnet, which improve cooling for the brakes and the cockpit, as well as by the new rear wing, which also features significant changes.
Fluid dynamics
The evolution package also addressed internal aerodynamics, particularly front brake cooling. Optimized ducting from the bumper to the discs and two new dynamic bonnet intakes increase airflow to the front brakes by over 20% compared to the 296 GT3. Cooling for the steering pump has also been improved through the addition of two Naca intakes in the underbody.
Vehicle dynamics
Both the front and rear suspension kinematics have been modified to reduce loads on the components and improve reliability. At the same time, the new design ensures a connected dynamic response between the front and rear, as well as facilitating setup operations in the pits.
The 296 GT3 Evo, whose homologation process will be completed once the final aerodynamic refinements are underway, will make its debut in the 2026 season and will also be available as an upgrade kit for those competing with the 296 GT3.
In related news, Ferrari’s latest Hypercar, the F80, unveiled in 2024, boasts a hybrid system derived from Ferrari’s expertise in F1 and WEC.
