Following the V8 in the Amalfi, the electric model in the Luce, and the V12 in the 12Cilindri Manuale, Ferrari hasn't quite wrapped up its 2026 season yet. The Maranello-based brand reportedly has one last surprise in store, and it could very well win back the hearts of fans after several particularly mixed months.
The year 2026 will likely go down as one of the most astonishing in Ferrari’s recent history. Rarely has the Italian automaker presented so many different visions of the sports car in such a short time. On the one hand, tradition with legendary internal combustion engines. On the other, a complete break with tradition marked by the arrival of the first all-electric Ferrari 100 %. But before wrapping up this already very eventful year, Ferrari is reportedly preparing yet another highly anticipated new model.
A completely crazy year for Ferrari
It all started with the Ferrari Amalfi Spider, the successor to the Roma Spider, which brought the twin-turbo V8 back into the spotlight. An elegant GT, faithful to an architecture beloved by Maranello customers, featuring the famous 3.9-liter F154 engine producing over 600 ch.
Then Ferrari completely changed course with the Luce. As the brand’s first-ever electric car, this model immediately divided enthusiasts. With its four electric motors, 1,050 ch, and unprecedented positioning, it marks a new chapter for Ferrari… even if many tifosi remain hard to convince.
And just when some people thought Ferrari was fully committed to electrification, Maranello surprised everyone with the 12Cilindri Manual. A naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12, 830 ch, a redline at 9,500 rpm, and—most importantly—the return of a manual transmission with three pedals. A powerful symbol, almost the polar opposite of the Luce.
V8, electric, V12… in the end, the only iconic engine missing from the current lineup was this one.
The V6 might have the final say
According to the latest reports, Ferrari is reportedly preparing to unveil the 296 Challenge Stradale at the 2026 Finali Mondiali in Barcelona this November. We’ve already mentioned this model a few months ago, after heavily camouflaged prototypes were spotted around Maranello.
This future high-performance version of the 296 GTB would capture the spirit of Ferrari’s most radical road-legal models: the 360 Challenge Stradale, 430 Scuderia, and 458 Speciale. In other words, a car designed to bring the driving experience as close as possible to that of a race car… while still retaining a license plate.
The prototypes spotted in recent months already gave us a hint of what was to come: much more aggressive aerodynamics, custom bumpers, redesigned air intakes, an imposing diffuser, and—above all—a massive rear wing directly inspired by racing. But the biggest surprise might come from the powertrain. While the Ferrari 296 GTB pairs its 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with a plug-in hybrid system to deliver 830 ch, this Challenge Stradale could take a different approach.
According to rumors, Ferrari is reportedly working on a road-going version of the engine used in the 296 Challenge race car. The 296 Challenge, in fact, does away with hybrid technology to retain only the V6 internal combustion engine. The challenge for the engineers in Maranello would therefore be to adapt this powertrain for road use while complying with homologation requirements.
If this is confirmed, Ferrari would end 2026 with a rather impressive demonstration of its mechanical diversity: a twin-turbo V8 in the Amalfi, an all-electric model in the Luce, a naturally aspirated V12 in the 12Cilindri Manuale, and finally a radical V6 in the 296 Challenge Stradale. It’s a reminder that in Maranello, the future doesn’t rest on a single technology… but on several different ways of creating a Ferrari.
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