Ferrari’s New Purosangue Handling Speciale Is Even More Nimble and Aggressive
Perhaps both the most polarizing and highly anticipated model in Ferrari’s history, the Purosangue debuted in 2022. And while Maranello refers to the model as its “first four-door, four-seater,” everyone else calls it Ferrari’s first S.U.V. Yet even its critics have to admit that its presentation and performance are certainly worthy of the badge. Case in point: roughly three years after it began selling stateside, the model finished third in Robb Report’s 2026 Car of the Year contest. Now, this Prancing Horse has been given an even more athletic step with the just-announced Handling Speciale variant.
Admittedly, this news doesn’t move the needle the way some of the marqueMarqueA brand name of a car manufacturer, particularly one associated with prestige, such as Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, or Aston Martin. The term emphasizes a make's heritage and identity beyond product lines,Go to Marque Glossary’s other recent reveals have, most notably the F80 and the 849 Testarossa. It does, though, mean that the family-hauler Enzo never envisioned offers a nimbleness he likely never imagined. After all, the Purosangue delivers 715 hp from a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V-12, covers zero to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, and has a top speed of more than 193 mph.
Those metrics were enough to have one of our Car of the Year judges call it “a quintessential Ferrari in a four-door daily driver.” Even the body styling belies its nature, as the discreet rear coach doors seem to vanish depending on the angle of view. What couldn’t be hidden, however, was the Purosangue’s 4,481-pound dry weight, which is where the new configuration comes into play.
The Handling Speciale spec has been developed to bolster the Purosangue’s responsiveness, namely with suspension refinements and a fine-tuning of the eight-speed dual clutch transmission. According to Ferrari’s official press release, some of the revisions are to “the calibration of the active suspension, designed to reduce body movements by 10 percent and deliver a distinctly more compact feel.” Impressive already in regards to performance, the base Purosangue had another one of our judges opine that “you have to keep reminding yourself you’re in an S.U.V. It’s that good.”
As for the transmission, Ferrari asserts that its “shift strategies have also been revised, with quicker response times and more decisive gear changes . . .”, mentioning too that manual shifting will also “feel more sporting.” And to complement the additional robustness, Ferrari says “the in‑cabin sound has likewise been optimized,” though it’s vague as to what that entails.
The marque is slightly less vague when it comes to the aesthetic cues that differentiate the Handling Speciale version. Per the press release, we know that the wheels have “a dedicated design and new diamond‑cut finish,” that there are matte-black exhaust tips, and that the Prancing Horse logo at the back is in black. Those are at least a few of the callouts to the configuration.
The Ferrari Purosangue Handling Speciale follows improvements already made among the competition, such as Aston Martin’s 717 hp DBX S and Bentley’s latest Bentayga Speed—the latter now capable of drifting. We’ve mentioned before that the Purosangue is a thoroughbred with more saddle space and the ability to run unbridled when the road ends. The Handling Speciale, at least on paper, only spurs that sentiment on.
This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.