The Ferrari 296 GT3 marked a genuine departure for Ferrari's GT racing programme when it entered competition in 2023: it was the first Ferrari GT3 car to use a turbocharged V6 engine, a 3.0-litre unit derived directly from the 296 GTB road car's 120-degree architecture. BBR Models, the Bologna-based specialist long regarded as a benchmark producer of Ferrari resin subjects, has documented the car in 1:43 wearing the white and blue DragonSpeed livery fielded at Watkins Glen International in 2025.
Ferrari's First Turbocharged GT3 Contender
Introduced for the 2023 racing season, the Ferrari 296 GT3 replaced the long-running 488 GT3 Evo across major GT championships worldwide. Built on the Type F171 platform, the car carries a mid-rear-mounted 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 producing approximately 500 hp in GT3 specification. Revised aerodynamics, new suspension geometry, and improved driver ergonomics distinguished it from its predecessor. The overall body length measures approximately 4,565 mm, a dimension that informs how the car presents at 1:43.
DragonSpeed, Three Ferrari Drivers, Watkins Glen 2025
Car number 81 was entered by DragonSpeed, a US-based team with substantial IMSA and international endurance experience. The three-driver line-up combined Davide Rigon — a Ferrari works driver who has been part of the Ferrari GT programme since 2012 — with Giacomo Altoè, a Ferrari Driver Academy graduate, and Albert Costa, who has raced Ferrari GT3 machinery in GT World Challenge Europe. The white and blue livery stands apart from the more prevalent red Ferrari GT race schemes, giving the car immediate visual identity in any collection.
BBR Models: Italian Craft at 1:43
BBR Models has built its reputation over decades producing high-fidelity resin scale models, with Ferrari subjects at 1:43 and 1:18 at the core of their catalogue. Resin construction allows BBR to capture the 296 GT3's aerodynamic surfaces — front splitter, rear diffuser, GT3-specification wing — with a sharpness that die-cast tooling rarely matches at this scale. The model measures approximately 10.5 cm in length, consistent with the real car's 4,565 mm divided by 43.
In the Display Cabinet
At 10.5 cm, the model requires a modest footprint — a standard 12 cm shelf depth is sufficient — while delivering the visual impact typical of BBR's race car releases. It pairs naturally with other Ferrari 296 GT3 IMSA entries or with earlier Ferrari GT3 subjects such as 488 GT3 Evo race liveries, building a coherent timeline of Ferrari's GT3 programme from 2016 to the present. Collectors focused on IMSA GTD competition or on Ferrari works driver appearances will find this a considered addition at the 1:43 scale.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the 1:43 scale model?
The real Ferrari 296 GT3 measures approximately 4,565 mm in length. Dividing by 43 gives a model length of roughly 10.5 cm. That fits comfortably on a standard display shelf with around 12 cm of depth.
Does the model have opening parts?
No opening parts have been confirmed for this BBR resin release. As is typical of BBR's 1:43 resin models, the body is a sealed one-piece construction; detail is concentrated on the exterior aerodynamic surfaces, livery graphics, and GT3-specification bodywork elements.
Who makes this model and what material is it?
The model is made by BBR Models, an Italian manufacturer based in Bologna and widely regarded as one of the foremost producers of high-quality resin Ferrari scale models. Resin allows finer surface detail than die-cast at this scale.
What makes the DragonSpeed No. 81 entry historically significant?
The car combines three Ferrari-affiliated drivers — Davide Rigon (Ferrari works driver since 2012), Giacomo Altoè (Ferrari Driver Academy), and Albert Costa (Ferrari GT3 programme) — in a white and blue livery that contrasts with the typical red Ferrari GT race entries. It also represents the 296 GT3, Ferrari's first GT3 car built around a turbocharged V6 engine.
