For a company with such a rich motorsport heritage, most of Maserati’s road cars have erred towards slinky, leatherbound luxury. Not this, though: it’s the Maserati GT2 Stradale, and it’s the most hardcore road car the company’s produced since the Ferrari Enzo-based MC12.
Based on the MC20 supercar, it ditches that car’s name entirely to closer link it to Maserati’s GT2 racer which, despite itself being an MC20, is just called… the Maserati GT2. The Stradale (Italian for ‘road’, as aficionados of old Lancia rally homologation specials will doubtless know), takes the MC20’s 3.0-litre twin-turbo ‘Nettuno’ V6, and its eight-speed dual-clutch ’box, and bumps power up from 621 to 631bhp, although curiously it makes slightly less torque – 531lb ft to 538lb ft.
Maserati GT2 Stradale – interior
Never mind, though – the GT2 Stradale will still hit 62mph in a brutally quick 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 201mph. Much of that gain comes from shedding 60kg from the regular MC20, via things like the GT2 racer’s forged wheels – the Stradale’s dry weight is 1365kg.
Of course, no self-respecting track special skims on the aero, and there’s plenty of it here, again heavily based on the GT2 car. This includes a new front splitter, rear diffuser, adjustable rear wing and vented bonnet. This all contributes to a peak of 500kg of downforce at 174mph.
Maserati GT2 Stradale – rear
If none of this is hardcore enough, you can spec two Performance Packs. The first fiddles with both the hard- and software, bringing an electronic limited-slip diff with specific calibrations for different drive modes, carbon ceramic brakes, semi-slick Michelin rubber and different setups for things like traction and stability control. The second makes things altogether racier inside, with four-point harnesses and a fire extinguisher. Better safe than sorry.
Those Performance Packs also unlock a Corsa Evo drive mode. Disappointingly, this doesn’t make the car simultaneously behave like a Vauxhall supermini and a turbocharged Mitsubishi, but it does further slacken all the driver assists.
Maserati GT2 Stradale – interior
Even without the second Performance Pack, things are already quite serious inside, with swathes of carbon fibre and Alcantara and a pair of Sabelt bucket seats. There’s also a new steering wheel incorporating shift lights into the rim – although you can opt for less intense sports seats if you wish.
The results of all these changes are fairly profound: around Stellantis’ Balocco test track, the GT2 Stradale is some five seconds quicker than a standard MC20.
Maserati GT2 Stradale – rear
There’s no word yet on how many Maserati plans to make, or how much it’ll set you back, but you’ll be able to see it if you happen to be at The Quail at Monterey Car Week. Hope the weather’s nice.
