25.08.2004 The 330km/h 'Stradale' version of Maserati’s MC12 will be unveiled at the Sydney Convention AND Exhibition Centre on October 7th at the opening of the Australian International Motor Show

The 'Stradale' version of Maserati’s exciting new MC12 sportscar will make its Asia-Pacific region debut at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre on October 7.

The occasion will be at the opening ceremony of the Australian International Motor Show, and will come just weeks after the race version competes for the first time in Europe, in the FIA GT Championship, on 5th September at Imola.

The stunning MC12, which costs a cool AUS$1.8 million, aims to take Maserati back to the pinnacle of sportscar racing, and if first impressions are anything to go by it's sure to be a winner.

The Ferrari Maserati Group’s wealth of knowledge and technological excellence have been poured into the design of the new car, while its styling was developed in the wind tunnel from a Giugiaro idea by Maserati's technicians.

Designed for high level road use, it can exceed 330km/h at full throttle, sprinting from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.8 seconds. Although easy and pleasant to drive on the road, the MC12 is also a brilliantly dynamic car.

It handles very sweetly and fluidly yet the driver can still feel all the power of a genuinely sporty thoroughbred under the surface.

Under the guidance of engineer Giorgio Ascanelli, Maserati’s Racing Division has successfully developed the new car to meet the rules of the major international championships, and it will now compete in the final FIA GT series races this autumn.

The client version for road use, the model which will be on display in Sydney, is to be made available exclusively in a white and blue livery, harking back to an old Trident tradition.

This delves into history, to draw from the blue and white colours of the America Camoradi Scuderia, a team which raced the famous Maserati Tipo 60-61 Birdcages in the very early 1960s, with the legendary Sir Stirling Moss as their lead driver.

A first production run of around 30 MC12s are at present under construction, 25 of which will be for road use. A second series of 25 examples for clients will be built next year.

The aggressive Maserati MC12 will stand head and shoulders above a dazzling array of new models that will present at the highly prestigious Australian International Motor Show, which opens its doors to the public at Darling Harbour on October 7th.

A real show-stopper when it made its World Premiere at the Geneva Salon back in March, now the MC12 is set to make a huge impact in Sydney, continuing a long standing love affair between the Australian public and exotic Italian supercars.

by Shant Fabricatorian in Sydney