|
Evo is claiming to have smashed the
production car lap record at the tortuous
Nürburgring in a Maserati MC12, taking just
7:24.29 minutes to lap the circuit name as
‘the green hell’ and regarded as the
ultimate test of a super car. |
|
|
|
British
performance car magazine, Evo, is claiming to
have smashed the production car lap record at the
tortuous 20 km German Nürburgring race track in a
Maserati MC12, taking just 7:24.29 minutes to lap the
circuit name as ‘the green hell’ and regarded as the
ultimate test of a super car.
Armed with a
fleet of supercars provided by a German collector, which
included a Ferrari Enzo, the Koenigsegg CCX, the Pagani
Zonda F Clubsport and the Porsche Carrera GT, as well as the
Maserati, Evo borrowed American Le Mans Series race
driver, Marc Basseng to do the driving.
While none of
the cars could, in any way, be described as ‘slow’, the car
that was the least quick around the track was the Koenigsegg
CCX, which, while staggeringly fast in a straight line
thanks to its 672 kW, had trouble using its immense power in
the corners, humps and hills of the Nürburgring
Nordschleife. In the Porsche, Basseng matched the time set
by the legendary Walter Rohrl during the final testing of
the Carrera GT, but it was only sufficient to finish in
fourth place. Next came the Ferrari Enzo, just behind the
Pagani, which averaged more than 165 km/h, yet was still
overshadowed by the mighty Maserati MC12.
What makes the
performance of the Maserati MC12 all the more impressive was
the fact that not only was it the heaviest of the cars
tested – a fact that has added significance on a track that
goes up and down a mountain during a lap – and was also
running with conventional dampers and steel brakes. The
magazine concluded that while it was not the quickest on the
straights, the Maserati MC-12 triumphed thanks to the
balanced chassis and race-bred aerodynamics and an engine
that provided easily accessible power, a combination that
enabled Basseng to get the power earlier and harder than its
rivals.
This balance
that enabled the MC12 to capture the Nürburgring record is
hallmark of all Maserati designs and is just as evident in
the Maserati Quattroporte and GranTurismo models, with their
engines placed behind the front axle line and, in the
GranTurismo S, a rear transaxle to ensure optimum weight
distribution. This allows Maserati drivers to fully exploit
the potential of their cars with confidence as the chassis
is both responsive and consistent in its performance, an
ability that is further enhanced by the smooth and
effortless power provided by the Maserati V8 engine.
|