Powered by a new variant of the Maserati 4.7 litre V8 engine that pumps out 331 kW and 510 Nm of torque, the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale demolishes the dash to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds before hitting, where legally permitted, a top speed of 301 km/h. Yet, at the same time, it is 13 per cent more economical than the normal Maserati GranTurismo S above which it sits in the Maserati line-up.

“The Maserati MC Stradale meets demands which, for any other car maker, would appear to be in direct conflict,” explains Glen Sealey, General Manager for Maserati in Australia and New Zealand. “On one hand it is, as the name suggests, a road going version of the Maserati Trofeo and GT4 racing cars with the heightened performance, sharpened reflexes and heightened visual presence that this requires. Yet, at the same time, it offers exemplary road comfort, refinement and even lower fuel consumption. The Maserati MC Stradale is equally at home on the race track, with its owner in a full race suit, as it is taking its owner to the Opera in an evening jacket.”

Changes have been made throughout the Maserati GranTurismo S to transform it into the MC Stradale. Its race-bred heritage is highlighted by a 110 kg weight reduction from the GranTurismo S, with its dry weight down to 1670 kg. It mirrors the advantages Maserati has in racing by retaining the optimal 48/52 weight distribution to ensure handling balance and even tyre wear.

The Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale uses advanced electronics to slash gear-shift times from the upgraded MC Race Shift electro-actuated transaxle gearbox to just 60 milliseconds. It is also the first Maserati in history to have a dedicated Race mode to add to its upgraded Automatic and Sport modes in a simplified dash layout. It produces more aerodynamic down force without producing more aerodynamic drag, it produces more power without using more fuel and it is more agile.

The GranTurismo has long been praised for its refinement and while extensive changes have been made to the suspension, which is lower and fitted with larger anti-roll bars; this has been done without sacrificing the GranTurismo S’s highly praised ride quality. With the removal of the rear seats, it is the first two-seat Maserati since the MC12 and has also benefited from new Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, custom-developed Pirelli tyres, a unique suspension layout and carbon-fibre, race-inspired seats.

Visually, the GranTurismo MC Stradale has changes made to the front and rear bumpers, the front guards, the bonnet and the boot lid, aimed at boosting down force and aiding engine and brake cooling. Inside materials derived from the racing variants, in the shape of carbon fibre and Alcantara, are used extensively. Carbon fibre racing seats are standard and the instrument pack has been changed to allow for the changes to the car’s dynamic systems.

The result of these changes is to produce a car with three distinct characters. In race mode, the MC Stradale is poised and ready for track days or the most demanding roads with every response and element of the car finessed to the highest level for instant response. In Sport mode the epic performance is fully available but delivered in a more subtle manner, making it suitable for everyday use, with the responses of a thoroughbred sports car and the comfort of a continent-swallowing grand touring car. Auto mode is, to all extents and purposes, stealth mode, with the performance and ability available but hiding behind a veil of relaxed comfort, quietness and refinement.

The Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale is now available for ordering in Australia now with a recommended retail price of A$364,900 (in New Zealand it is priced at NZ$350,000), excluding statutory charges, on road costs and dealer delivery charges. Available in limited numbers, the first Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradales will arrive for delivery in June.

“In the area of the market in which the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale will be sold there are cars that are out and out track day cars, rendering them uncomfortable on our roads that sit alongside grand touring cars that offer strong road performance but with dynamics that cannot meet the needs of the race track,” says Mr Sealey. “The Maserati MC Stradale, drawing on Maserati’s race track expertise and long history of exemplary high performance road cars, brings together these two previously conflicting requirements to produce a unique performance car, one that can hold its head high equally on the race track as the high street – and every type of road in between.”

Changes to the Maserati GranTurismo to transform it into the MC Stradale

Exterior Changes

Air intakes on the bonnet
New side skirts
New front bumper with new aerodynamic splitter
Integrated boot lid lip spoiler
Revised rear bumper with Splitter
Exhaust pipes reposition to allow larger rear splitter
New front guards with trailing edge vertical air vents
20 inch wheels with new Pirelli P-zero Corse tyres

Interior Changes

Front carbon fibre seats
Alcantara and leather upholstery
Redesigned main instrument cluster
Weight reduced by 110 kg
Flow formed 20 inch alloy wheels: - 5 kg
Wiring optimisation: - 2 kg
Sound insulation reduction: - 25 kg
Two seat configuration: - 16 kg
Carbon Fibre front seats: - 26 kg
Sealing and body optimisation: - 12 kg
Carbon Ceramic Brembo brakes: - 18 kg
Exhaust System: - 6 kg

Aerodynamic improvements

Front: 25% more down force at 200 km/h
Rear: 50% more down force at 200 km/h
No change in the drag co-efficient, despite extra down force

New Driving modes

Race

Gearchanges in 60 milliseconds
Gearchange mode: Manual shift
Exhaust silencer by pass: Open at all engine speeds
Sequential Downshifting
Sharper response from the accelerator

Sport

Gearchanges in 100 milliseconds
Gearchange mode: Manual shift
Exhaust silencer by pass: Open over 4000 rpm

Auto

Gearchanges in 140 milliseconds
Gearchange mode: Automatic shift
Exhaust silencer by pass: Closed

Engine, compared to GranTurismo S

Up 7 kW to 331 kW
Up 20 Nm to 510 Nm
Fuel consumption: down 13% to 14.4 l/100 km
80% of torque available from 2,500 rpm
Diamond Like Coating (DLC) cuts internal engine friction

Suspension/Chassis

8% stiffer springs
Front roll bar increased from 20 to 25 mm
Ride height lowered: 10 mm at the front and 12 mm at the rear

Tyres – new Pirelli P-Zero Corsa

Front: Up from 245/35 to 255/35
Rear: Up from 285/35 to 295/35

Brakes – New Brembo Carbon Ceramic

First production Maserati with Carbon Ceramic brakes
New brake cooling system and heat extraction vents
Front: 380 mm x 34 mm with six piston callipers
Rear: 360 mm x 32 mm with four piston callipers
Braking distance, down 6% for 100 kmh to Zero, now 33 metres