Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale races back

MASERATI today announced the return of the GranTurismo MC Stradale, a limited-edition race-bred model that will sell for $364,900 plus on-road costs.

The road-going version of Maserati’s racing GranTurismo coupe previously came to Australia briefly from May last year as the fastest – and most expensive – Trident-badged car ever sold in Australia, and returns with even greater performance credentials.

Maserati Australia general manager Glen Sealey said the company had been able to secure another batch of cars, which were not only more powerful but come with extra equipment over last year’s model, 18 of which were sent to Australia.

Mr Sealey said the track-ready car reinforced Maserati’s long-standing performance image, though the accent has moved towards luxury in recent years compared with sister company Ferrari.

“Maserati offers unsurpassed levels of exclusively and luxury, but it must never be forgotten that, first and foremost, Maserati is the epitome of a performance car-maker and the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale represents that performance in its most pure and direct form,” he said.

“When it arrived last year with its 301km/h top speed, it became the fastest Maserati ever sold in Australia and New Zealand.

“Such was the interest and demand for this model, we have secured a small additional production run, but being Maserati we could not simply bring back what was the 2011 benchmark Maserati, so for 2013 we have a new, more powerful GranTurismo MC Stradale, and with it a new benchmark for Maserati performance.”

Maserati has tweaked the 4.7-litre Ferrari-built V8 to produce 7kW more power and 10Nm more torque than the 2011 model, taking it to 338kW and 520Nm compared with 323kW/490kW for the same engine in both the GranTurismo S and GranCabrio.

That propels the two-seater from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of 302km/h – one-tenth and 1km/h faster than the previous version.

Improvements include the development of a new engine map to optimise combustion and adjustment of the variable valve timing at high engine speeds, and redesigned pistons.

Visually, the latest MC Stradale is identified by new LED daylight-running lights enclosed in a new headlight cluster and LED tail-lights in smoked lens covers.

Weighing in at 1670kg dry, the MC Stradale is some 110kg lighter than the GranTurismo S thanks to carbon-fibre front seats (saving 26kg), 5kg-lighter flow-formed 20-inch alloy wheels, lighter wiring saving 2kg, a 6kg-lighter exhaust system, 18kg-lighter carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes, 12kg less body sealing and the removal of the rear seats, saving 16kg and making it the first two-seat Maserati since the MC12.

Compared with the regular $308,000 GranTurismo S, the MC Stradale has faster auto shifts, a lower ride height (10mm front, 12mm rear), a 5mm-larger (25mm) front anti-roll bar, eight per cent stiffer springs all-round, wider Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres, and bigger carbon-ceramic brake discs with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston units at the rear.

Muscular design elements added to regular coupe include a more aggressive front-end comprising an aerodynamic splitter and carbon-look lower wing that extends up either side of the deeply recessed Trident grille, air-intakes for the bonnet, new front guards with vertical trailing-edge air-vents, new side skirts, an integrated boot spoiler and a revised rear bumper with splitter and repositioned exhaust outlets.

The aerodynamic enhancements are said to increase front down-force by 25 per cent at the front and 50 per cent at the rear without increasing drag.