Maserati GT2 Racer Picks Up Where the Glorious MC12 Left Off
Maserati will return to GT competition with a GT2 racer built upon the bones of the stunning MC20 supercar.
Maserati is a proud brand that wants to sink its teeth back into GT competition. It's been a long time between drinks, but the Trident-bearing automaker is serious about returning to the track. The new Maserati GT2 is the car that will take it there.
The car was revealed by Maserati at the 24 Hours of Spa, which served as the perfect backdrop to announce a return to the world of GT racing. The new GT2 is a thoroughbred race car, based on the Maserati MC20 and type-approved for GT2 class competition. Maserati is positioning the car as a spiritual successor to the Maserati MC12, the Ferrari Enzo-based race car that competed in FIA GT championships from 2004 to 2010.
The GT2 is the work of the in-house Maserati Innovation Lab, with engineers taking full advantage of the company's dynamic simulator to develop the car. Centro Stile Maserati shaped and styled the car, while motorsports engineering company YCOM also supported the project in a technical partnership.
Fundamentally, the GT2 looks like an MC20 that has been turned into a hardcore race car. It bristles with ducting and vents all over the body and hood, and it rocks a deep air dam up front with a large splitter to generate front downforce. At the rear, it sports huge scoops on the haunches and the roof alike which just scream "terrifying European race car." As befitting a proper GT racer, there's also a huge gooseneck-mounted wing to stick it to the ground at speed.
Inside, it's all business, with the driver positioned in the center of the cabin. There's a proper racing switch panel, along with a steering yoke absolutely covered in buttons and knobs. You'll want a race engineer to walk you through the layout before you head out on track. Maybe get them to give you a few tips on the proper settings, too. You don't want to fumble the engine map in the wet and end up making an ass of yourself in front of a field made up of oil magnate's children and Lord Featherfoff of Westchester.
Engine-wise, the GT2 rocks a modified version of the MC20's Nettuno engine. It's not a twelve-cylinder powerplant like the MC12 before it, but it should deliver plenty of grunt and a screaming exhaust note nonetheless. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 delivers 621 horsepower, the same power output as the 6.0-liter V12 in the MC12 road car. The GT2 rocks more torque though, with 538 lb-ft compared to the 481 lb-ft from the Enzo-engined predecessor.
If you've been looking for a new GT2 class race car, and you want something a bit different, the Maserati GT2 could be just the thing. It's kitted out for competition, with all the safety gear all ready to go, and it's been built to race from the outset. If you can spare the mountain of cash to establish your own privateer race team, arm yourself with a Trident and bring glory to Maserati once more.
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