Maserati GT2 Stradale is headed for the US and this machine is one step away from the hypercar Maserati is sure to build in the next couple of years.
Originally unveiled during the 2024 Monterey Car Week, the GT2 Stradale has finally been unleashed on the twisting mountain roads in Andalusia, Spain, and is due to be released to European dealers spring of 2025, with perhaps a late summer release here in the US. But Italian manufacturers operate on a different time scale, so don’t hold me to the rumors coming out of Modena.
The Maserati GT2 Stradale is the road legal version of the track only Maserati GT2, but retains much of the soul of its sister car. For the statistics-minded, the rear wheel drive Maserati GT2 Stradale boasts a top speed of 201 mph, with its V6 Nettuno engine (see below) producing 631 HP, which is 10 HP more than the now out to pasture MC20. The extra 10 HP only shaves off 0.1 of a second, with the new car accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds.
It’s taken quite a while to resurrect cars equal to Maserati’s motor sports history, a past that included extremely competitive races against Ferrari, Jaguar and Mercedes, but Maserati was forced to quit racing in 1958 due to bankruptcy. But the history still remains. Successfully in Pre-War Grand Prix racing, winning the Targa Florio 1937, 1938, 1939 and 1940, won the Indy 500 twice, and gave fits to Ferrari in sports car racing in the 50’s and 60’s, cars like the famous A6GCS are part of the GT2 Stradale’s DNA. photo courtesy Wikipedia
It appears a very new day is dawning for the iconic brand. In 2004, Maserati unveiled the MC12, a sports car designed and built on the Ferrari Enzo chassis. Larger and slower than its Ferrari counterpart, the MC12 was greeted with mixed reviews, including one by Jeremy Clarkson, who simply hated it. Few complaints from Clarkson and others with the 2020 release of the successor MC20. Wrapped in a much more attractive body, a new engine, the Nettuno motor stole F1 trickery to produce 621 HP, and was a substantially different offering.
“From the road to the track and back again: moving from the racing GT2 to its road version was a natural step, to epitomise our brand’s performance. With the road debut of what is the pinnacle of our super sports cars, we have created a perfect platform for the customers of this car, which has also been lauded by the media. GT2 Stradale is 100% made in Modena, a mix of Maserati’s two iconic worlds, those of elegance and racing. It is the upshot of the passion, dedication, and pride of all the women and men at the House of the Trident.”– Santo Ficili, Maserati CEO
The new Maserati GT2 Stradale promises you everything you will need in a very desirable street machine, but if you want to pull an occasional track day (or just think you will do better at resale), opt for the performance package. For $13,750, you get Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires that increase lateral grip by 10 percent, bigger brakes giving a bit more downforce at the rear, and an electronically limited slip differential in place of the mechanical set-up that gives more torque and stability to the back tires.
F1 Trickery…
Photo courtesy Maserati
characteristics of the Nettuno include a unique V90° architecture for this 3.0-liter 6-cylinder twin-turbo engine. With several elements taken from race-proven Formula-1 technologies, the Nettuno demonstrates both enhanced efficiency and heart-racing performance capabilities. Three of the most innovative attributes are listed below.
- Pre-chamber – A specially-designed combustion chamber is located between the central electrode and the traditional combustion chamber, joined by a series of specially-designed ports.
- Lateral spark plug – When running at a level that doesn’t require the pre-chamber to engage, a conventional spark plug acts as a support system to maintain constant combustion.
- Twin injection system (direct and indirect) – Connected to the fuel supply system, this process reduces noise at the bottom end of the rev range, minimizing both emissions and fuel consumption.
Maserati has suddenly taken sports cars and motor sports very seriously with wins in the GT2 European Series championship, racing against Audi, Mercedes, Lamborghini and others.
Prices start at $312,000, but if you absolutely need the track-only GT2 car, Maserati will deliver it to the United States for $522,000.
