Maserati unveils its flagship car

THREE’S A COMPANY: the Maserati Gran Turismo S, Trofeo Gran Turismo race car and the MC Gran Turismo Stradale

Maserati’s GT cars occupy an important part of Italian automotive heritage and history. With their stunning good looks, race-bred performance and elegant attention to detail, Maserati is adding its flagship model to its lineup of offerings in Manila. The new Gran Turismo MC Stradale is, simply put, the lightest, most powerful and fastest Maserati in the current collection that was inspired from its racing efforts from its GT4 and Trofeo Gran Turismo cars. Clad with an alchemy of carbon-fiber and lightweight metal skin work, the name Stadale, which means road-going in Italian, is almost a misnomer and a euphemism since beneath its voluptuous and curvaceous lines hide the body and heart of a race car.

Its front bumpers and integrated spoilers give it a handsome facial feature, with 10 mm lower ride height in front and 12 mm lower height at the rear,

THE MC Stradale Gran Turismo sets the pace for the Masterati GT4 in a test run.

which perfectly matches its 20 inch wheels specially designed for the Stradale. Its 4.7 liter V8 engine delivers 450 horsepower, which is about 10 percent more than the standard Gran Turismo.

As a racing thoroughbred, this car had to shed some 110 kilos of excess material fat compared to its proper “road going” cousin the Gran Turismo S. Aside from carbon fiber outer skins, the one-piece shell type front seats are made of the same material, saving off some 26 kg, while the car’s insulation was also cut down by about the same weight. Additional weight savings were made with its lighter bespoke wheels and carbon ceramic brakes.

THE ITALIAN beauty sports a redesigned instrument cluster and clad Alcantara and leather upholstery trims.

This is the first production Maserati to exceed the 300 kph mark and designed to have the driving dynamics of a GT car with race bred performance. Its sleek body design creates more down force without sacrificing drag, as it slices through the wind effortlessly with its 450 hp engine. Its passive dampers are a welcome feature, as adaptive dampers tend to have long-term reliability issues and with 8 percent stiffer springs, the car can corner faster around the track.

THE NEW Gran Turismo MC Stradale is the lightest, most powerful and fastest Maserati in the current collection.

Inside this Italian beauty sports a redesigned instrument cluster and clad Alcantara and leather upholstery trims. One can order an optional roll cage if one intends to spend some track days with the Stradale. With a lighter weight load and more efficient engine, it also has a greener engine as well, with 13 percent less CO2 at 337 g/km and lesser fuel consumption as well. So for luxury car buyers who would want a race-inspired dual-personality car that is agile and a performer without sacrificing looks and road comfort, the Stradale is worth a serious consideration. With the race mode switch, one can transform this gentlemanly cruiser into a raging thoroughbred with its V8 roaring and tearing up the tracks. Its 4-point race harness will safely wrap its driver and passenger in its thin and form-hugging seats.