Zappanicoxs52g: Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale

mercoledì 27 luglio 2011

Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale

Maserati may err on the side of of caution when choosing between luxury and speed, but eventually speed-loving fanatics have no choice but to reveal their road-gripping, fire-breathing side. Alas, we now have evidence of Maserati’s wild side. Just a couple of weeks before the Italian luxury brand was set to unveil their new special edition Gran Turismo at the Paris Auto Show, the company has jumped the gun and released the first official details of the fastest, lightest, and most powerful Maserati in the line-up. We hope everyone is just as intrigued as we were because this is a side of Maserati that should come out more often.

The special edition is called the GranTurismo MC Stradale and is due to go on sale in Europe in the first quarter of 2011 with a U.S. launch shortly thereafter. It is powered by a 4.2 liter V8 engine that delivers 450 HP - an improvement over the standard 405 HP - while still offering the same fuel consumption as a standard Gran Turismo. It also comes with an improved aerodynamic down force and will brake the 186 mph barrier.

Inspired by the Trofeo GranTurismo MC and the race-winning GT4 motorsport models, the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale special edition has been tweaked and modified as a direct result of the lessons learned from Maserati’s three racing programs. But what makes this vehicle even better is that it’s road legal.

More details about the car will be released closer to its official unveiling.

Updated 07/26/2011: Maserati North American has announced today that the new MC Stradale will go on sale at a starting price of $139,000. With its 185 mph top speed this will be the fastest Maserati offered on the US market.

Hit the jump to read more about the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale.

Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 24 March 2011 13:00 EST.