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Maserati MC12 Preview

Stretching the Performance Envelope

If you were one of the unlucky customers to be scoffed by Ferraris limited run of 349 Enzos, you just might get a second chance to buy something very similar. The only drawback will be the lack of a prancing horse on the hood, but maybe a trident will suffice?

To jump-start Maseratis re-entry into the FIA GT racing series, the automaker will introduce the MC12 supercar. While the Maserati brand can boast about its own impressive racing heritage it is now owned by once-rival Ferrari, which is the only brand that can honestly attest to still building road cars for the sole purpose of funding its motorsport aspirations.

Ferrari can also attest to the demanding requirements needed

To coincide with its return to the FIA GT racing series, Maserati has introduced the MC12 supercar. (Photo: Maserati)

to build such a machine, and its ability to provide a viable solution to bolster the Maserati nameplate is the obvious result of its prowess.

To that end the MC12 seems little more than a reworked version of the Ferrari Enzo. Wearing the trident badge and a few additional external and internal modifications, it has been tuned and prepared especially for racing. If there could be a car worthy of rekindling Maseratis international racing spirit from a 37 year lapse, this is

In order to boost the prestige of the Maserati nameplate, the MC12 is based off of parent company Ferraris new Enzo. (Photo: Maserati)

it.

From looks alone, the MC12 can be linked to the Enzo, however, I find it closer to yesteryears ultimate prancing horse, the F50. Inset xenon headlamps with clear lens covers and a grille familiar to all other Maserati products has been fitted to the front end, while the rest of the body has been showered with intake and exhaust vents. Regular front hinged doors allow relatively easy ingress and egress while a targa-top roof that transforms it into a partial convertible when removed. A fixed rear spoiler adds to high-speed downforce while complimenting the overall design.

The MC12s slightly more conservative styling, and the inability to order it in red, separate Maseratis new supercar from its Ferrari Enzo roots. (Photo: Maserati) align="justify">But still, while the Masers slightly more conservative styling makes me believe more prospective buyers will show a positive response to the MC12 over the Enzo, it still pales in comparison to the fluid, graceful supercar lines seen in the 90s.

The final design detail that separates this GT racer from its Ferrari parentage is its paint scheme. Its impossible to get the MC12 in red, but rather all examples will come from the factory painted in Maseratis two-tone white and blue livery colors.

But of course, this is a car designed first and foremost for annihilating its competition on the track, and therefore mere esthetics take a back seat to aerodynamics

With the MC12, form follows function, and the simple reason for the sleeker design is increased downforce. (Photo: Maserati)

and performance-oriented engineering. Here form follows function, and the reason for the sleeker, wind-slippery design is to increase downforce without creating unnecessary drag. At the very rear of the MC12 are two larger diffusers to help keep the car planted on the track at speeds above 186 mph. The ultra strong chassis and body are both crafted from carbon fiber and Nomex to create a secure and flex-free vehicle that weighs all of 2,976 pounds. Layout is as in the Enzo, though the wheelbase, length and width of the MC12 has been increased for on-track high-speed stability. Overall the car is now 202.5 inches long, 82.5 inches wide, 47.4 inches high and rides on a 110.2 inch wheelbase. Pizza-sized 15.0 inch front and 13.2 inch rear discs with ABS provide otherworldly stopping power while 245/35 ZR19 tires up front and 345/35 ZR19 tires in the back deliver fearsome grip.

Although toned down to meet FIA restrictions, the MC12s 6.0-liter V12 engine still generates a screaming 630 horsepower at 7,500 rpm. (Photo: Maserati)

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