The New Maserati GT2 Stradale Is A Road-Legal, Track-Focused MC20

The all-new Maserati GT2 Stradale is essentially a road-legal version of the MC20 GT2 racecar.

The global debut of the new Lamborghini Temerario at this year’s Monterey Car Week has stolen the thunder from another Italian beauty that also made its inaugural public appearance at said auto show. The Italian beauty in question was the new Maserati GT2 Stradale, which, unlike the new Lambo, is a bit more hardcore and performance-orientated, for a few good reasons.

As its name suggests, the GT2 Stradale is essentially a road-legal version of the Maserati MC20 GT2 racecar. As a result, it gains some motorsport-derived upgrades and aesthetics, but at the same time can be legally driven on any open roads in the world.

The GT2 Stradale benefits from several aggressive aero parts derived from the MC20 GT2 racecar.

For starters, the GT2 Stradale retains some of its racecar twin’s aggressive aerodynamic parts. This includes the aggressive front bumper that features larger intakes and an integrated front splitter, a ventilated front hood, front fender vents, massive side scoops, a more prominent rear diffuser, new 20-inch forged wheels with centre locking, and an adjustable, GT-style carbon fibre rear wing.

Mind you, these aggressive aero parts are not just for styling, as Maserati claims they help the car to generate up to 500 KG of downforce at 280 KM/H, allowing this track-focused roadcar to stick to the surface much better than its bare-boned twin.

Predictably, the motorsport treatment is a bit more subtle once you get inside the GT2 Stradale’s cabin. Primed here are the new carbon fibre-shelled sport seats that are wrapped in plush Blu Elettrico Alcantra upholstery, although customers can also opt for the more conventional seats if they choose to do so.

To go with the sporty carbon seats, Maserati has also fitted the GT2 Stradale with a new, racecar-style steering wheel that features an LED shift indicator, as well as several Alcantra and carbon fibre trims with contrasting yellow accents. Tech amenities are also not too shabby for this supposed track-focused car, as it comes with a wireless charger, a 10.25-inch infotainment screen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, and an optional 12-speaker audio system by Sonus Faber.

Thanks to the improved 'Nettuno' V6 mill, the GT2 Stradale is now the most powerful production ICE-powered model ever built by Maserati.

On the powertrain front, the GT2 Stradale features an upgraded version of Maserati’s signature 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged ‘Nettuno’ V6 mill that is now rated at 631 HP and 720 NM—10 HP more and 10 NM less than the unit used on the standard MC20. This setup also makes the GT2 Stradale the most powerful ICE-powered, road-legal model ever made by Maserati.

Similar to the MC20, the V6 mill in the GT2 Stradale is also mated to the same 8-speed DCT automatic gearbox, which facilitates power delivery to the car’s rear wheels.

Not to forget, the GT2 Stradale is actually 60 KG lighter than the standard MC20, thanks to the deliberate use of lightweight carbon fibres. Combined with its slightly improved powertrain setup, the GT2 Stradale can finish a century sprint time 0.1 second faster than the standard MC20 at 2.8 seconds, although its V-Max has been cut short by 2 KM/H at 324 KM/H.

Besides the upgraded powertrain and aggressive aero parts, the GT2 Stradale also benefits from several track-derived chassis upgrades, notably both the track-focused suspension setup and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes.

On top of that, customers can also opt for either one of the performance packages offered by Maserati, with the first one including a new electronically controlled limited-slip differential (LSD), beefier carbon-ceramic racing brakes with bespoke ABS recalibration, and a set of Michelin semi-slick tyres. Meanwhile, the second package goes even more extreme, as it adds “other racing-derived features” such as four-point seat belts and a fire extinguisher on top of the aforementioned goodies.

As of writing, Maserati has yet to unveil both the price and availability of this new GT2 Stradale. Given that the standard Maserati MC20 currently retails at $242,995 (RM1.06 million) in selected international markets, perhaps we can expect this road-legal, track-focused model to fetch higher premiums than the base model.