Maserati MC20

Can the Maserati GT2 Stradale compete with the very best lightweight supercars?

Maserati has entered uncharted territory with the GT2 Stradale. Time to see how it compares to the Porsche 911 GT3...

The GT2 Stradale’s tighter brief should actually be easier to execute, but rather than committing fully to the road racer norms it instead appears to be caught between two philosophies. Maserati wants it to represent its GT heritage and be true to its motorsport roots, but by not fully committing to either, the Stradale never feels fully resolved.

So, this time I leave Spain a little bit confused and frustrated. Perhaps more miles and a less draconian track session would reveal the GT2 Stradale’s more intense side. But even at full flight I can’t see it offering the pure adrenaline of a 750S or the bladelike precision of a 296 GTB. It’s a really good car. But at £300,000 or so, I can’t help wondering if that’s enough?

Comparing it with the cheaper, less exotic and much outgunned 911 GT3 seems a little unfair. And it is. The Porsche operates at another level. It feels lighter, more adjustable and has an ability to combine the subtleties required to work on the road with astounding control, balance and endurance on the track. To be fair, Porsche has had over 25 years to perfect the GT3 and Maserati is in uncharted territory. It feels like a slightly tentative exploration, but perhaps it’s just the first step towards something truly great. For now, the GT2 Stradale lacks the unstoppable energy and scintillating dynamics of the very best.


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The Maserati MC20 is dead: long live the new, slightly facelifted MCPura

Maser’s flagship gets a redesigned rear bumper, a slightly sharper face and a new name

Shock news! Maserati has announced its MC20 is no more. Yep, time's up for the V6-engined flagship supercar and… wait, hang on, what we’re looking at above is Maser’s “new super sports car”.

Essentially it’s facelift time for the MC20, but that name stood for ‘Maserati Corse 2020’. Pretty simple right? That was the year it was unveiled, so that’s the name it got. Only – and we’re just guessing here – we’re not sure that many people really want to be reminded of 2020, so the newly updated car is now called the MCPura.

Maserati said it has updated the “aesthetics and innovation” of the MC20 with this refresh, but the carbon tub remains the same, as does the dry-sumped Nettuno twin-turbo V6 engine and its outputs of 621bhp and 538lb ft.

So, what’s new other than the name? The most eagle-eyed among you may have spotted a slightly sharper face. Maserati has done its best nose-job work to draw out the front bumper and give the MCPura more of a shark nose and to optimise airflow. There are changes to the floor too, apparently, while round the back there’s a slightly different rear bumper, although you’d need to put both cars side-by-side to notice.


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