Maserati has designed a new road-going Grand Tourer known as
the MC12 from which a GT racing version has also been developed.
The result is that 37 long years after its last victory in
an international championship (1967, Cooper Maserati F1, South
African Grand Prix), the Trident is returning
to the track.
The Ferrari Maserati Group’s wealth of knowledge and technological excellence
have been poured into the design of the new car. In addition to this, its styling
was developed in the wind tunnel from a Giugiaro idea by Maserati technicians
with the support of Frank Stephenson, the Ferrari Maserati Group’s
own Director of Concept Design and Development. The European type-approved
version
of the new car goes on sale after the summer.
Designed for high level road use, it can exceed 330 km/h
at full throttle, sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3,8
seconds. Although easy and pleasant to drive on
the road, the MC12 is also a brilliantly dynamic car.
It
handles very sweetly and fluidly yet the driver can still feel all the
power of a genuinely sporty thoroughbred under the
surface. The new model adds the definitive flourish to Maserati’s
return to the racing circuits after the recent and highly successful
debut in the Daytona 24 Hour Race, of the Trofeo Light, inspired
by the equally impressive single-series protagonist. Under the
guidance of engineer Giorgio Ascanelli, Maserati’s Racing
Division is currently developing the new car to meet the rules
of the major international championships.
The client version for road use will be available exclusively
in a white and blue livery, harking back to an old Trident
tradition. In fact, blue and white are the colours of the America
Camoradi
(Casner Motor Racing Division) Scuderia which raced the famous
Maserati Tipo 60-61 Birdcages in the very early 1960s with
Stirling Moss as their lead driver. Around 30 MC12s will be built
in all,
25 of which will be for road use.
A second series of 25 examples for clients will be built in
2005 also.
Exterior
As a result of its imposing dimensions (5143
mm long, 2100 mm wide and 1205 mm high), the MC12’s styling
is very much functionally-inspired.
Intensive
wind tunnel testing and advanced mathematical computations,
combined with work on the track and road, have resulted in
an extraordinarily efficient form that absolutely exudes power
and
personality. The air intakes, vents and other aerodynamic components
have been designed to optimise the car’s internal fluid
dynamics and air flows to ensure optimal downforce (vertical
load) and aerodynamic efficiency values.
The bonnet
is characterised by the sinuous lines formed by two large tapering
apertures, culminating in the classic Maserati
grille opening with a Trident at its centre. The bonnet and
wheelarches,
into which the Bi-Xenon headlamp units are set, are a one-piece
moulding which is also removable.
A channel along the side of the car stretches from the front
wheel vent to an inlet just in front of the rear wheel. This
solution contributes to aerodynamic downforce whilst also improving
aerodynamic efficiency.
Above
the hard top, there is a snorkel for the engine compartment.
The rear section is dominated by the engine and the slender
(30 mm) yet imposing two-metre carbon wing with two fins
and, at
its base, a small spoiler in which the third stop light has
been inserted. The inverted half moon design of the exhausts
is the
most striking part of the tail section. The whole underside
of the car has been faired in and sealed and there are
two generous
diffusers also which deliver maximum “ground effect.”
Interior
The cabin boasts an easily removable top, which
instantly converts the MC12 from a coupé to a spider.
The cabin
itself is the epitome of elegance and sportiness. It is simple
and understated, typical of an extreme car yet
also
displaying the meticulous care and finish that have become
a classic Trident signature. There is exceptional harmony
between the high tech-effect carbon features, the perforated
leather
trim and the stunning yet high-grip tough technical fabric
too.
The upper
part of the leather and carbon-trimmed steering wheel is slightly
flattened. The dashboard, with its clean
tailored
lines, is characteristically Maserati. The instruments
are organised around a central and prominent speedometer, placed
directly in
front of the driver. The center console includes the controls
for the climate control system, and two of its four vents.
Set at the intersection of the console and the central tunnel
is the characteristic oval clock, and the blue engine Start button.
Other controls are laid out on the titanium-coloured stylised
central tunnel which also includes a storage compartment and
a 12 volt outlet.
The
seats have a carbon fibre structure with high lateral containment:
the seats themselves are upholstered in fabric with the shoulder
rests in perforated leather. The doors have carbon fibre panels
and pockets complete with the electric window buttons. The
pedals are aluminium and the mats rubber.
Motor
The MC12 benefits from all of the Ferrari Maserati
Group’s
most advanced technologies and competition experience.
It boasts
a powerful naturally aspirated 12-cylinder 65° V
engine that displaces 5998 cc and punches out 465 kW at 7500
rpm. Designed to meet the specific needs and characteristics
of a road-going Maserati, it also offers absolutely excellent
drivability. The MC12 delivers a maximum torque of 652 Nm at
5500 rpm and remains exceptionally nimble and fluid, even at
low engine speeds. It has an aluminium crankcase, titanium con
rods, and extremely aerodynamically efficient four-valve cylinder
heads to boot. Distribution is by way of four overhead camshafts
per cylinder which are gear-driven, a solution that offers perfect
timing control. The dry sump lubrication also boasts a highly
efficient scavenger pump. |
