Maserati MC12 race car

Maserati MC12 race car

The race cars of the FIA GT1 series are some of the most impressive machines on four wheels this side of a fully fledged Formula One car, and one of the best of them is the Maserati MC12. It’s hard to believe but the car has gone on to earn a fifth Drivers’ title and a sixth Team’s title in the international FIA GT Championship, clenching both for the 2010 FIA GT1 series.

Maserati’s success story in the FIA GT Championship started in 2004 when the MC12 competed in four races, outside the Championship ranking. Success came early as Maserati achieved its first victory in the second race it entered with the Bertolini-Salo team. From the following season Maserati joined forces with the Vitaphone Racing Team, flanked in 2005 by JMB and in 2007 by PlayTeam.

From 2005 to date, Maserati has struck with the MC12 both its targets, the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles, every year except one, where transmission problems caused the previous Bertolini-Wendlinger team to lose the title.

Strengths of the MC12 are its highly rigid carbon fiber monocoque chassis, excellent weight distribution between front and rear, equally excellent aerodynamic balance and a very low center of gravity. For these reasons even when its 6.0-litre V-12 engine, originally rated at 750 horsepower, was first reduced to 630 horsepower according to 2005 FIA regulations, then to the current 560 horsepower to comply with the current regulations, the car still stood out from the competition in terms of overall balance, speed on curves and lower tire wear.

If only there were another Versione Corse, the mandatory production version for homologation purposes, up for sale.

[Maserati]