Dream cars do exist in the real world. Cars that set the pulses racing; brands that have a long and glorious sporting history and, conveniently, Maserati is one of those companies. Born in Italy, this prestige marque now presents the GT2 Stradale, a car rooted on the track and type-approved for use on the road, combining the extreme, refined performance of the racing world without sacrificing the comfort to take on a challenging journey on the highways and byways.
Not for the faint of heart it has to be said, the GT2 Stradale offers a top speed of of 201mph (324 km/h), sprinting from 0 to 62mph (100 km/h) in just 2.8 seconds, making it the most agile rear-wheel drive in its category. Maserati cars also offer that elusive rarity value. Day to day, drivers don’t see many of them about making the pleasure of ownership even more special. The brand features various models from saloons to sports cars and there’s even an SUV. If any of the current range are of interest to buy for export from the UK to destinations around the world like Kenya, Ireland, New Zealand and the Caribbean, ask MHH International about current availability. Potentially, the purchase could be VAT-free as well; browse this website for details.
Maserati GT2 Stradale Exterior
This car is a thing of beauty: It is based on the same ultra-light carbon fibre chassis as the GT2 track car to ensure maximum lightness, uncompromising torsional rigidity and extraordinary handling on the most challenging roads. Each solution, say Maserati, required to transform the GT2 into a road car responds to a need. Nothing is included as an aesthetic enhancement alone. Everything is there for a reason, improving aerodynamics and therefore the car's performance.
The front features a new design but, as always, continues to feature the mighty trident badge, while still maintaining the typical Maserati architecture and adapting to requirements in terms of cooling and aerodynamics; the forms are necessarily functional to the vehicle dynamics. The front ‘shark nose’ has been broadened, ensuring greater air flow and introducing an aesthetic concept that will be seen again in future Maserati models, say the company.
The bonnet (hood) is adapted for the specific aerodynamic requirements of load balancing and to expel hot air via three air vents in the bonnet, another three in the front wheel arches, three more near the rear window, and nine-spoke 20 inch alloy wheel rims.
The area around the front bumper (fender) has been revamped with the introduction of air outlets in the upper part to let out hot air to cool the brakes and reduce the pressure inside the wheel arches. The air intakes at the back on the other hand, have been completely redesigned and enlarged, producing a new carbon-fibre cupola to improve the flow of cold air to supply the engine and cool the radiators.
The carbon-fibre spoiler has been revised over the one on the race car version, increasing its surface area, and the wing with a boomerang design and built-in end plates has been added. The all-new rear wing is connected to the car with pylons in the form of structural poles in solid aluminium. The fastening system offers three different adjustments with the same number of levels of aerodynamic downforce. To support the load, the rear area has been reinforced. The result overall is outstanding aerodynamics and the handling prowess to put all this power down safely.
The Interior
Aboard the GT2 Stradale, the driver is more than ever the centre of attention with all the controls designed functionally for easy access while improving driving performance. Inside the cabin, the dark environment with matte finishes and ‘Alcantara’ upholstery is specially designed to minimise reflections and distractions while driving.
The central tunnel has been redesigned to make it lighter. On the central cabinet, known as ‘spider trim’ for some reason, the steering settings knob has been ergonomically repositioned, bringing it closer to the driver. This spider is made of carbon fibre, painted in standard black (or in aesthetic carbon fibre as an optional extra). The upper part in exposed carbon fibre is in a yellow for the driver to be able to find the controls they need as quickly as possible at night. Only the buttons and switches that are absolutely necessary are there: the driving mode selector and the two buttons to change gear or shift into reverse. On the lower part of the central tunnel are the controls for the electric windows and the infotainment volume. The wireless charger is also available at all times and is large enough to fit the latest smartphones.
The interior is upholstered, as stated above, in anti-glare ‘Alcantara’ with contrasting blue stitching, whereas the carbon-fibre monocoque has been left exposed, uniquely in its category, much appreciated by customers who have expressly asked to be able to admire it when behind the wheel of their car. Well, why not? It’s your car.
The door handles feature yellow ‘pull’ lettering, further emphasising the feeling of being in the cockpit of a race car but the possibly the most special are the latest double shell seats in carbon fibre. They ensure the driving position can be lowered even further, to accentuate the car’s racing character. The seats, on new orders, are available in two sizes for the driver, large (standard) and small (optional, enveloping the driver to a greater extent in the lower part of the seat), with three- or four-point harness attachments, also optional. Both seats are manually adjustable in the longitudinal direction. The height of the driver’s seat is also electronically adjustable, for a perfect driving position. The design is well suited to drive the car both on an everyday basis and on the track, giving the driver the feeling of always being firmly planted in front of the steering wheel.
It is possible to opt for Sport seats, which are less extreme than the Racing seats (supplied as standard) and gentler in terms of their size. The Sport seats are in laser-cut black ‘Alcantara’ with dark grey finishes, also taken up in the fully electronically adjustable door panels and dashboard.
The steering wheel is thicker, chosen to maximise ergonomics and the sporty ‘feel’. Only the essential buttons and switches remain intact, including the Start and Launch Control buttons, built into the central surround of the steering wheel. It too is upholstered in ‘Alcantara’ with carbon fibre accents, and is enriched by contrasting blue stitching, reminiscent not only of the ignition button (on the steering wheel) but also the remainder of the interior stitching and door handles.
The easily accessible, generously sized paddle shifters set into the steering column are also available in carbon fibre as an optional extra.
The Power
With four available drive modes, the Maserati GT2 Stradale is driven by the most powerful version of the three litre twin-turboV6 ‘Nettuno’ engine mounted in a road-legal car. Fine tuning of the electronics and action taken on the exhausts has made it possible to increase the output to 640bhp (648PS), making the Maserati one of the most powerful internal combustion engine available. An electronic limited slip differential, stability and traction control systems are all in place to make sure the occupants are safe. As mentioned, this car is a rare beast, one that requires a high standard of driving; other Maserati models are not as extreme but do offer that same premium quality and attention to detail. Could your next dream car be a Maserati?
