I L TRIDENTE On-Line
The New Maserati "MC12 Competizione" at Geneva. (photo: Frank Markus)
Geneva 2004 by Andrea Lazzaro, photos: Frank Markus
03/02/2004: It was with great pride that Maserati entered the 2004 Geneva motor show. Seldom in the last two decades have we seen so many and so significant new Maseratis being simultaneously presented to the public. The impressive Maserati line-up at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show is testimony to the dedicated and passionate work of engineers and designers that have contributed to bringing the Tridente back where it belongs. It was exciting to see so many people around the Maserati stand, the affluence of journalists and executives so great that even on the first limited-access day a thick crowd was constantly gathered around the Ferrari and Maserati stands. I can attest that no other manufacturer at Geneva could boast such attendance! It was particularly unusual to see that the number of people gravitating around Maserati was actually higher than those hanging around Ferrari. When, if ever, was the last time this happened?
(excerpted from a feature story appearing in the next iL TRIDENTE)
Ferrari-Maserati CEO Luca di Montezemolo refers to the new Maserati MC12 Stradale at the 2004 Geneva Auto Show. Maserati Factory head Antonello Perricone to his right, Ferrari technical director Ing. Felisa to his left. (photo: Frank Markus)
At the press conference, Ferrari-Maserati CEO Mr. Montezemolo unveiled with pride the latest products of Maserati’s rebirth: the astounding Quattroporte sedan, the Enzo-derived MC12 race car and its equally astonishing road car sister the "MC12 Stradale", as well as the latest development on the theme of the Coupe GT, dubbed the “Gran Sport.” The most important piece of news to be revealed was undoubtedly the official return of Maserati to racing. Under the experienced guidance of ex-Ferrari man Claudio Berro, for the first time since 1957 we have an official Maserati factory team. The MC12 was developed from the Enzo as the weapon with which Maserati will officially enter the FIA-GT championship in the second part of the 2004 season. And what a weapon it is: 630bhp at 7600rpm from a 6.0l V12 engine, a kerb weight of just over 1000Kg and racing aerodynamics carefully honed in the wind tunnel make the MC12 a fearsome competitor not only for the European FIA-GT championship, but also for the American “Le Mans” series and of course for classics such as the 24 hours of Daytona and Le Mans. The competition are warned!
The MC12 ("Stradale"+"Competizione")
The New Maserati "MC12 Stradale" at Geneva. (photo: Frank Markus)There has been a lot of discussion on whether the MC12 should rightfully be called a Maserati, as it is an obvious development from the Ferrari Enzo. I personally believe the Enzo to be the most advanced supercar ever designed, and certainly one of the fastest production cars ever (a direct comparison with the McLaren F1 has yet to be made). I also believe that it would have been a great waste, if all the engineering efforts behind it had been destined to fade away after the planned 399 Enzo road cars had been produced. It only makes sense that all the engineering and development experience of the Enzo project were exploited to create a new, dedicated racing car. Should this car have been badged as a Ferrari? I think this is beyond the point.
The point is that Maserati now has a fearsome racing weapon with the best V12 in the world under the hood, a carbon fiber structure as only true racing cars can boast, with breathtakingly beautiful yet functionally-designed bodywork aimed at optimizing aerodynamics on the racetrack. Apart from the fact that it would have been pointless for the same company to design the same concept twice in two years, to even think that the MC12 should and could ever have been designed from scratch by Maserati is to live in a fantasy world. In today’s world of high technology the costs for developing something like the MC12 from a clean sheet are almost unsustainably huge and not comparable to vague notions of a distant nostalgic past, when some creative engineering and a lot of enthusiasm were all that was needed to develop winning race cars. In this sense we can only applaud the decision of making full use of Ferrari-Maserati’s combined experience, engineering and resources to develop the first proper Maserati racing car since the Birdcage.
Maserati MC12 interior. (photo: Frank Markus)
I was particularly taken with the dramatic styling and interior ambiance of the road-going version of the MC12. This is no shrinking violet: on the road it will look like something that has taken a wrong turn at Le Mans or Monza and inadvertently ended up in everyday traffic, its function-designed aerodynamics only barely civilized for road use, its sheer presence and pure race-bred aggressiveness guaranteed to intimidate even the most oblivious full-size SUV drivers. It has a visual impact for me far superior than that of an Enzo, Mc Laren F1 or Porsche Carrera GT. Only the custom-made road version of the Le Mans-winning Porsche 962 from the late ‘80s (still built by Dauer in Germany) comes close to the visual drama of the MC12. The interior is a masterpiece of exposed carbon fiber, leather and function driven ergonomics, although – I couldn't believe it - in the middle of the central console the traditional Maserati Clock stands proud! This is a road-going Maserati like there have never been before, and the simple face that it exists should repay marque enthusiasts for all the years of hardship. Let’s hope it proves to be a great winner on the racetrack, and the score with history will finally be even.
The Coupe Grand Sport
New Maserati Coupe "Gransport" at Geneva. (photo courtesy: Maserati Spa)
With 400 bhp from a lightly revised engine and a sportier suspension set-up, the biggest seller in the current Maserati line-up has received a very welcome and unexpected upgrade. The elegant Coupe GT turns into a more aggressive, more handling oriented supercar yet relinquishes none of the characteristics which make it so unique amongst its competitors – four real seats, good luggage capacity, supreme comfort and some of the best refinement in its class.
Maserati Coupe "Gransport" interior. (photo: Frank Markus)From an aesthetic point of view, the modifications are several and significant: the bodywork has received a modified, more aggressive front end while the sideskirts have been redesigned with an eye to aerodynamics. A small unobtrusive lip on the rear bootlid completes the exterior modifications. These changes were not whimsical – they are the result of a careful aerodynamic optimization: now the Coupe GS boasts an impressive (for its class) CD of 0.33 with excellent downforce at high speed. Other technical modifications include the new aggressive 19’’ rims on /30 profile tires, combined to a 10mm lower, stiffer and more handling-oriented suspension set-up.
The engine has received an upgrade to 400bhp. I have been told this is not the same engine as the Quattroporte, as the intake/exhaust manifolds of the sedan just won’t fit under the hood of the Coupe. I was told that the 400 bhp upgrade of the Coupe GS has been achieved simply by fine-tuning the standard engine and by hand-picking the best engines off the production line, earmarking them for the Coupe GS. Finally, the “Cambiocorsa” gearbox (the only one available) has been further developed to the point that gearchanges are now 30ms faster than before – all to the advantage of acceleration and driving pleasure.
****The full reviewof the Geneva Auto Show will appear in the next iL TRIDENTE. Become a member NOW!***
