2011 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale Photos, engines & full specs

Even though the GranTurismo was a luxurious four-door coupe built to cover long distances in short periods of time, Maserati didn’t want to leave it that way and transformed it into a high-performance, track-focused supercar: the MC Stradale.

With the 2011 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale, the Italian automaker proved that it could make any car from its lineup go faster than it was built in the first place. The GranTurismo shared its platform with the four-door Quattroporte model, and despite its excellent weight distribution of 48/52 (front/rear), it wasn’t built for high-speed cornering. With the MC Stradale, it was a completely different story. The automaker improved it in every possible way, from the engine to the suspension and from the exterior look to the interior. As a result, those craving a track-oriented Maserati could get it. Last but not least, the GranTurismo MC Stradale could be driven on public roads, taking its owners in comfort and a luxurious interior.

At the front, the MC Stradale had a different front fascia than the one existing in the regular GranTurismo. It featured a new bumper with a broader air intake on the lower side. Furthermore, Maserati redesigned the hood and added a pair of vents on the rearward part of it to help cool the engine. Unlike the regular GranTurismo, the MC Stradale version featured a black background for the Bi-Xenon headlights.

From its profile, the 2011 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale boasted its 20-inch black light alloy wheels and the lowered ground clearance by 25 millimeters (1 inch) compared to its regular sibling. The front fenders featured extracting vents behind the wheel arches to help downforce, which was higher by 25% at the front and 50% at the rear than the rest of the range. Finally, at the back, Maserati placed a larger lip spoiler on the deck, while the rear bumper was redesigned, sporting a diffuser underneath it flanked by a pair of titanium exhausts.

Inside, the most significant change was the removal of the rear seats, which Maserati did to lighten the car. At the same time, the front sports seats were wrapped in Alcantara, and customers could get roll cages and race harnesses as an option. Between the occupants, the automaker placed a center console adorned by carbon fiber trim and buttons for the automated gearbox. Since the car was also built to be driven on public roads, it also featured an AC system and a touchscreen infotainment unit placed on the center console.

But the most essential upgrade was on the technical side. Maserati lightened the vehicle by 110 kg (242 lbs.) compared to the rest of the range. It also included an adaptive suspension and three settings for the automated gearbox that shortened the gear-changing times from 140 in Auto to just 60 milliseconds in Race mode. The gearbox was carried over from the Ferrari F430 and helped the 4.7-liter cross-plane V8 engine to rocket the car from naught to 62 mph (0-100 kph) in under five seconds. To stop the vehicle, the automaker employed a carbon ceramic braking system.