Maserati GT2 Premieres at 24 Hours of Spa but Won't Be Racing Straight Away

As promised not long ago, the 24 Hours of Spa race taking place at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Belgium is almost as cool as the recently concluded 24 Hours of Le Mans - at least in terms of what is going on around the circuit from the OEM standpoint. Thus, after Ford unveiled the Dark Horse-based Mustang GT4 dedicated to worldwide racers (young or old, experienced or not), Maserati is now thundering on the side of the track with the beastly GT2 race car model.

We have known about the Maserati GT2's arrival for a while, but the Italian automaker needed the additional time for "an intensive series of tests to tune up the car." Now, though, the House of the Trident is showcasing the "new gem of technology and performance," it fully intends to bring the brand back to GT competitions in all its glory. And we must say it's one of the prettiest race car sights in a while. Of course, it also has some big shoes to fill in, as the previous entry into the GT roster – the Maserati MC12 – "completely dominated the track from 2005 to 2010."

Obviously derived from the street-legal MC20, the Maserati GT2 is a fusion "between Maserati's past, present and future: it draws on the living legacy of the MC12; it expresses the best potential, in the racing version of the MC20 super sports car," and is also trying to write "new chapters in the history of motorsport" with help from the 621-hp Nettuno V6 engine. Dedicated to both "gentleman drivers" and private teams, the new race thoroughbred will take part in any championships or individual events devoted to the GT2 class and will make its debut on the track during the final stages of the 2023 Fanatec GT European Series.

From then on, it will participate in the entire season next year, complete with 'a few' modifications compared to the street-legal MC20. Although they both use the same mill, complete with 621 hp (463 kW) at 7,500 rpm and a torque of 730 Nm (538 lb-ft) at full song (3,000 rpm), the Maserati GT2 differs from the MC20 counterpart in a few key areas. For example, the stock eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission has been swapped in favor of a six-speed, sequential gearbox with paddle shifters and the needed heavy-duty motorsport clutch assembly.

It also has a limited-slip mechanical self-locking differential focused on racing use, forged 18-inch center-lock wheels, adjustable dampers front and rear, plus a new race-spec exhaust system. Naturally, the composite body parts mirror the MC20 but also do a better job at improving the aerodynamics and cooling, with the extreme aero package bundling neat stuff like canards, an enormous, fixed rear wing, aggressive diffusers and extractors, plus a roof scoop. Interestingly, this race car is not without creature comforts – like AC, the Blu Infinito paintjob, a passenger seat, or a rearview camera, among others.