First Drive: The Maserati GT2 Stradale Yearns for the Track but Belongs on the Road

Maserati’s first limited-run special since the Enzo-based MC12 may have racecar looks; what it does well on a track, it does better on the road.

Review: Maserati GT2 Stradale

• "Yet, the Maserati GT2 Stradale shows its hand long before you step into its Sabelt carbon buckets, strap in your four-point harness, or peer through its raked windshield at its vented hood and fenders."
• "As Maserati’s engineers rattle off stats with my time on track approaching, my expectations for the GT2 Stradale only increase. It shaves 132 pounds over a standard MC20 through a strict carbon fiber diet while its spring rates rise by eight and ten percent front to rear. Meanwhile, its 3.0-liter V6 sports revised turbochargers and new exhaust manifolds to support higher boost pressure, upping its output to 631 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque."
• "Tipping the scales at a claimed dry weight figure of 3,009 lb (closer to 3,200 lb with fluids), the Maserati GT2 Stradale is light even by modern supercar standards. Yet, even this featherweight squats under acceleration and dives under heavy braking in its Sport setting."
• "I  get the green light to set off for the final time. Instantly, the single-passenger GT2 Stradale feels quicker on its feet. Freed to pick up the pace, I push at full throttle down the first straight, this time clicking up a gear only when the steering wheels shift lights fully illuminate."
• "While the GT2 Stradale is the Trident’s first limited-run special in decades, this brief first encounter creates the impression that it’s great in isolation. Yet by offering an experience so similar to the MC20’s, when stacked against the industry’s best, it doesn’t feel special enough."
  

Read Full First Drive Review