The Captivating Story of the 2004 Maserati MC 12

Under the stewardship of Ferrari, and on a determined mission to crack America, Maserati needed a flagship motor sport project. With the Prancing Horse in rude health, it seemed only natural that the roots of the design would come from one of Maranello’s revered sons.

The Enzo supercar provided its V12 drivetrain, chassis and track, but the body was unique to the MC12. Though Giorgetto Giugiaro conjured an initial shape for wind tunnel testing, the majority of the car’s styling was done by the director of Ferrari-Maserati Concept Design and Development at the time, Frank Stephenson. It was a shape that evoked Group C racing cars, and was driven by a desire to not only win, but to dominate the FIA’s GTI Championship.

For increased downforce, the MC12’s body was longer, wider and taller than that of the Enzo. The V12 was also altered, with a 500rpm lower redline and gear-driven, rather than chain-driven, camshafts.

The monocoque chassis was a blend of carbonfibre and nomex, to which aluminium sub-chassis were attached front and rear. The car’s double-wishbone suspension featured pushrod-operated coil springs.

Performance was staggering; the MC12 could sprint to 62mph in 3.8 seconds, and to 124mph in 9.9 seconds, eventually running out of revs at 205mph. What’s more notable is that the car proved to be quicker around the Nürburgring Nordschleife than the Ferrari Enzo.

Just 50 roadgoing MC12 were built over two years, in two distinct batches of 25. The first models had slightly longer noses than the second batch, due to a change in racing specifications. This particular car’s longer front overhang marks it out as one of the earlier examples.

The Fuji White and Blu Victory livery is designed to evoke memories of the America Camoradi (Casner Motor Racing Division) Maserati Tipo 60/61 Birdcage that effectively ran as Maserati’s Works team. This was the only livery available at launch, though Michael Schumacher’s one-off was black.

Maserati’s quest for glory in the GTI Championship was a successful one – the car took two Constructors’ titles, six Teams’ titles and six Drivers’ Championships between 2005 and 2010. However, the car was denied a shot at Le Mans glory as it was longer and wider than permitted for its class.

This particular example of the roadgoing Stradale model was on display at Concours of Elegance 2023 and has covered just over 1000km and its engine cover has been signed by its designer, Frank Stephenson.