Does the name Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale ring any bell in anyone’s mind? The same got unveiled at the Paris Auto Show in the previous year of 2010. The Italian manufacturer that makes the sportscar has now come up with a version of the MC for the United States which has two alterations—the maker calls it a ‘softer’ version and the name of Stradale is done away with. There is reason behind the alterations – the newer model by the name of Gran Turismo MC has a full automated gearbox in replacement of the original race shift transmission. Then there are two extra seats added in the back in place of the roll cage. Having said so, the Gran Turismo MC is the record holder of being the fastest series production model that Maserati has ever come up for sale in America.
However, even with a maximum speed of 298 km per hour or 185 miles per hour and an ability to speed from 0 to 100 kmph in a time span of 4.9 seconds, the Gran Turismo is 3 kmph and 0.3 seconds more sluggish than the Euro-spec MC Stradale. The reason for the slower performance can be attributed to fully automatic transmission in the US model which cannot match up to the response of the Race shift box. To add to it the rear seats adds weights to the car though no numbers are yet released by the company. These alterations were incorporated to appease the aspirations of the consumers residing in the United States. The company justified the changes meted out to the car saying the Gran Turismo MC is “aimed at a slightly more luxurious market.”
The MC nameplate comes from the point that the sedan is developed by the Maserati Core division. The car derives its power to rage the road from a 4.7 liter V8 engine that can pump out a max power of 450 ponies at 7000 rpm while the torque rating stands at 510 Nm or 376 lb-ft at 4750 rpm. The figures and comparative study reveal that the latter is 20 Nm of torque more than the Gran Turismo S Automatic.
From the visual point of view, the Gran Turismo MC resembles its European sibling upto the notch of becoming twin except a few areas such as the colored turn signals, the black mirror caps and the handles on the doors. The unveiling of the MC happened at Maserati’s new showroom in the TriBeCa area present in New York. The detailed information about the price tags and production numerals are to be made public at a later date.
Source: carscoop
