Maserati MC12
Encyclopedia
The Maserati MC12 is a two-seater sports car
produced by Italian car maker Maserati
to allow a racing variant to compete in the FIA GT Championship
. The car entered production in 2004 with 30 cars produced (five of which were not for sale). A further 25 were produced in 2005 making a total of 50 cars available for customers, each of which were pre-sold for €
600 000.
Maserati designed and built the car on the chassis
of the Enzo Ferrari but the final car has much larger size and a lower drag coefficient. The MC12 is longer, wider and taller and has a sharper nose and smoother curves than the Enzo Ferrari, which has faster acceleration, better braking performance (shorter braking distance) and a higher top speed. The top speed of the Maserati MC12 is 330 kilometres per hour (205 mph) whereas the top speed of the Enzo Ferrari is 350 kilometres per hour (217.5 mph).
The MC12 was developed to signal Maserati's return to racing after 37 years. The road version was produced to homologate
the race version. One requirement for participation in the FIA GT is the production of at least 25 road cars. Three GT1 race cars were entered into the FIA GT with great success. Maserati began racing the MC12 in the FIA GT toward the end of the 2004 season, winning the race held at the Zhuhai International Circuit
. The racing MC12s were entered into the American Le Mans Series
races in 2005 but exceeded the size restrictions and consequently paid weight penalties due to excess range.
in order to create a race car for Maserati that would be eligible to compete in the FIA GT. Its initial name was the MCC, meaning Maserati Corse Competizione, and development under the direction of Giorgio Ascanelli was planned to be simultaneous with that of the MCS, the road going version. The body shape was developed from an idea by Giorgetto Giugiaro
during wind tunnel testing, though the majority of styling was by Frank Stephenson
. The MCC had a very similar body shape to the MC12 but there were several key differences, most notably the rear spoiler
. Andrea Bertolini
was the chief test driver throughout the development (although some testing was done by Michael Schumacher
), frequently testing the MCC at the Fiorano Circuit
. As the MCC was developed further, word of the MCS ceased and eventually the final name, MC12, was announced.
The car is based heavily on the Enzo Ferrari
, sharing the same Ferrari Dino V12 engine with slight modifications, the same gearbox (but renaming it Maserati Cambiocorsa) and the same chassis
and track (length of axle
between the wheels). The Maserati MC12 has its own bodywork which is wider, longer and slightly taller leaving the windshield as the only externally visible component shared with the Enzo. This extra size allows for greater downforce
across the whole body, adding to that of the two metre spoiler
.
with a targa top
roof, although the detached roof cannot be stored in the car. The mid-rear layout (engine between the axles but behind the cabin) keeps the centre of gravity in the middle of the car, which increases stability and improves the car's cornering ability. The standing weight distribution
is 41% front: 59% rear; at speed however, the downforce provided by the rear spoiler affects this such that at 200 kilometres per hour (125 mph), the effective weight distribution is 34% front: 66% rear.
vehicle and is a modification of a racing car, the interior is intended to be luxurious. The interior is a mix of gel-coated carbon fibre, blue leather and silver "Brightex": a synthetic material which was found to be "too expensive for the fashion industry." The centre console features the characteristic Maserati oval analogue clock and a blue ignition button, but it has been criticised for lacking a radio
, car stereo or a place to install an aftermarket
sound system.
The body of the car, made entirely of carbon fibre, has undergone extensive wind tunnel
testing to achieve maximum downforce across all surfaces. As a result, the rear spoiler is two metres (79 in) wide but only 30 millimetres (1.2 in) thick, the underside of the car is smooth, and the rear bumper has diffusers
to take advantage of ground effect
. Air is sucked into the engine compartment through the air scoop
; its positioning on top of the cabin makes the car taller than the Enzo. The exterior is available only in the white and blue colour scheme, a tribute to the America Camoradi racing team that drove the Maserati Tipo Birdcages
in the early 1960s. The car is noted for the awkwardness that results from its size: very long and wider than a Hummer H2
. This, combined with the lack of a rear window, makes parking the MC12 very difficult.
), six-litre (5,998 cc/366 cu in) Enzo Ferrari-derived V12 engine
, mounted at 65°. Each cylinder
has four valves
, lubricated via a dry sump
system, and a compression ratio
of 11.2:1. These combine to provide a maximum torque of 652 newton metre
s (481 lbf·ft) at 5500 rpm and a maximum power
of 630 PS at 7500 rpm. The redline
rpm is indicated at 7500—despite being safe up to 7700—whereas the Enzo has redline at 8200 rpm.
The Maserati MC12 can accelerate from 0–100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) in 3.8 seconds (though Motor Trend Magazine
managed 3.7 seconds) and on to 200 kilometres per hour (125 mph) in 9.9 seconds. It can complete a standing (from stationary) quarter mile in 11.3 seconds with a terminal speed of 200 kilometres per hour (125 mph) or a standing kilometre in 20.1 seconds. The maximum speed of the Maserati MC12 is 330 kilometres per hour (205 mph).
The power is fed to the wheels through a rear-mounted, six-speed semi-automatic transmission
. The gearbox is the same as the Enzo's transmission (tuned to different gear ratio
s) but renamed "Maserati Cambiocorsa". It provides a shift time
of just 150 milliseconds, and is mechanical with a 215 millimetre (8.5 in) twin plate dry clutch.
is a monocoque made of carbon
and nomex
, with an aluminium
sub-chassis at the front and rear. It has a roll bar
to provide additional strength, comfort and safety. Double wishbone suspension
with push-rod-operated coil spring
s provide stability and dampers
smooth the ride for the passengers. The front of the car can be raised for speed bumps and hills by pressing a button that extends the front suspension. There are two modes for the chassis' tuning which can also be changed with a button in the cabin: Sport, the standard setting, and Race, which features less of the Bosch
ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) traction control
, faster shifts and stiffer suspension.
are Pirelli
P Zero Corsas with codes
of 245/35 ZR 19 for the front tyres and 345/35 ZR 19 for the rear. The brakes are Brembo
disc brakes with a Bosch anti-lock braking system
(ABS). The front brakes have a diameter of 380 millimetres (15 in) with six-piston calipers and the rear brakes have a diameter of 335 millimetres (13.2 in) with four-piston calipers. The centre-lock wheel nuts
that hold the wheels to the chassis are colour coded: red on the left of the car, blue on the right.
, rear window, spare tire and radio, and the way the car's engine was limited or "drugged". Current driver for Vitaphone Racing
Team Andrea Bertolini
, the chief test driver throughout the development
, said the car "reacts well and is very reliable in its reactions."
The Top Gear
television series acquired an MC12, and test driver The Stig
achieved a lap time of 1:18.9 around the Top Gear track—0.1 seconds faster than his lap in the Enzo Ferrari. Host Jeremy Clarkson
also drove it, comparing it to the Maserati Biturbo
, a car he disliked. Clarkson criticised the car greatly, pointing out that, like the Enzo, it lacks a rear window. He also commented that it is "difficult" due to its size, and "one of the twitchiest cars" he has ever driven, meaning a small action by the driver results in an exaggerated reaction from the car. For these reasons, he promptly renamed the car "The MC Hammer
". Regarding the design of a racing car and modification to road standards he said, "Is it a racer? Is it a GT car? Is it a de-tuned Enzo in a fat suit? You can't really tell." Despite his criticisms he did compliment the smooth ride:
Motor Trend Magazine reviewer Frank Markus had a more positive opinion. Despite initial skepticism he said, "It turns out that the Enzo makes a more comfortable and attractive road car when made over as a butch Maserati racer in street couture". Markus complimented the stability of braking and the handling ability of the MC12, especially the drifting allowed by the traction control when cornering, commenting that "There's none of the knife-edged limit handling we criticised in the more extreme Enzo. It's even more forgiving at the limit than an Acura NSX."
When Automobile Magazine
tested an MC12, reviewer Preston Lerner called it "user-friendly", praising the responsiveness and simplicity of driving. Lerner approved of Frank Stephenson
's work with the styling of both the car's exterior and interior, calling the trim "Speed-Racer-ish" but "without looking as though it belongs in a Nitrous-ized Civic". He also complimented the ASR's level of intervention, commenting that it "lets the fun factor get reasonably high before kicking in".
Recently Evo Magazine ran the MC12 at Nordschleife and obtained a 7:24.29 second lap time. This was also the second time an MC12 recorded a faster lap time than its Ferrari counterpart, with the Enzo lapping the track exactly 1 second slower. Both times were set by the same driver, Marc Basseng.
factory-backed squad debuted the race at Imola
, yet the FIA did not allow the MC12 to score points due to its debated homologation. Even with this setback, the team managed to take second and third places. At the next round at Oschersleben, the MC12 of Andrea Bertolini
and Mika Salo
won for the first time. At the final round of the year at Zhuhai
, the FIA finally agreed to homologate the MC12s and allow them to score points towards the championship. With this, the MC12 again took victory, allowing it to score enough points to finish 7th in the teams championship.
In 2005 Maserati won the FIA GT Manufacturers Cup with 239 points: almost double the score of next team (Ferrari
with 125 points). The two teams that entered MC12s into the FIA GT, Vitaphone Racing
and JMB Racing
, finished first and second respectively in the Team Cup, with Vitaphone winning by a considerable margin. Four of the MC12 drivers were in the running to win the FIA GT Drivers' Title at the Bahrain International Circuit
at the start of the final race of 2005: Karl Wendlinger
and Andrea Bertolini
each on 71 points and Timo Scheider
and Michael Bartels
on 70. Gabriele Gardel of Ferrari was also on 70 points, however, and in the crucial race he placed ahead of the all of the Maseratis, driving an older Ferrari 550 Maranello. Gardel took the title leaving all of the Maserati drivers within four points of first place (Scheider and Wendlinger receiving four points for the race).
In 2006 the only team representing Maserati was Vitaphone Racing. On September 30, 2006 Vitaphone secured the Teams' Championship for the 2006 season
despite their drivers placing 5th and 7th in the Budapest 500km race
with weight penalties of 85 kilograms and 105 kilograms respectively. Bertolini and Bartels also shared first place in the Drivers' Championship on 71 points but the manufacturers cup went to Aston Martin.
Vitaphone Racing again won the GT1 Teams' Championship in the 2007 season
on 115 points, followed by fellow MC12 team Scuderia Playteam Sarafree on 63 points. JMB Racing also entered two MC12s, but they were used by amateur drivers competing in the Citation Cup, which was won by JMB's driver Ben Aucott. Maserati also won the Manufacturers' Cup by a significant margin while Thomas Biagi
won the Drivers' Championship. Fellow Vitaphone drivers Miguel Ramos and Christian Montanari tied for sixth, while Playteam's Andrea Bertolini
and Andrea Piccini were just behind.
For 2008, Vitaphone Racing returned with a pair of MC12s for drivers Andrea Bertolini
, Michael Bartels
, and Miguel Ramos
, as well as newcomer Alexandre Negrão
. The season ended with another Teams' Championship for Vitaphone Racing (122.5 points) and Drivers' Championship for Bertolini and Bartels. In the ninth round, the team fielded a third car under the name of Team Vitasystem, driven by Pedro Lamy
and Matteo Bobbi
which scored one point. JMB Racing retained a single MC12 for 2007 Citation Cup winner Ben Aucott and drivers Peter Kutemann and Alain Ferté, competing in the first five events of the championship.
In the 2009 season
the Vitaphone Racing won the fifth consecutive Team Championship, while Bertolini and Bartels gained their third Drivers' Championship. The other two drivers were Miguel Ramos and Alex Müller
, who ended in sixth position. Starting from the fourth round, the team entered a third car under the name of Vitaphone Racing Team DHL, driven by Matteo Bobbi and Alessandro Pier Guidi
, achieving good results: despite being only a one-car team, with a partial season involvement, they ended the Teams' Championship in fourth position (32 points), scoring a victory in the last round.
in 2010, Maserati continued their commitment to the series with two teams entering. Vitaphone Racing Team, the defending FIA GT Champions, won five races enroute to the Drivers' and Teams' World Championships, but Maserati lost to Aston Martin
in the Manufacturers' Trophy. The second team representing Maserati was Alfrid Heger's Triple H Team Hegersport.
. In 2005 Maserati introduced two MC12s to the GT1 division under Scuderia Playteam and Racing Box, with the teams placing first and third overall respectively. The cars were re-entered in 2006, with Scuderia Playteam again securing overall victory and Racing Box coming second. From 2007, GT1 cars are not permitted in the championship, and Scuderia Playteam moved to the FIA GT Championship.
Racing Box also participated in the non-championship 6 Hours of Vallelunga
twice, winning in 2005 with Michele Rugolo
, Leonardo Maddelena, and Davide Mastracci, then again in 2006 with Pedro Lamy
, Marco Cioci, and Piergiuseppe Perazzini.
winning outfit Team Goh
was intending to race a Maserati MC12 in the Super GT
series in Japan
. However, the team was forced to withdraw because of driver problems (Jan Magnussen
falling ill suddenly and returning to Denmark
) and disappointing lap times at the Suzuka Circuit
during testing. While the car was faster than its Super GT rivals down the straights, it was losing more than a second per lap in the corners due to its poorer aerodynamics.
, such as the Le Mans Endurance Series (LMES) in Europe and the American Le Mans Series
(ALMS) because they exceeded both the length and width restrictions for their class. The car's nose was shortened by 200 millimetres (7.9 in) to attempt to comply with regulations, but was still 66 millimetres (2.6 in) too wide. In 2005 the governing body of the ALMS, the International Motor Sports Association
(IMSA), allowed the MC12s to compete as a guest with the agreement that they were not allowed to score championship points and were forced to run a weight penalty. Some ALMS teams initially objected to the participation of the MC12 due to the possibility that an accident could eliminate their chances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
, but the MC12 was finally allowed to race. The ACO stood by their ruling on the car by forbidding it from entering other Le Mans series.
The lone MC12 would be campaigned under the Maserati Corse banner, but run by the American Risi Competizione
team. The 2005 American Le Mans Series season
was not as successful for the team, with the team scoring no wins. In the final race at Laguna Seca, the MC12 was clipped by a competitor, causing damage that resulted in a lengthy pit stop
. After resuming the race, a loss of traction caused by cold tires made the car hit a curb, which broke the radiator
and took the MC12 out of the race.
In August 2007, Fredy Lienhard and Didier Theys
announced their preparation of a former FIA GT MC12 for use in the American Le Mans Series. The car made its debut at Road America
, finishing 3rd in the GT1 class after qualifying competitively. The only other race entered was Round 11 at Road Atlanta for the Petit Le Mans
where the team failed to finish following an accident, but were still classified second in class. Doran's Maserati however had qualified on the class pole. The team selected Michelin
tires instead of the Pirelli
s originally used by Maserati Corse in 2005, and was also allowed to race with a full-width rear wing instead of the smaller wing used by Maserati Corse and teams in FIA GT, although the wing was not as tall. IMSA also allowed Doran to score points in the American Le Mans Series championships.
The Corsa was developed directly from the MC12 GT1, which won the 2005 FIA GT Manufacturers Cup. The car was released in mid-2006, "in response to the customer demand to own the MC12 racing car and fueled by the growth in track days, where owners can drive their cars at high speeds in the safety of a race track", as stated by Edward Butler, General Manager for Maserati in Australia
and New Zealand
. In similar fashion to the Ferrari FXX
, although the owners are private individuals, Maserati is responsible for the storage, upkeep, and maintenance of the cars, and they are only driven on specially organized track day
s. Unlike the FXX, Corsas are not used for research and development, and are used only for entertainment. A single MC12 Corsa has been modified by its owner to make it street-legal.
Only twelve MC12 Corsas were sold to selected customers, each of whom paid €1 million (US$1.47 million) for the privilege. Another three vehicles were produced for testing and publicity purposes. The Corsa shares its engine with the MC12 GT1; the powerplant produces 755 PS at 8000 rpm, 122 PS more than the original MC12. The MC12 Corsa shares the GT1's shortened nose, which was a requirement for entry into the American Le Mans Series
. The car was available in a single standard color, named "Blue Victory", though the car's paint could be customized upon request. The MC12 Corsa possesses steel/carbon racing brakes, but is not fitted with an anti-lock braking system
.
The Birdcage 75th is a concept car
created by automobile manufacturer Maserati
and designed by Pininfarina
. It was first introduced at the 2005 Geneva Auto Show. It draws inspiration from the Maserati Tipo Birdcages
of the 1960s and was made as a celebration of Pininfarina
's 75th anniversary
. It is an evolution of the Enzo's MC12 cousin.
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
produced by Italian car maker Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
to allow a racing variant to compete in the FIA GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia and South...
. The car entered production in 2004 with 30 cars produced (five of which were not for sale). A further 25 were produced in 2005 making a total of 50 cars available for customers, each of which were pre-sold for €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
600 000.
Maserati designed and built the car on the chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
of the Enzo Ferrari but the final car has much larger size and a lower drag coefficient. The MC12 is longer, wider and taller and has a sharper nose and smoother curves than the Enzo Ferrari, which has faster acceleration, better braking performance (shorter braking distance) and a higher top speed. The top speed of the Maserati MC12 is 330 kilometres per hour (205 mph) whereas the top speed of the Enzo Ferrari is 350 kilometres per hour (217.5 mph).
The MC12 was developed to signal Maserati's return to racing after 37 years. The road version was produced to homologate
Homologation (motorsport)
In motorsports, homologation is the approval process a vehicle, race track or standardised part must go through to race in a given league or series. The regulations and rules that must be met are generally set by the series' sanctioning body...
the race version. One requirement for participation in the FIA GT is the production of at least 25 road cars. Three GT1 race cars were entered into the FIA GT with great success. Maserati began racing the MC12 in the FIA GT toward the end of the 2004 season, winning the race held at the Zhuhai International Circuit
Zhuhai International Circuit
Zhuhai International Circuit is located at Jin Ding town in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.Motorsport started in Zhuhai when it hosted a race on its street circuit in 1993, racing continued until 1996 when the motor racing circuit was constructed and became China’s...
. The racing MC12s were entered into the American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
races in 2005 but exceeded the size restrictions and consequently paid weight penalties due to excess range.
Development
Development of the Maserati MC12 began while Maserati was owned by FerrariFerrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
in order to create a race car for Maserati that would be eligible to compete in the FIA GT. Its initial name was the MCC, meaning Maserati Corse Competizione, and development under the direction of Giorgio Ascanelli was planned to be simultaneous with that of the MCS, the road going version. The body shape was developed from an idea by Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today...
during wind tunnel testing, though the majority of styling was by Frank Stephenson
Frank Stephenson
Frank Stephenson is an automobile designer. He was born in Morocco, lived in Malaga, and went to high school in Madrid, Spain. Stephenson is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California....
. The MCC had a very similar body shape to the MC12 but there were several key differences, most notably the rear spoiler
Spoiler (automotive)
A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often called air dams, because in addition to directing air flow they also reduce the amount of air...
. Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini is an Italian race car driver currently driving for Swiss Team in the Superstars Series. He is the official test driver of the Maserati factory....
was the chief test driver throughout the development (although some testing was done by Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
), frequently testing the MCC at the Fiorano Circuit
Fiorano Circuit
The Fiorano Circuit is a private racetrack owned by Ferrari for development and testing purposes. It is located near the Italian town of Maranello....
. As the MCC was developed further, word of the MCS ceased and eventually the final name, MC12, was announced.
The car is based heavily on the Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari (car)
The Enzo Ferrari is a 12 cylinder mid-engine berlinetta named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was built in 2002 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style electrohydraulic shift transmission, and Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide ceramic composite...
, sharing the same Ferrari Dino V12 engine with slight modifications, the same gearbox (but renaming it Maserati Cambiocorsa) and the same chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
and track (length of axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
between the wheels). The Maserati MC12 has its own bodywork which is wider, longer and slightly taller leaving the windshield as the only externally visible component shared with the Enzo. This extra size allows for greater downforce
Downforce
Downforce is a downwards thrust created by the aerodynamic characteristics of a car. The purpose of downforce is to allow a car to travel faster through a corner by increasing the vertical force on the tires, thus creating more grip....
across the whole body, adding to that of the two metre spoiler
Spoiler (automotive)
A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often called air dams, because in addition to directing air flow they also reduce the amount of air...
.
Overview
The MC12 is a two-door coupeCoupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
with a targa top
Targa top
Targa top, targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Porsche AG....
roof, although the detached roof cannot be stored in the car. The mid-rear layout (engine between the axles but behind the cabin) keeps the centre of gravity in the middle of the car, which increases stability and improves the car's cornering ability. The standing weight distribution
Weight distribution
Weight distribution is the apportioning of weight within a vehicle, especially cars, airplanes, and trains.In a vehicle which relies on gravity in some way, weight distribution directly affects a variety of vehicle characteristics, including handling, acceleration, traction, and component life...
is 41% front: 59% rear; at speed however, the downforce provided by the rear spoiler affects this such that at 200 kilometres per hour (125 mph), the effective weight distribution is 34% front: 66% rear.
Interior
Even though the car is designed as a homologationHomologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
vehicle and is a modification of a racing car, the interior is intended to be luxurious. The interior is a mix of gel-coated carbon fibre, blue leather and silver "Brightex": a synthetic material which was found to be "too expensive for the fashion industry." The centre console features the characteristic Maserati oval analogue clock and a blue ignition button, but it has been criticised for lacking a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, car stereo or a place to install an aftermarket
Aftermarket (automotive)
The automotive aftermarket is the secondary market of the automotive industry, concerned with the manufacturing, remanufacturing, distribution, retailing, and installation of all vehicle parts, chemicals, tools, equipment and accessories for light and heavy vehicles, after the sale of the...
sound system.
Exterior
Wind tunnel
A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...
testing to achieve maximum downforce across all surfaces. As a result, the rear spoiler is two metres (79 in) wide but only 30 millimetres (1.2 in) thick, the underside of the car is smooth, and the rear bumper has diffusers
Diffuser (automotive)
A diffuser, in an automotive context, is a shaped section of the car underbody which improves the car's aerodynamic properties by enhancing the transition between the high-velocity airflow underneath the car and the much slower freestream airflow of the ambient atmosphere...
to take advantage of ground effect
Ground effect in cars
Ground effect is term applied to a series of aerodynamic effects used in car design, which has been exploited to create downforce, particularly in racing cars. This has been the successor to the earlier dominant aerodynamic theory of streamlining...
. Air is sucked into the engine compartment through the air scoop
Cold air intake
A cold air intake is an aftermarket assembly of parts used to bring relatively cool air into a car's internal-combustion engine.Most vehicles manufactured since the mid-1970s have thermostatic air intake systems that regulate the temperature of the air entering the engine's intake tract, providing...
; its positioning on top of the cabin makes the car taller than the Enzo. The exterior is available only in the white and blue colour scheme, a tribute to the America Camoradi racing team that drove the Maserati Tipo Birdcages
Maserati Tipo 61
The Maserati Tipo 61 is sports racing cars of the early 1960s. The car was produced between 1959 and 1961 by Maserati for racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance classic. It used an intricate tubular space frame chassis, containing about 200 chro-moly steel tubes welded together, hence the...
in the early 1960s. The car is noted for the awkwardness that results from its size: very long and wider than a Hummer H2
Hummer H2
The Hummer H2 is an SUV and SUT that was marketed by General Motors under the Hummer brand. It is a large truck , while longer, heavier , and taller with room for six passengers , seven passengers in some models. The rearmost part of the H2 SUV was modified to a pickup truck bed for the 2005 H2 SUT...
. This, combined with the lack of a rear window, makes parking the MC12 very difficult.
Engine
The MC12 sports a 232 kilogram (511 lbPound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
), six-litre (5,998 cc/366 cu in) Enzo Ferrari-derived V12 engine
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, mounted at 65°. Each cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
has four valves
Poppet valve
A poppet valve is a valve consisting of a hole, usually round or oval, and a tapered plug, usually a disk shape on the end of a shaft also called a valve stem. The shaft guides the plug portion by sliding through a valve guide...
, lubricated via a dry sump
Dry sump
A dry sump is a lubricating motor oil management method for four-stroke and large two-stroke piston internal combustion engines that uses external pumps and a secondary external reservoir for oil, as compared to a conventional wet sump system....
system, and a compression ratio
Compression ratio
The 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...
of 11.2:1. These combine to provide a maximum torque of 652 newton metre
Newton metre
A newton metre is a unit of torque in the SI system. The symbolic form is N m or N·m, and sometimes hyphenated newton-metre...
s (481 lbf·ft) at 5500 rpm and a maximum power
Power (physics)
In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...
of 630 PS at 7500 rpm. The redline
Redline
Redline refers to the maximum engine speed at which an internal combustion engine or traction motor and its components are designed to operate without causing damage to the components themselves or other parts of the engine...
rpm is indicated at 7500—despite being safe up to 7700—whereas the Enzo has redline at 8200 rpm.
The Maserati MC12 can accelerate from 0–100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) in 3.8 seconds (though Motor Trend Magazine
Motor Trend
Motor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line "The Magazine for a Motoring World". Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen...
managed 3.7 seconds) and on to 200 kilometres per hour (125 mph) in 9.9 seconds. It can complete a standing (from stationary) quarter mile in 11.3 seconds with a terminal speed of 200 kilometres per hour (125 mph) or a standing kilometre in 20.1 seconds. The maximum speed of the Maserati MC12 is 330 kilometres per hour (205 mph).
The power is fed to the wheels through a rear-mounted, six-speed semi-automatic transmission
Semi-automatic transmission
A semi-automatic transmission is an automobile transmission that does not change gears automatically, but rather facilitates manual gear changes by dispensing with the need to press...
. The gearbox is the same as the Enzo's transmission (tuned to different gear ratio
Gear ratio
The gear ratio of a gear train is the ratio of the angular velocity of the input gear to the angular velocity of the output gear, also known as the speed ratio of the gear train. The gear ratio can be computed directly from the numbers of teeth of the various gears that engage to form the gear...
s) but renamed "Maserati Cambiocorsa". It provides a shift time
Shift time
Shift time refers to the time interval between gear changes in a transmission during which power delivery is interrupted. This is usually in reference to motor vehicles but can apply to any gearbox. Reducing shift time is important in performance vehicles or race cars because during shifting the...
of just 150 milliseconds, and is mechanical with a 215 millimetre (8.5 in) twin plate dry clutch.
| Gear | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio | 3.15:1 | 2.18:1 | 1.57:1 | 1.19:1 | 0.94:1 | 0.71:1 | 4.10:1 |
Chassis
The MC12’s chassisChassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
is a monocoque made of carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
and nomex
Nomex
Nomex is a registered trademark for flame resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s by DuPont and first marketed in 1967.- Properties:...
, with an aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
sub-chassis at the front and rear. It has a roll bar
Roll bar
Roll bar or rollbar may refer to:* Roll bar, also known as anti-roll bar or sway bar, a torsion spring bar that reduces vehicle roll* Roll cage, a vehicle frame designed to protect occupants in the event of a crash...
to provide additional strength, comfort and safety. Double wishbone suspension
Double wishbone suspension
In automobiles, a double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design using two wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckle. The shock absorber and coil spring mount to the wishbones to control...
with push-rod-operated coil spring
Coil spring
A Coil spring, also known as a helical spring, is a mechanical device, which is typically used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces...
s provide stability and dampers
Shock absorber
A shock absorber is a mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy. It is a type of dashpot.-Nomenclature:...
smooth the ride for the passengers. The front of the car can be raised for speed bumps and hills by pressing a button that extends the front suspension. There are two modes for the chassis' tuning which can also be changed with a button in the cabin: Sport, the standard setting, and Race, which features less of the Bosch
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) traction control
Traction control system
A traction control system , also known as anti-slip regulation , is typically a secondary function of the anti-lock braking system on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels...
, faster shifts and stiffer suspension.
Wheels
The MC12 has 480 millimetre (19 in) wheels with a width of 230 millimetres (9 in) at the front and 330 millimetres (13 in) at the rear. The tyresTire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
are Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
P Zero Corsas with codes
Tire code
Automobile tires are described by an alphanumeric tire code or tyre code , which is generally molded into the sidewall of the tire. This code specifies the dimensions of the tire, and some of its key limitations, such as load-bearing ability, and maximum speed...
of 245/35 ZR 19 for the front tyres and 345/35 ZR 19 for the rear. The brakes are Brembo
Brembo
Brembo S.p.A. is a manufacturer of automotive brake systems, especially for high-performance cars and motorcycles. It was established in Bergamo, Italy in 1961. Soon after the company was formed, it specialised in disc brakes, which were exclusively imported from the United Kingdom at the time...
disc brakes with a Bosch anti-lock braking system
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
(ABS). The front brakes have a diameter of 380 millimetres (15 in) with six-piston calipers and the rear brakes have a diameter of 335 millimetres (13.2 in) with four-piston calipers. The centre-lock wheel nuts
Nut (hardware)
A nut is a type of hardware fastener with a threaded hole. Nuts are almost always used opposite a mating bolt to fasten a stack of parts together. The two partners are kept together by a combination of their threads' friction, a slight stretch of the bolt, and compression of the parts...
that hold the wheels to the chassis are colour coded: red on the left of the car, blue on the right.
Reception
The car has generally received mixed reviews, with critics saying it is hard to drive, overpriced and too large. Other criticisms include the lack of a trunkTrunk (automobile)
The trunk or boot of an automobile or car is the vehicle's main storage, luggage, or cargo compartment. Trunk is used in North American English and Jamaican English; boot is used elsewhere in the English speaking world. Trunk is also primarily used in many non-English speaking regions, such as...
, rear window, spare tire and radio, and the way the car's engine was limited or "drugged". Current driver for Vitaphone Racing
Vitaphone Racing
Vitaphone Racing is a German racing team who participate in the FIA GT Championship. The team is actually Bartels Motor & Sport GmbH but runs under the title of their primary sponsor, Vitaphone GmbH. In 2011 Vitaphone Racing was renamed Vita4One...
Team Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini is an Italian race car driver currently driving for Swiss Team in the Superstars Series. He is the official test driver of the Maserati factory....
, the chief test driver throughout the development
Automotive design
Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles. This most commonly refers to automobiles but also refers to motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans...
, said the car "reacts well and is very reliable in its reactions."
The Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
television series acquired an MC12, and test driver The Stig
The Stig
The Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy...
achieved a lap time of 1:18.9 around the Top Gear track—0.1 seconds faster than his lap in the Enzo Ferrari. Host Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
also drove it, comparing it to the Maserati Biturbo
Maserati Biturbo
The Maserati Biturbo is a sports car introduced by Maserati in 1981. The Biturbo is a two-door, four-seater notchback coupé featuring, as the name implies, a two-litre V6 engine with two turbochargers and a luxurious interior.The car was designed by Pierangelo Andreani, an engineer from the De...
, a car he disliked. Clarkson criticised the car greatly, pointing out that, like the Enzo, it lacks a rear window. He also commented that it is "difficult" due to its size, and "one of the twitchiest cars" he has ever driven, meaning a small action by the driver results in an exaggerated reaction from the car. For these reasons, he promptly renamed the car "The MC Hammer
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...
". Regarding the design of a racing car and modification to road standards he said, "Is it a racer? Is it a GT car? Is it a de-tuned Enzo in a fat suit? You can't really tell." Despite his criticisms he did compliment the smooth ride:
This car glides over bumps, the suspension absorbing the roadworker Johnnies’ laziness without transferring a single ripple to the cool blue interior with its Milanese fashion house upholstery.
Motor Trend Magazine reviewer Frank Markus had a more positive opinion. Despite initial skepticism he said, "It turns out that the Enzo makes a more comfortable and attractive road car when made over as a butch Maserati racer in street couture". Markus complimented the stability of braking and the handling ability of the MC12, especially the drifting allowed by the traction control when cornering, commenting that "There's none of the knife-edged limit handling we criticised in the more extreme Enzo. It's even more forgiving at the limit than an Acura NSX."
When Automobile Magazine
Automobile Magazine
Automobile magazine is an automobile magazine in the United States and is owned by Source Interlink. It was founded by a group of former employees of Car and Driver magazine, led by that publications’s former editor, David E. Davis, and originally published by News Corporation...
tested an MC12, reviewer Preston Lerner called it "user-friendly", praising the responsiveness and simplicity of driving. Lerner approved of Frank Stephenson
Frank Stephenson
Frank Stephenson is an automobile designer. He was born in Morocco, lived in Malaga, and went to high school in Madrid, Spain. Stephenson is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California....
's work with the styling of both the car's exterior and interior, calling the trim "Speed-Racer-ish" but "without looking as though it belongs in a Nitrous-ized Civic". He also complimented the ASR's level of intervention, commenting that it "lets the fun factor get reasonably high before kicking in".
Recently Evo Magazine ran the MC12 at Nordschleife and obtained a 7:24.29 second lap time. This was also the second time an MC12 recorded a faster lap time than its Ferrari counterpart, with the Enzo lapping the track exactly 1 second slower. Both times were set by the same driver, Marc Basseng.
Racing
FIA GT
In 2004 Maserati completed three MC12 GT1 race cars intended for the FIA GT GT1 class. The AF CorseAF Corse
AF Corse is an Italian auto racing team founded by former racing driver Amato Ferrari in 2002 in Piacenza. Strongly linked to the Maserati and Ferrari brands, AF Corse currently competes in the Le Mans Series and International GT Open, and are currently four-time champions of the GT2 class of the...
factory-backed squad debuted the race at Imola
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello....
, yet the FIA did not allow the MC12 to score points due to its debated homologation. Even with this setback, the team managed to take second and third places. At the next round at Oschersleben, the MC12 of Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini is an Italian race car driver currently driving for Swiss Team in the Superstars Series. He is the official test driver of the Maserati factory....
and Mika Salo
Mika Salo
Mika Juhani Salo is a Finnish racing driver. He competed in Formula One between and . His best ranking was 10th in the world championship in 1999. He also won the GT2 class in the 2008 and 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans....
won for the first time. At the final round of the year at Zhuhai
Zhuhai International Circuit
Zhuhai International Circuit is located at Jin Ding town in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.Motorsport started in Zhuhai when it hosted a race on its street circuit in 1993, racing continued until 1996 when the motor racing circuit was constructed and became China’s...
, the FIA finally agreed to homologate the MC12s and allow them to score points towards the championship. With this, the MC12 again took victory, allowing it to score enough points to finish 7th in the teams championship.
In 2005 Maserati won the FIA GT Manufacturers Cup with 239 points: almost double the score of next team (Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
with 125 points). The two teams that entered MC12s into the FIA GT, Vitaphone Racing
Vitaphone Racing
Vitaphone Racing is a German racing team who participate in the FIA GT Championship. The team is actually Bartels Motor & Sport GmbH but runs under the title of their primary sponsor, Vitaphone GmbH. In 2011 Vitaphone Racing was renamed Vita4One...
and JMB Racing
JMB Racing
JMB Racing is a racing team from Monaco that competes in sports car racing. It was founded in Nice, France, in 1995 as JB Racing by Jean-Michel Bouresche and Jean-Pierre Jabouille. It was renamed JMB in 2000 after Jabouille left the partnership...
, finished first and second respectively in the Team Cup, with Vitaphone winning by a considerable margin. Four of the MC12 drivers were in the running to win the FIA GT Drivers' Title at the Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 and the annual Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix was the first held in the Middle East. Since 2006, Australian V8 Supercar has been raced at the BIC and the V8 races are named as the Desert 400...
at the start of the final race of 2005: Karl Wendlinger
Karl Wendlinger
Karl Wendlinger is an Austrian sportscar racing and former Formula One driver.- Mercedes Juniors :Wendlinger started his career in karting and in Formula Ford before entering the German Formula 3 Championship in 1988...
and Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini is an Italian race car driver currently driving for Swiss Team in the Superstars Series. He is the official test driver of the Maserati factory....
each on 71 points and Timo Scheider
Timo Scheider
Timo Scheider is a German racing driver who competes in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for Audi. He won the title in 2008 and 2009.-Karting:...
and Michael Bartels
Michael Bartels
Michael Bartels is a professional racing driver. He is a multiple FIA GT champion and former Grand Prix driver who failed to qualify for 4 Formula One races with Lotus.-Career:...
on 70. Gabriele Gardel of Ferrari was also on 70 points, however, and in the crucial race he placed ahead of the all of the Maseratis, driving an older Ferrari 550 Maranello. Gardel took the title leaving all of the Maserati drivers within four points of first place (Scheider and Wendlinger receiving four points for the race).
In 2006 the only team representing Maserati was Vitaphone Racing. On September 30, 2006 Vitaphone secured the Teams' Championship for the 2006 season
2006 FIA GT Championship season
The 2006 FIA GT Championship season is the 10th season of FIA GT Championship. It is a series for Grand Touring style cars broken into two classes based on power and manufacturer involvement, called GT1 and GT2. Invitational G2 and G3 classes are also allowed to participate, but do not count...
despite their drivers placing 5th and 7th in the Budapest 500km race
2006 FIA GT Budapest 500km
The 2006 FIA GT Budapest 500 km was the eighth race for the 2006 FIA GT Championship season. It took place on September 30, 2006, being run at the Hungaroring.-Official results:...
with weight penalties of 85 kilograms and 105 kilograms respectively. Bertolini and Bartels also shared first place in the Drivers' Championship on 71 points but the manufacturers cup went to Aston Martin.
Vitaphone Racing again won the GT1 Teams' Championship in the 2007 season
2007 FIA GT Championship season
The 2007 FIA GT Championship season was the 11th season of FIA GT Championship. It was a series for Grand Touring style cars broken into two classes based on power and manufacturer involvement, called GT1 and GT2. Invitational G2 and G3 classes were also allowed to participate, but did not count...
on 115 points, followed by fellow MC12 team Scuderia Playteam Sarafree on 63 points. JMB Racing also entered two MC12s, but they were used by amateur drivers competing in the Citation Cup, which was won by JMB's driver Ben Aucott. Maserati also won the Manufacturers' Cup by a significant margin while Thomas Biagi
Thomas Biagi
Thomas Biagi is a professional racecar driver from Italy. Biagi was born in Bologna, in 7 May 1976.Biagi started his career in single seaters, driving in Formula Alfa Boxer and Italian Formula Three Championship, where he was 5th best in 1995, with two wins. From there, he moved up to the FIA...
won the Drivers' Championship. Fellow Vitaphone drivers Miguel Ramos and Christian Montanari tied for sixth, while Playteam's Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini is an Italian race car driver currently driving for Swiss Team in the Superstars Series. He is the official test driver of the Maserati factory....
and Andrea Piccini were just behind.
For 2008, Vitaphone Racing returned with a pair of MC12s for drivers Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini is an Italian race car driver currently driving for Swiss Team in the Superstars Series. He is the official test driver of the Maserati factory....
, Michael Bartels
Michael Bartels
Michael Bartels is a professional racing driver. He is a multiple FIA GT champion and former Grand Prix driver who failed to qualify for 4 Formula One races with Lotus.-Career:...
, and Miguel Ramos
Miguel Ramos
Miguel Pedro Caetano Ramos is a Portuguese racing driver. He currently races for Vitaphone Racing, driving a Maserati MC12 in the FIA GT1 World Championship.-Early career:...
, as well as newcomer Alexandre Negrão
Alexandre Sarnes Negrão
Alexandre Sarnes Negrão , nicknamed Xandinho, is a Brazilian race car driver. He raced in the first three seasons of the GP2 Series, all with the Piquet Sports team, having won the Formula Three Sudamericana championship in 2004....
. The season ended with another Teams' Championship for Vitaphone Racing (122.5 points) and Drivers' Championship for Bertolini and Bartels. In the ninth round, the team fielded a third car under the name of Team Vitasystem, driven by Pedro Lamy
Pedro Lamy
José Pedro Mourão Lamy Viçoso, OIH, better known as Pedro Lamy , is a professional racing driver from Portugal. He is notable for being the first Portuguese driver to score a point in a World Championship event, in the 1995 Australian Grand Prix, for Minardi...
and Matteo Bobbi
Matteo Bobbi
Matteo Bobbi is an Italian racing driver with experience in several motor sport categories, including three years as a Minardi test driver in Formula One....
which scored one point. JMB Racing retained a single MC12 for 2007 Citation Cup winner Ben Aucott and drivers Peter Kutemann and Alain Ferté, competing in the first five events of the championship.
In the 2009 season
2009 FIA GT Championship season
The 2009 FIA GT Championship season was the thirteenth season of the FIA GT Championship for grand tourer cars competing in the GT1 and GT2 categories. The season began 3 May, and ended 25 October after eight races...
the Vitaphone Racing won the fifth consecutive Team Championship, while Bertolini and Bartels gained their third Drivers' Championship. The other two drivers were Miguel Ramos and Alex Müller
Alex Müller
Alexander Müller is a German racing driver currently competing in the FIA GT1 World Championship for Mad-Croc Racing.-Career:...
, who ended in sixth position. Starting from the fourth round, the team entered a third car under the name of Vitaphone Racing Team DHL, driven by Matteo Bobbi and Alessandro Pier Guidi
Alessandro Pier Guidi
Alessandro Pier Guidi is a racing driver from Italy. He drove two races for the Italian A1 Team.Pier Guidi drove a Ferrari 430 GT in the Spanish GT Championship and Italian GT Championship in 2005 and 2006, for the Scuderia Playteam...
, achieving good results: despite being only a one-car team, with a partial season involvement, they ended the Teams' Championship in fourth position (32 points), scoring a victory in the last round.
FIA GT1 World Championship
With the inauguration of the FIA GT1 World ChampionshipFIA GT1 World Championship
The FIA GT1 World Championship is a world championship sports car racing series developed by the SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It features multiple grand tourer race cars based on production road cars and conforming with the GT1 regulations competing in...
in 2010, Maserati continued their commitment to the series with two teams entering. Vitaphone Racing Team, the defending FIA GT Champions, won five races enroute to the Drivers' and Teams' World Championships, but Maserati lost to Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
in the Manufacturers' Trophy. The second team representing Maserati was Alfrid Heger's Triple H Team Hegersport.
Italian GT
MC12s have had great success racing in Italy, and have replaced the GT3 "Maserati Trofeo Light" as Maserati's representative in the Italian GT ChampionshipItalian GT Championship
The Italian GT Championship is an Italian sports car series founded in 2003 and organized by the Automobile Club d'Italia and the Commissione Sportiva Automobilistica Italiana . It replaced a previous supercar-based championship which ran from 1992 until 2002 when it was folded due to a lack of...
. In 2005 Maserati introduced two MC12s to the GT1 division under Scuderia Playteam and Racing Box, with the teams placing first and third overall respectively. The cars were re-entered in 2006, with Scuderia Playteam again securing overall victory and Racing Box coming second. From 2007, GT1 cars are not permitted in the championship, and Scuderia Playteam moved to the FIA GT Championship.
Racing Box also participated in the non-championship 6 Hours of Vallelunga
6 Hours of Vallelunga
The 6 Hours of Vallelunga is an endurance sports car racing event held annually at the ACI Vallelunga Circuit in Vallelunga, Italy....
twice, winning in 2005 with Michele Rugolo
Michele Rugolo
Michele Rugolo is an Italian racing driver.-Formula Renault:After competing in karting championships from 1992 to 1999, Rugolo competed in the Formula Renault 2000 Italy from 2000 to 2002, and then switched to Formula Nissan part-way through 2002.-Sports Cars:Rugolo competed in the 24 Hours of Le...
, Leonardo Maddelena, and Davide Mastracci, then again in 2006 with Pedro Lamy
Pedro Lamy
José Pedro Mourão Lamy Viçoso, OIH, better known as Pedro Lamy , is a professional racing driver from Portugal. He is notable for being the first Portuguese driver to score a point in a World Championship event, in the 1995 Australian Grand Prix, for Minardi...
, Marco Cioci, and Piergiuseppe Perazzini.
Super GT
In 2006, the Le Mans24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
winning outfit Team Goh
Team Goh
Team Goh International is a Japanese auto racing team founded by Kazimuchi Goh in 1990s. Initially competing in the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship , Team Goh won the 1996 championship with a McLaren F1 GTR and drivers John Nielsen and David Brabham...
was intending to race a Maserati MC12 in the Super GT
Super GT
The Super GT series, formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship or JGTC , is a grand touring car race series promoted by the GT-Association...
series in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. However, the team was forced to withdraw because of driver problems (Jan Magnussen
Jan Magnussen
Jan Magnussen is a racing driver from Denmark and a GM factory driver. He has competed in several of the most prestigious events in motor sport including CART, NASCAR, the FIA Formula One World Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.- Lower series racing :Magnussen dominated the 1994 British...
falling ill suddenly and returning to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
) and disappointing lap times at the Suzuka Circuit
Suzuka Circuit
, Suzuka Circuit for short, is a motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, the subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..-Introduction:...
during testing. While the car was faster than its Super GT rivals down the straights, it was losing more than a second per lap in the corners due to its poorer aerodynamics.
American Le Mans Series
In 2004 the Maserati MC12s were unable to compete in series backed by the ACOAutomobile Club de l'Ouest
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest , sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organising entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race...
, such as the Le Mans Endurance Series (LMES) in Europe and the American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
(ALMS) because they exceeded both the length and width restrictions for their class. The car's nose was shortened by 200 millimetres (7.9 in) to attempt to comply with regulations, but was still 66 millimetres (2.6 in) too wide. In 2005 the governing body of the ALMS, the International Motor Sports Association
International Motor Sports Association
The International Motor Sports Association is an American sports car auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA , and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France, Sr...
(IMSA), allowed the MC12s to compete as a guest with the agreement that they were not allowed to score championship points and were forced to run a weight penalty. Some ALMS teams initially objected to the participation of the MC12 due to the possibility that an accident could eliminate their chances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, but the MC12 was finally allowed to race. The ACO stood by their ruling on the car by forbidding it from entering other Le Mans series.
The lone MC12 would be campaigned under the Maserati Corse banner, but run by the American Risi Competizione
Risi Competizione
Risi Competizione is an American auto racing team formed by Giuseppe Risi in 1997. Initially a partnership with Doyle Racing using the name Doyle-Risi Racing, Giuseppe Risi took full control of the project and it was rebranded with its current name in 2000...
team. The 2005 American Le Mans Series season
2005 American Le Mans Series season
The 2005 American Le Mans Series season was the 7th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
was not as successful for the team, with the team scoring no wins. In the final race at Laguna Seca, the MC12 was clipped by a competitor, causing damage that resulted in a lengthy pit stop
Pit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
. After resuming the race, a loss of traction caused by cold tires made the car hit a curb, which broke the radiator
Radiator (engine cooling)
Radiators are used for cooling internal combustion engines, mainly in automobiles but also in piston-engined aircraft, railway locomotives, motorcycles, stationary generating plant or any similar use of such an engine....
and took the MC12 out of the race.
In August 2007, Fredy Lienhard and Didier Theys
Didier Theys
Didier Theys is an Belgian sports car driver. He is a two-time overall winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona ; a winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring ; the Sports Racing Prototype driver champion of the Grand-American Road Racing Association and the winner of the 24 Hours of Spa...
announced their preparation of a former FIA GT MC12 for use in the American Le Mans Series. The car made its debut at Road America
Road America
Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series , American Le Mans , SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.- Current track and...
, finishing 3rd in the GT1 class after qualifying competitively. The only other race entered was Round 11 at Road Atlanta for the Petit Le Mans
Petit Le Mans
The Petit Le Mans is a sports car endurance race held annually at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, USA. It uses the rules established for the 24 hours of Le Mans by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest , which are slightly modified if necessary, mainly to allow additional cars to compete.The race was...
where the team failed to finish following an accident, but were still classified second in class. Doran's Maserati however had qualified on the class pole. The team selected Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
tires instead of the Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
s originally used by Maserati Corse in 2005, and was also allowed to race with a full-width rear wing instead of the smaller wing used by Maserati Corse and teams in FIA GT, although the wing was not as tall. IMSA also allowed Doran to score points in the American Le Mans Series championships.
MC12 Corsa
The Corsa is a variant of the MC12 intended for racetrack use. In contrast to the race version of the MC12, of which street-legal versions were produced for homologation purposes, the MC12 Corsa is intended for private use, albeit restricted to the track, as the Corsa's modifications make it illegal to drive on the road.The Corsa was developed directly from the MC12 GT1, which won the 2005 FIA GT Manufacturers Cup. The car was released in mid-2006, "in response to the customer demand to own the MC12 racing car and fueled by the growth in track days, where owners can drive their cars at high speeds in the safety of a race track", as stated by Edward Butler, General Manager for Maserati in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In similar fashion to the Ferrari FXX
Ferrari FXX
The Ferrari FXX is a high performance race car built by automobile manufacturer Ferrari in Maranello, Italy. The FXX is based on the street-legal Enzo. Production of the FXX began in 2005.- Overview :...
, although the owners are private individuals, Maserati is responsible for the storage, upkeep, and maintenance of the cars, and they are only driven on specially organized track day
Track day
A track day is an organised event in which members of the public are allowed to drive or ride around established motor racing circuits, or alternatively on closed or disused airfields...
s. Unlike the FXX, Corsas are not used for research and development, and are used only for entertainment. A single MC12 Corsa has been modified by its owner to make it street-legal.
Only twelve MC12 Corsas were sold to selected customers, each of whom paid €1 million (US$1.47 million) for the privilege. Another three vehicles were produced for testing and publicity purposes. The Corsa shares its engine with the MC12 GT1; the powerplant produces 755 PS at 8000 rpm, 122 PS more than the original MC12. The MC12 Corsa shares the GT1's shortened nose, which was a requirement for entry into the American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
. The car was available in a single standard color, named "Blue Victory", though the car's paint could be customized upon request. The MC12 Corsa possesses steel/carbon racing brakes, but is not fitted with an anti-lock braking system
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
.
Birdcage 75th
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
created by automobile manufacturer Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
and designed by Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
. It was first introduced at the 2005 Geneva Auto Show. It draws inspiration from the Maserati Tipo Birdcages
Maserati Tipo 61
The Maserati Tipo 61 is sports racing cars of the early 1960s. The car was produced between 1959 and 1961 by Maserati for racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance classic. It used an intricate tubular space frame chassis, containing about 200 chro-moly steel tubes welded together, hence the...
of the 1960s and was made as a celebration of Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
's 75th anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
. It is an evolution of the Enzo's MC12 cousin.