It’s nice to see Maserati get its pulse back. An Italian racing original whose DNA is still seen in top performance cars on the road, its return the track started five years ago with the introduction of the MC20 and now, in a surprisingly powerful hypercar that the brand calls barely street legal, the GT2 Stradale.
Built on the platform of the MC20—MC for Maserati Corse, the brand’s racing arm—the GT2 Stradale carries the refined lines of a classically beautiful hypercar: Toned haunches, a swooping roofline and scissor doors, each exterior line aerodynamic, elegant, muscular.
Inside it has carbon sport seats, ultra suede upholstery, classic steering column-mounted paddle shifters and buttons on the carbon and suede steering wheel to power the car on and ignite launch mode.
The Maserati GT2 Stradale is powered by a six-cylinder twin turbo Nettuno engine, which at might seem small for a hypercar, but don’t let that fool you. It delivers an astounding performance; its power is only part of the story.
Six Cylinders And Twin Turbo Power Conquer The Track
I just got off the track at Circuit of the Americas where I drove the GT2 Stradale and my adrenaline is shot. On a “drive as many laps as you’d like” day, Maserati rolled out the GT2 Stradale for journalists, dealers and customers to put it to the task, lapping the track’s 3.4 miles of F1 designated-design including 20 incredibly tight turns. Without the right power, balance and precision, a driver can flail embarrassingly off course.
Focus is key on this track, but so is the right car. And the GT2 Stradale didn’t disappoint. Throughout the day I was able to drive other cars, too, and still, the GT2 Stradale shines. So does hitting more than 150 MPH on the back straight, a nice achievement for a non-pro driver.
GT2 Stradale Shows Restraint In An Overpowered World
If it seems like hypercars are ever-more hyper, you’re not wrong. With brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Corvette delivering models that generate more than 1,000 hp, a 631 hp V6 turbo might look like an also-ran in the hypercar category.
Press the starter button, however, and your mind will change quickly. Then, pull the left paddle to put it in drive—you can tap the ‘D’ button if you must, but pulling the paddle is the Italian way—and head out on the road, or better, on the track. The Nettuno engine, the foundation for all of Maserati’s performance cars, will gurgle with insistence, anxious for you to throttle up.
As you floor the accelerator you’ll feel it, the engine screaming behind you in its glass-covered bay, the road blurring beside you, the next turn coming up as fast as you can move your foot to the brake. And when you do, the GT2 Stradale calms quickly and turns tightly, ready to deliver another heady hurtle toward the next turn.
Engineering is the Difference
Speed is satisfying, but it’s not your friend when it comes to tight turns on a track. And that’s where the GT2 Stradale excels; tight steering, a 40/60 weight balance that gives the rear end nice grip, carbon-ceramic brakes, all wheel drive and sport mode allow its agility.
A steering wheel that’s flat on top and bottom and an adjustable sport seat allowed me maximum visibility, another detail I greatly appreciated; there’s nothing like flying up to a tight turn and having the steering wheel and side pillar block your view.
Still, considering the GT2 Stadale’s six-cylinder engine and 631 hp, versus more cylinders and more hp of many of its competitors, you might think the GT2 Stradale would strain to reach top speeds on the straightaways. But its light weight, thanks in part to its carbon fiber structure and other weight strategies, and tweaking of its turbo chargers, allows it all the power it needs to reach frighteningly fast speeds.
‘Stradale’ Says This Car Is For Daily Driving, Too
Italian for ‘grand touring’ and ‘street,’ the GT2 Stradale is intended for all the daily routines that can benefit from a blast of fun: a run to dinner, a sunset cruise, an excuse to blow out the day’s stress on your favorite curvy road. Practical, it’s not; there is barely a place to put a phone or a key fob and forget about your coffee; drink it at the shop, not in the car.
With a price tag of $312,000 (that’s to start), the focus of this car is this car: customizing it, driving it, tracking it, allowing it to quicken your pulse. It certainly quickened Maserati’s.