First Maserati MCXtrema delivered: MC20-based track special hits Laguna Seca
Taking the eCoty-winning MC20 supercar as a base, Maserati has created a limited-run track car with a 720bhp twin-turbo V6
Revealed last year during Monterey Car Week, the first customer Maserati MCXtrema has now made its debut at this year's event, hitting Laguna Seca for its shakedown. Sold as a track-only, limited-run supercar based on the MC20, just 62 examples will be built, and in Maserati’s words, is ‘dedicated to a selected, highly discerning clientele,’ comprising ‘purist collectors and loyal customers of the brand.’
Like the regular, mildly less elitist MC20, it’s powered by a twin-turbo V6, with power increased to 720bhp compared with the source car’s 621bhp. That’s partly down to new turbochargers and fine tuning of the ignition system. Torque is quoted at the same 538lb ft figure as the road car.
> The Maserati MC20 GT2 Stradale is a stripped back, aero-honed Porsche 911 GT3 RS rival
Created in collaboration between the Maserati Centro Stile design and the engineering departments, the MCXtrema’s design references the MC12 supercar and racing car from the mid noughties. Without the need to follow racing or road car regulations, it enjoys expansive aero channels and air scoops for aerodynamic and cooling gain.
As with the road-going MC20, the MCXtrema is built around a Dallara-engineered carbonfibre tub, with the reworked Nettuno V6 engine connected to a competition-level drivetrain. The Nettuno unit features a clever pre-combustion chamber system that increases both performance and efficiency, making it one of the most powerful V6 engines on sale in standard form.
Inside, there’s a racing seat with a six-point harness (and a passenger seat is an option for driver coaching and/or entertaining friends and family) and a new steering wheel incorporating a five-inch display screen for lap times, pit communications and a multitude of settings. Power steering, traction control, brake balance and engine maps are all adjustable too. A fire extinguisher system and roof hatch, as per GT racing, have been added for safety.
Dampers are four-way adjustable and the MCXtrema is fitted with carbon racing brakes. A six-speed sequential gearbox powers the rear wheels through a mechanical locking differential. With carbon bodywork and carbon chassis, it’s quoted to weigh approximately 1300kg without fluids, compared with the sub-1500kg figure of the road going MC20 (dry figure, that is; we found it weighs considerably more with fluids).
This hyper aggressive aero-focused approach previews future iterations of the MC20, coming as an early glimpse at what was to come in the new MC20 GT2 Stradale.
