Maserati showed off the track-only MCXtrema for the first time on Friday, August 18, at Monterey Car Week. A 3.0-liter Nettuno V-6 engine that makes 730 horsepower will power it. Only 62 copies will be made, and about half will be sold in the United States. Simply put, the Maserati MCXtrema is an MC20 that has been changed to be used on the track. The only thing the two cars have in common is that they both have similar carbon-fibre bodies and engines. It reminds me of the Modena-based Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport. But about four times as many people have a Porsche. Maserati has added to this model’s uniqueness. There will only be 62 of these track-star cars made. About half of those will go to the United States, which is also the biggest market for MC20. “How much?” if you have to ask. The MCXtrema cars have been reserved, so anything goes here. Based on how much the car has changed since the MC20, it should be in the seven-digit range. A Nettuno 3.0-liter V-6 engine with 730 horsepower powers the MCXtrema. Engineers got 109 more cavallini out of the MC20’s engine while keeping the maximum power at 538 pound-feet at 3500 rpm. They did this by upgrading the turbochargers, exhaust, and engine programming. The motor drives a sequential six-speed transaxle with paddle shifters and a limited-slip differential from the bell housing. The inside is ready to go Even though we couldn’t see the real thing, the design of the MC20 makes it seem like the inside is bare. Two consoles that look like they came from the future hold all the buttons. The driving wheel has been replaced with a racing-style yoke, and the driver is held in place by a six-point harness. A safety cage built to FIA standards makes the frame more rigid. You can add a third seat. Maserati added a longitudinal spine to the standard flat underbody, ankle-cutting splitter, adjustable wing, and adjustable wing of a track-car kit. Splitting the roof-snorkel engine intake will make the rear wing work better and improve the car’s handling in corners. Large side scoops feed the intercoolers and rear brakes. This design feature was left out of the MC20’s version that can be driven on the road. All of the suspension arms, made of billet aluminum and have different lengths in front and back, connect to the body and pivot with ball joints. The suspension also has four-way adjustable Ohlins springs and adjustable anti-roll bars. The driver can change how the traction control and ABS work from the steering wheel. Race tires with metric sizes that can’t be used on public roads are wrapped around 18-inch center-lock wheels. Because it has air jacks, MCXtrema workers—and, honestly, those owners almost certainly have mechanics on staff—can leave the floor jacks at home. Air jacks are one of the most popular ways to flex on a track day. Owning and driving this big-kid toy on a track will be fun. Maserati says that the MCXtrema is the first vehicle of its kind. This means that shortly, we’ll see more low-volume specialty vehicles that may or may not be road legal. That’s a good thing.
