If you were born in the 21st century you probably don’t remember the Maserati MC12 in its heyday. This Enzo-based super car was built so Maser could go racing, but as per the rules they also had to make 50 road-going versions. Of those 50 only 7 were converted for road use in the U.S. (or Federalized), and of those 7 one has now become available at Canepa Collection.
As special as this 2004 Maserati MC12 was before arriving in the United States, it is even more so now because it was imported under the Show or Display exemption and then federalized with Maserati factory help at a cost of $250,000 so it can be driven on the streets. What’s more, the car is virtually brand-new with only 1172 km (728 miles) on the clock. This truly collectible super car comes, like all other road-legal MC12s, in Bianco Fuji with blue accents.
Maserati MC12 Details (via Canepa):
If this Maserati MC12 seems too exotic for the street, it is for the simple reason that it was built for the singular purpose of entering FIA GT World Championship, and then adapted to road use for homologation. Only in that context do the MC12’s long nose, high-spoilered tail and straked intake scoops make sense. Developed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Maserati’s chief designer Frank Stephenson in accordance with FIA/ALMS regulations, the MC12 was based on the brilliant Ferrari Enzo platform, but the car’s long, low silhouette cleaves the air with even greater efficiency than the Enzo, and features a removable roof panel that transforms it into a handsome open tourer.
The Enzo also contributed the MC12’s powerplant, a 65-degree V-12 with double overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, sequential port fuel injection and dry sump oiling. The MC12’s 625 HP output is saddled with 100 fewer pounds than the Enzo, allowing the car to leap to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and top out at 205 mph, figures aided by the slick-shifting Cambiocorsa 6-speed semi-automatic transmission.
Built of carbon fiber and Nomex, the MC12’s monocoque incorporates aluminum sub-structures locating all-independent wishbone suspension with pushrod coil springs and dampers. The system is adjustable from the cockpit, giving drivers the choice of Sport and Race Modes, the latter featuring reduced input from the Bosch Anti-Slip Regulation traction control system, stiffer spring rates and crisper shifts.
In contrast to its Speed Racer looks, the MC12 boasts a comfortable, roomy interior comprising of perforated blue leather, gel-coated carbon fiber trim and silver Brightex, a material that approximates carbon fiber’s woven appearance but is soft and compliant.
