Need and want. These are two aspects of human nature that have intrigued social scientists, psychologists and economists alike for centuries. They can be respectively defined as something that you must have, and something that you would like to have. Simple it might seem, and quite clearly distinguishable from each other, but as you study them closely, the line of distinction between ‘need' and ‘want' gets confusingly vague. For example, food, which is a need, ceases to be a need when a person who just had a filling meal craves a dessert.
The same applies to cars. In a country where public transport is still not fully fledged, a set of wheels to move about is a need. But does it really have to have leather seats, a 12-cylinder engine and scores of computers to monitor and control its various components? Not really. This is where clever marketing steps in. Creating a need out of a want is what most successful car companies do nowadays. And one of the best examples of this is the host of street-legal racecars that are making their way into the market. They make a loaded petrolhead believe that his garage brimming with Italian and German exotics is incomplete unless he buys one of these track-bred monsters. The question is that if the stripped out racer with a spine-rattling ride is meant only for the occasional track day, then why should it have a number plate? Anyway, you're not going to do justice to it on our radar-strewn streets.
In pictures: New Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale
The engineers at Maserati seem to have had this at the back of their minds while developing the Gran Turismo MC Stradale. Based on the Gran Turismo S, but with technology derived from the MC Trofeo racecar, the Stradale (street in Italian) is stripped out but not to the bare bones; it's fast and sporty, but at the same time a decent highway cruiser that doesn't break your bones. Have they found an ideal balance between track and road here? Has Maserati reached the pinnacle of road-going racecars with the Stradale?
Lose some, gain some
Obviously, adding lightness is the first thing to be done when developing a road racer. And Maserati has taken an impressive 110kg out of the Gran Turismo S bulk, thanks mainly to carbon fibre seats, carbon ceramic brakes, virtually non-existent sound proofing (we're not complaining) and deleted rear seats replaced by a roll cage. But at 1,770kg, it's still no lightweight. However, this has been compensated by the boffins under Giorgio Cinquetti, who managed to extract 10 more horses and 20Nm of extra twist from the 4.7-litre V8 lump. They kept energy loss to a minimum by reducing friction inside the engine with the help of one-way flaps in the sump and applying special diamond-like carbon coating on the tappets and the camshaft lobes.
And to manage the extra heat generated by this extra power, additional air intakes have been added on the bonnet and the front flanks. The latter is mainly aimed at cooling the carbon ceramic Brembo discs, which are also aided by the vents behind the front wheel arches. By opting for carbon brakes in place of the Trofeo car's metal ones, Maserati has also shaved off 14kg from the total weight.
The Stradale's suspension has also got a complete redesign based on the track car. The springs, both front and rear, are eight per cent stiffer and the anti-roll bar has been thickened by a millimetre to 25mm in the front and two millimetres at the rear to 23mm. This, together with the 48:52 weight distribution, adds to the Stradale's dynamics. And boy does it handle well. The dimensions and the weight are deceptive to say the least. Once inside, it feels a lot lighter and smaller than it actually is. Steering is telepathic; it seems you just need to look at a corner and your thoughts are translated precisely onto the custom-developed racing profile 20in Pirellis.
Soundtrack for the track
Activate the Race mode and the Stradale transforms into a roaring brute of a racecar. The exhaust bypass flaps stay open all the time, unleashing a glorious bellow that's truly a feast for your ears. Use the extra large carbon fibre paddle shifters to move up the six-speed robotised manual gearbox and the rumble and the growl progressively turn into an absolutely intoxicating wail, right across the rev range until it redlines at 7,000rpm letting loose all 450 of its Italian thoroughbreds.
At 4.6 seconds to 100kph from zero it may not be the quickest of the lot, but the splendid symphony from the exhausts and the rugged ambience within, combined with its outstanding chassis dynamics, amply make up for it. And it's fast, being the first street-legal Maserati to cross the 300kph mark. In Race mode the gearshift times have been sliced to just 60 milliseconds, while allowing sequential downshifting — that is if you hold the paddle down while braking it automatically keeps changing down matching the revs until it's released. There are two other modes as well; Auto and Sport. By default, the car starts in Auto mode, while Sport lets you change gears manually, but keeps traction aids on, also bypassing the silencer at revs above 4,000, letting out the same aural effect as the Race mode. In Race, the electronic nannies back off until you push the car to its very limits.
But if all you need is a lazy, comfortable cruise along Shaikh Zayed Road, the Stradale is up for it too. Just leave it in Auto, and the angry, barking creature tames down to a mild, friendly one. The ride becomes as smooth as in any other grand tourer on the road, the gearshifts are no more violent and jerky, the exhaust bypass flap closes and the traction aids stay on and alert all the time. The only thing that comes in the way of the Stradale being a daily driver is the cumbersome racing style four-point harness. Although the wood trimmings from the GT S have been replaced with carbon fibre, the Stradale's cabin is anything but spartan. Soft Alcantara covers the whole cabin, which benefits from some exquisite craftsmanship as well.
Verdict
Forget the speed, the suspension and the extra power. At Dh570,000 — that's only Dh115K more than the GT S and 70K more than the Gran Cabrio — the MC Stradale is worth it just for the tremendous street cred it offers the driver thanks to the loud decals, 20in matte black alloys, the tarmac-hugging front splitter and the muscular swells and flares. And if these are all just ‘wants', then its compliant ride on the road and the plushly appointed cabin could be reasons enough to convince your wife that it's a ‘need'. How you do it is your problem, though.
Sweet spot
The Gran Turismo MC Stradale is the result of borrowing the best bits of a Gran Turismo S and the MC Trofeo racecar. Stiffer and sportier than the GT S, it's still a lot less extreme than the Trofeo racer. In other words, the best of both worlds.
Specs
Model Gran Turismo MC Stradale
Engine 4.7-litre V8
Transmission Six-speed robotised manual, RWD
Max power 450bhp @ 7,000rpm
Max torque 510Nm @ 4,750rpm
Top speed 301kph
0-100kph 4.6sec
Price Dh570,000
Plus Sleek, aggressive looks, glorious exhaust note
Minus Four-point harness is a pain for daily use
