The Maserati GT2 Stradale Isn’t as Special as It Looks: First Drive Review

It’s a good recipe: Take a gorgeous, carbon-fiber Italian supercar, subtract weight, add a bit of power and a decent chunk of downforce, and you get something like the Maserati GT2 Stradale. A more track-focused version of the MC20 supercar, the GT2 Stradale seems like a very promising thing. And after driving it… well, I can’t say much more. Our time behind the Stradale’s wheel was limited.

Maserati flew us to a beautiful part of Spain, one littered with great roads, and also rented out the picturesque Ascari circuit. The company allowed us to drive the car on a heavily trafficked mountain pass and at limited speeds on the track. It’s a baffling decision for a car with “Stradale” (Italian for “road”) in its name, and one built from all the right ingredients.

The GT2 Stradale uses the same carbon-fiber chassis and double-wishbone suspension of the MC20. Maserati added a larger splitter and air extractors above the front wheels, and replaced the front trunk with a carbon-fiber piece with yet more air extractors. There are new side skirts, larger inlets for the intercoolers, and a swan-neck rear wing with three settings of attack. Peak downforce is a claimed 1,100 pounds at 174 miles per hour. 

Maserati also claims a 132-pound weight reduction over the MC20 thanks to new carbon-shell Sabelt bucket seats, lighter center-lock wheels, standard carbon-ceramic brakes, and Alcantara interior trim, among other measures. Italian automakers play it fast and loose with their weight figures, and Maserati quotes a dry weight—i.e. without fluids—of a little over 3,000 pounds for the GT2 Stradale. But Car and Driver reports that the standard MC20 weighs 3,757 pounds, so let’s say around 3,500 pounds for this.

The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 benefits from better airflow, enabling a small bump in boost and a corresponding horsepower increase from 621 to 631 hp while torque remains unchanged at 531 pound-feet. It’s paired with the same eight-speed Tremec dual-clutch you get in the C8 Corvette. 

Pros: Gorgeous Looks, Monster Engine, Tons Of Grip

The base price is $311,995, but you’ll want the optional $13,750 Performance Pack. That brings bigger brakes, an electronic limited-slip differential (a mechanical LSD is standard), Maserati-spec Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, and additional drive mode settings that affect traction and stability control, plus ABS. 

There’s always a certain level of intimidation with a car like this, but the GT2 Stradale quickly lets you know it’s on your side. Even on the optional Cup 2 Rs—the standard tire is a Bridgestone Potenza Sport—the GT2 Stradale feels totally benign. 

Photo by: Maserati

Photo by: Maserati

Photo by: Maserati

Ride quality is always difficult to judge on Spain’s remarkably smooth roads, but there’s a sense of compliance here. It breathes with the surface below, never attempting to crush larger bumps and undulations into submission. You can also adjust damper settings regardless of drive mode through a knob on the center console with an integrated screen. 

Even for a pared-back, carbon-fiber car, the GT2 Stradale isn’t even all that loud. And visibility is excellent, with the tall fenders marking out the corners of the car, and a rearview camera mirror providing an unencumbered view of what’s behind. Klaus Busse, Maserati’s chief designer, tells us that the automaker’s road-car roots are in grand tourers, which means its hardest-core cars have to be usable every day. You might want the optional “comfort” seats instead of these carbon buckets for daily driving, but you absolutely could do everything in this car so long as you don’t need to carry much. 

Photo by: Maserati

Cons: Expensive, Not As Exciting As Rivals, Performance Pack Optional

As much as the focus with the GT2 Stradale is on the chassis and aero, the engine is still the heart of this car. It sounds gruff, and characterful, if not beautiful. Yet despite running a healthy 30 pounds of boost, the V-6 has an almost naturally aspirated character. Peak power doesn’t arrive until 7,500 rpm and it redlines at 8,000, so you’ve really got to rev this thing. 

Consequently, it doesn’t feel as relentlessly fast as some turbocharged or hybridized competitors, though this might actually be an asset. It’s a bit more old-school in a good way.

The transmission doesn’t feel anything like it does in the Corvette, either, with much more of a jolt on upshifts in Sport and Corsa modes. It feels more Italian, for lack of a better descriptor. 

Photo by: Maserati

Photo by: Maserati

I wish the steering had a bit more to say, though the weighting was very well-judged in Corsa mode: Just the right amount of firm. The brakes are a little harder to mete out, with a slight dead spot at the top of the travel and not much travel beyond. I think Maserati is going for a no-power-brakes race-car sensation, but the feel isn’t as good as, say, a McLaren’s or a car without assisted brakes. But the Maserati’s brakes might just take a bit more time to get used to.

On the road, it’s a very likable car, though probably a less exuberant experience than the looks and specs might suggest. Think Italian Audi R8 and you’re not far off. 

Photo by: Maserati

At the gorgeous and technical Ascari circuit, instructors really limited how much we could exercise the GT2 Stradale, so I can’t tell you how it stands up to the abuse of a real track day. And certainly, we weren’t giving all that aero a workout. 

What I can say is that the car feels remarkably agile, with the sharp front end typical of Italian supercars. But even more impressive was the rear, which had more than enough grip to deal with the pointy front and the twin-turbocharged power. You can really lean on the rear tires in this car. 

Oftentimes, Michelin Cup 2 Rs are peaky—they’ll give a couple of great laps once up to temp, then fall off pretty dramatically. We never got to try the car out on a fresh set, but the tires had plenty of life to give. That said, instructors sitting in the passenger seat encouraged us to lift off the throttle well before big braking zones and only allowed us one flying(ish) lap before doing a generous cool down. 

Maserati isn’t in great shape financially, its sales falling despite a somewhat fresh lineup. So there’s not a ton of money to float around, we’d imagine. Understandably, it seems Maserati wanted to limit the risk to these very limited and expensive cars. But even with our brief exposure, it’s clear that the GT2 Stradale faces tough competition.

Photo by: Maserati

The Maserati’s $311,995 base price is strong. That’s McLaren 750S money, an industry benchmark for speed, engagement, and excitement; It’s a very difficult car to argue with. The Maserati doesn’t have the 750’s face-melting speed or the tactility of its English rival. 

A Ferrari 296 GTB starts closer to $350,000, and it’s a Ferrari, simply one of the best things on four wheels. And hey, if you want a thrilling road-going track car, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS doesn’t quite have the supercar catchet (though arguably more cachet than the Maserati), but it’s also got an all-time great naturally aspirated flat-six and aero grip that genuinely rivals a race car’s.

It seems like the typical Maserati story here. They’ve produced a compelling car on paper that’s best selling point is the badge on its nose. You buy the Maserati because it’s a different, rare groove. 

Is that enough? I wish I could tell you.

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