Can the Maserati GT2 Stradale compete with the very best lightweight supercars?

It's the same ritual. Fly to Spain, divide your day between road and track and try to get to know a track focused car that promises so much. Only this time it feels very, very different. The Porsche 911 GT3 that followed the same programme recently was predictable. An evolution of a formula that always delivers more than the sum of its parts. Even under threat of new legislation and with the shadow of the RS and S/T looming large, the car was always going to be something special.

The Maserati GT2 Stradale? Similar brief, completely different execution and from the hearts and minds of a company that has the capacity for inspired genius and something close to calamity. It’s entirely possible that the GT2 Stradale will make the GT3 feel incredibly sober and puncture its perfection in a fiery, turboboosted frenzy of Italian drama. Then again, it could just be completely underwhelming and a bit, erm, crap.

For me personally, the GT2 Stradale is unbelievably exciting. In fact, it speaks directly to my soul. Not only do I love the slightly misunderstood MC20 on which this car is based, but the blueprint of a stripped out mid-engined supercar from this region of Italy has created some of the greatest cars the world has ever seen and I’ve ever experienced: Scuderia, Superleggera, SVJ, STO, Speciale... the GT2 Stradale fits into a tradition that represents everything that is holy and good. It should be divine.

The challenges? Well, it’s hellishly expensive at £273,510 even before you start to add all the tastiest options. That prices it above the sensational and more powerful McLaren 750S and the dazzling Ferrari 296 GTB, and an eye watering £80,000 more than a Porsche 992 GT3 RS. Ouch. Just 914 GT2 Stradales will be produced. A measure perhaps designed to mitigate the heavy depreciation suffered by the standard car. Although 914 units doesn’t sound that limited, does it?

Other nagging doubts are creeping in, too. The standard MC20 has a bit of a weight problem. Despite its carbon fibre chassis, unfashionable lack of hybrid technology and a claimed weight figure of 1,495kg, independent tests have put it at much more. And then there’s the fact that the MC20 is a different sort of supercar. Not as sharp edged as rivals from McLaren and Ferrari, but brimming with character, lovely fluidity and a sort of scaled up Alpine A110 gait. Switching the brief to a more conventional pared back supercar schtick risks erasing some of that left field charm and exposing the Maserati to unbelievably tough benchmark dynamic experiences.

Then again, maybe I’m overthinking it. The GT2 Stradale makes all the right moves. Power is up to 631bhp at 7,500rpm from the gruff but hugely exciting 3.0-litre twin turbocharged V6 Nettuno engine. Weight is cut to (a claimed) 1,365kg dry. A new front splitter, vented bonnet, wheelarches, revised underfloor and a fixed rear wing with three manually adjustable angles of attack produces up to 500kg of downforce at 174mph. 

The interior strips away unnecessary trim and embraces the carbon fibre structure with bare floors. Fabric door pulls and tactile Alcantara for the dash create a really purposeful driving environment. There are fixed carbon fibre buckets as standard, the brakes are bigger, the suspension retuned with eight per cent stiffer front and 10 per cent stiffer rear springs plus revised damping, the 8spd dual-clutch box is faster... and so the list goes on.

Opt for the Performance Pack and your £13,050 buys an electronically controlled LSD, thicker and larger diameter carbon ceramic brakes, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tyres for the centre lock wheels and a more sophisticated Evo mode once you’re in the Corsa drive mode. It has four presets to gradually free the reins of the stability and traction control settings and unleash the full potential of the ABS and e-diff. For another £1,150 you can get the Performance Pack Plus, adding a harness bar, racing belts and fire extinguisher. Maserati claims the GT2 Stradale can reach 201mph and launch from 0–62mph in 2.8 seconds.

On the road all that stuff translates into... well, not what you’d expect. The exhaust is louder and has a harsher, more menacing tone than the standard MC20 and the elegantly executed motorsport minimalism of the interior amps up the intent. Yet the ride remains beautifully composed and the calm, highly intuitive steering also dissipates some of the expected tension. 

In GT mode the GT2 Stradale feels absolutely road optimised. Even selecting Sport by rotating the mode controller on the centre console barely seems to dent the easy going composure. Unlike the MC20, the GT2 features different steering programmes for GT, Sport and Corsa modes, but the changes are subtle and don’t feel contrived or artificial.

Climbing into the hills above Marbella, the Stradale gets to show a bit more of its agility and balance. Grip levels are extremely high with the Performance Pack tyres and the car has a lovely clarity to its responses. There isn’t the rabid response of a 296 GTB but that does help to breed confidence. Brake feel remains an acquired taste. I don’t mind the slightly longer travel of the pedal but even this uprated system doesn’t possess the complete reassurance of the obvious rivals. Even so, the car’s fluidity and persistent body control mean that you can make really good progress without any stress at all.

Which isn’t to say the GT2 Stradale can’t deliver some pretty startling performance. The Nettuno engine hits hard and has a bit of old school turbo lag to add to the excitement. Sadly, some of the layers and depth to the sound have been subsumed by the new exhaust, which isn’t tuneful or particularly inspiring. The MC20 embraces its turbochargers and delivers all sorts of whistles, chuffs and sighs, but the GT2 is all exhaust blare unless you open the windows for a bit of forced induction percussion.

The GT2 Stradale lacks the unstoppable energy and scintillating dynamics of the very best

I’m not a fan of the gearbox programming, either. The shifts are fast but in Sport and especially Corsa mode they err too much towards concocted ‘drama’ with a big, stuttering kick. After the mindblowing precision of the GT3’s PDK box it all feels a bit harsh and pointless. Moreover, this kind of sharp edge just doesn’t meld with a car that seems to value composure and predictability above outright agility.

On track there are some real strengths. Traction is superb, the way the car stays so flat between rapid direction changes is deeply impressive and once the Maserati is sliding the chassis remains progressive and pretty easy to read. However, the front end response could be sharper and overall the GT2 Stradale never quite seems to fully embrace the promise of its motorsport derived aesthetic. The bare carbon fibre and big wing suggest a breathless, hyperagile experience, but the Stradale feels ever so slightly reined in.

Some of that is undoubtedly due to the lack of wheel time on this launch programme and the deeply cautious pace we’re restricted to by ever present instructors. Having said that, you can’t hide the insanity of a McLaren 750S, for example, or the amazing, otherworldly grip and balance of a Porsche GT3 RS. Their sheer force of personality is constant, their purity of purpose worn with pride – 10 minutes is enough to know exactly what these cars are all about. 

By contrast, the GT2 Stradale remains a bit of a mystery. It’s funny. The MC20 feels absolutely cohesive and has a clear identity. Yes, it’s a slower burn than some other supercars, but the quality and intrigue start immediately and grow in stature with every mile. The end result encapsulates all the great things about Maserati and evades the more chaotic elements. It balances restrained, sculpted lines with a serene chassis and a really wild engine. No easy feat. 

The GT2 Stradale’s tighter brief should actually be easier to execute, but rather than committing fully to the road racer norms it instead appears to be caught between two philosophies. Maserati wants it to represent its GT heritage and be true to its motorsport roots, but by not fully committing to either, the Stradale never feels fully resolved. 

So, this time I leave Spain a little bit confused and frustrated. Perhaps more miles and a less draconian track session would reveal the GT2 Stradale’s more intense side. But even at full flight I can’t see it offering the pure adrenaline of a 750S or the bladelike precision of a 296 GTB. It’s a really good car. But at £300,000 or so, I can’t help wondering if that’s enough?

Comparing it with the cheaper, less exotic and much outgunned 911 GT3 seems a little unfair. And it is. The Porsche operates at another level. It feels lighter, more adjustable and has an ability to combine the subtleties required to work on the road with astounding control, balance and endurance on the track. To be fair, Porsche has had over 25 years to perfect the GT3 and Maserati is in uncharted territory. It feels like a slightly tentative exploration, but perhaps it’s just the first step towards something truly great. For now, the GT2 Stradale lacks the unstoppable energy and scintillating dynamics of the very best.