Maserati's bonkers MCXtrema track car will reach customers this summer

Maserati’s track-only ‘MCXtrema’ hypercar is officially undergoing final testing ahead of customer deliveries this summer. Restricted to just 62 units, this will be to Maserati what the Sesto Elemento was to Lamborghini: a no-holds-barred, super-focused version of an existing model.

So despite being an ‘evolution’ of the MC20 supercar, its exterior shares almost no similarities. That’s predominantly down to the new aero-spec suit, which blends an all-you-can-eat serving of splitters, air inlets and wings to harness as much downforce as possible. And to make it look cool, obviously.

The MC20’s ‘Nettuno’ V6, which is no slouch in standard form, has been given some shiny new turbos and a tricked out exhaust too, with the end result being 724bhp on tap to hurl this 1.3-tonne racer around a circuit. 

We're told the MCXtrema first hit the track in February this year, following plenty of virtual testing by the Maserati boffins which included over 1,200 hours of… playing Gran Turismo. We jest; it’s all serious work these days, and virtual testing is becoming a significant part of how manufacturers design and develop their most hardcore models.

"The interior has been designed around the driver; we developed a cockpit as a cross between a fighter and a Formula 1 single-seater," said Maserati’s chief test driver Andrea Bertolini.

"We worked obsessively on its handling and overall architecture, to achieve this ultimate, extreme and exhilarating version. MCXtrema is a thrill to drive, unlike any other car."