Over the last few years I’ve had the honor of testing the majority of Maserati’s entire lineup. However, that testing has happened on public roads, so I couldn’t really push any of those vehicles to their limits.
That all changed a bit recently, when I was invited to COTA and given the opportunity to take many of the Italian marque’s main models out on the world-famous F1 track. My own driving ability hit its limits before the vehicles hit theirs (racing is quite hard), but I still managed to work out the major differences between certain models. Here’s how the GranTurismo Trofeo stacks up against the MC20.
Speed-wise, there wasn’t much of a difference
It’s worth pointing out that both vehicles pack the same powertrain: Maserati’s frankly superb Nettuno V6 engine, though the output in the GranTurismo Trofeo is 542 horsepower, while the MC20 has 621 horsepower. In addition to the 80-ish extra ponies prancing away when you get your foot down, the MC20 is also significantly lighter than its touring counterpart.
Despite this, I managed to get both to roughly the same top speed, which was close to 150 miles per hour. Don’t get me wrong, in the hands of a better racing driver, the MC20 will absolutely shred a GranTurismo on track. But if you’re pretty average behind the wheel, your ability will bottleneck the performance of both vehicles. As I said, I hit my limits long before either car did.
There’s variance in the brakes
On-track driving is about more than acceleration. If you can get aggressive on the brakes, your time will be a lot better than it otherwise would be. This is an area where I noticed a massive gap between the two performance vehicles. The MC20’s brakes could more than handle what I was putting the vehicle through. As Maserati’s “Super Sports Car” is designed with racing in mind, it’s no surprise the brakes have been buffed up in the process.
While the GranTurismo also has some sporting credentials, there seems to be a bit of acknowledgement that it will be spending a lot of time on the road, and its brakes aren’t quite as robust. The warning system wasn’t set for the track (though this can apparently be changed), so the car was letting me know that the brakes were dangerously hot pretty much every time I slapped on the anchors after a long straight. According to the folks from Maserati, this safety feature has a large margin for error built in (it’s best to err on the side of caution with things like brake function after all), so you don’t need to take it too seriously on the track. Though if you push it far enough, the vehicle may slap itself into limp mode before you do any actual damage.
There’s also the distinct smell of cooking brakes, which further confirms that the GranTurismo’s stopping power isn’t on par with the MC20’s. You can, of course, upgrade your GranTurismos brakes if you’re going to be taking it on track a lot. However, COTA is a bit of a special case. There are a couple of long straights where you can really get the speed up, and not every track has those. Something shorter and more technical may not stress the GranTurismo’s brakes out as much, as you’ll see later on.
Balance sets the two apart
If you know a little about the GranTurismo and the MC20, you’ll probably know that they have different engine placements. The GranTurismo has the engine at the front, while the MC20 is mid-engined, which means the vehicle’s motor is right behind where the driver and passenger sit.
The latter gives better weight distribution and is something you’ll often see on high-end performance vehicles. The difference in balance is definitely noticeable on track, with the MC20 feeling a lot more stable and grippy than its grand touring sibling.
The GranTurismo has its own stomping ground
During the event, I also had an opportunity to take the GranTurismo’s sibling, the GranCabrio, on an autocross course. Aside from the drop top and a marginal difference in acceleration, the two vehicles are essentially the same. So you can expect any performance differences when you’re whizzing between cones in a car park to be negligible.
As for how it performed, it was absolutely superb. I’ve taken a few things around a number of autocross courses, and this may be the best of the bunch. The acceleration is almost more than you need, due to how Autocross works, the brakes aren’t an issue, and the agility means you can confidently keep the vehicle on course and avoid any cone murder penalties — even if you’re really getting your foot down. So if your track days occur in the local mall parking lot on weekends, get the GranTurismo or GranCabrio. They’re worth every penny.
