In the 2000s, Maserati decided to get back into GT Racing and built a performance supercar — the ultra-rare Maserati MC12.
Back then, Maserati was only known for creating sedans and coupes, but the brand needed everyone worldwide to understand the performance a true Maserati could offer.
And there’s an interesting story about how the MC12 even came about.
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In the early 2000s, the automaker wanted to create a track-only supercar for the FIA GT Championship.
At the time, Ferrari was building the extremely popular Ferrari Enzo.
Now, this was a time when Fiat owned both the Maserati and Ferrari brand labels.
Everybody knew Ferrari was among the top supercar makers on the planet, and created great supercars.
So, Maserati decided to borrow the engine, platform, and powertrain from the Ferrari Enzo to give life to the Maserati MC12.
The original plan was to create only 12 MC12 supercars for private customers.
However, the FIA GT Championship required the brand to have a road-legal version of the car to obtain the necessary certifications.
Enter, the road-legal 2004 Maserati MC12.
The automaker only created 50 of these, making it one of the rarest cars on the planet.
25 units came out in 2004, while the other 25 had a 2005 launch.
Some celebrities such as 50 Cent even have an MC12 in their personal collection.
The road-legal version had a 6.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine, the same as the Ferrari Enzo.
However, the carmaker detuned the engine, which still pulled off 630 horsepower.
The 12-cylinder beast managed to reach top speeds of 205 mph.
It was certainly one of the most attractive supercars when it came out.
While it shares roots with a Ferrari, it was quite different from it in the end.
The MC12 is so rare that its value has tripled — even quadrupled — from its original price tag.
In 2006, the track version — Maserati MC12 Versione Corsa — saw the light of day, although the brand only sold them to 12 valued customers.
Someone even converted their Corsa to a street-legal version while upgrading the supercar.
The modified Corsa had an engine output of 744 horsepower.
Now, that’s some dedication.
The MC12 remains a mystery to most, a supercar that few have ever heard of, let alone driven.
You can’t buy that sort of mystique.
Well, not without some serious disposable income, anyway.
