This Maserati MC12 is a homologated racer for the road

While the Maserati is derived from the Enzo, there was more to it than the obvious restyle that separates the siblings. For one thing, it’s a larger car overall, while the 6.0-litre V12 engine is a development of that used in the Maranello car. The MC12 Stradale produces 629PS (462kW), which translates a claimed top speed of 205mph and a 0-62mph time of 3.8 seconds.

The interior is trimmed with leather, carbon fibre and a silver material called Brightex, but all of that is a little garnish over what remains a racing car at heart. There is no audio system (or even space for an aftermarket one to be fitted), a spare wheel is absent and you’ll be searching in vain for a back window. You do get a big wing and a functional roof scoop, though, so it’s not all doom and gloom. Every one of the 50 cars was finished in the same white and blue colour scheme in tribute to the Camoradi racing team of the late 1950s.

Carbon fibre is used to construct the monocoque chassis while the subframes front and rear are made from aluminium. You’ll also find double wishbone suspension at each end using pushrod-operated coil spring dampers. Switchable Sport and Race modes are suited to the road and track respectively.

In addition to the FIA GT Manufacturers’ Cup, which led closest rival Ferrari by a comfortable margin, private teams running MC12s came first and second in the Team Cup competition. One of those teams, Vitaphone, went on to win the Team Cup for the next four consecutive years. Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini took first place in the Drivers’ Championship for three years running while Maserati claimed the Manufacturers’ Cup for a second time in 2007. We weren’t exaggerating when we said the MC12 has true racing credibility, and the Stradale is a very close reflection of the competition variant.

This car is being offered by Bonhams|Cars at this month’s auction in Zoute later this month. It has been kept by one owner in Rome since new, who has taken the Stradale name to heart by clocking up around 28,000 miles since the car was registered two years ago. That’s relatively high by hypercar standards, but it reflects the fact that using a car aids its reliability. There’s a reassuring service record with the car, too, including €28,000 (£24,300) worth of work carried out at the Maserati factory in 2024.

Scarcity means that Maserati MC12s rarely come to the market. This Ferrari-derived Maserati that’s rarer and more competitively successful than the car its based on has an estimate of £3million-£3.5million.