Road legal Maserati MC Trofeo GT4 for sale
Most race cars for the road are no such thing - this is much more the ticket
It seems like not very many weeks pass at the moment without another roadgoing track car conversion being commissioned. And while it isn’t hard to see why something like a Porsche 935 or McLaren Senna GTR with numberplates might appeal - just think of the exclusivity at the next supercar meet - there’s also no escaping the formidable expense. Perhaps the flex, the demonstration of such incredible wealth, is part of the intrigue as well. But turns out it is possible to buy a roadgoing, motorsport prepped exotic for less than seven figures. Less than six figures, in fact - quite a bit less. And it even has proper competition kudos, lacking from so many of those track only cars that aren’t eligible for anything.
This is a Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo; back at the beginning of the last decade, it was the car used for Maserati’s grown up equivalent of the Caterham Academy, where well heeled wannabes would pay Maserati to look after the cars and they would turn up to race at some incredible global circuits. The Trofeo was a proper racer, too, complete with composite windows, motorsport-grade brakes and suspension, a fuel bladder instead of tank, a mega cage and bucket seat combo, plus straight through exhausts for that glorious 4.7 V8. It still wasn’t a true lightweight, but also it would be hard to think of a more charismatic gentleman’s GT car.
It seemed buyers agreed, and more than 40 cars were made for half a dozen seasons of MC Trofeo. Once the championship was wound up at the end of 2015, Maserati took all cars back into Modena and converted them to GT4 spec for sale across the world. This is one of two Trofeos that came to the UK through Ebor GT; one was campaigned in a season of British GT, while this one - chassis #04 of the 42 made - served as a test car.
After that (so about 2017 or so) is where the fun really starts, and the road conversion project was embarked upon. Without wishing to spoil the enjoyment of a really nice advert, it was clearly a substantial undertaking. A bespoke map and exhaust was required to meet emissions, tyres had to be sourced from somewhere (to fit 18-inch by 13-inch rear wheels!), bodywork had to be altered to make it compliant and then the fiddly little jobs like a handbrake and washer fluid needed sorting. However as of November 2019, this has been a road registered Maserati MC Trofeo. Which is not something you hear of every day.
It’s only able to run in daylight hours, which makes sense, though surely the very committed could get bulbs and wiring sorted for use whenever and wherever needed. Certainly it promises to be a pretty hardcore experience still, enough to make an MC Stradale seem a little tame, complete with sliding windows, a climbing frame between you and the bucket seat, plus the unaltered race dash. It’s not one to potter to the shops in, really.
On the other hand, it promises immersion like little else. You just know the sound will be epic, the sense of occasion off the scale, and the chassis’ ability considerable - what with being a race car and all. Crucially, too, like all those road converted track cars, the Maserati is incredibly rare. Unique, in fact. And people love that. The asking price is £70k, which makes the Trofeo the most expensive of the previous GTs currently available on PH. But it’s also the most powerful, and undoubtedly the most interesting. There’s a spares package with it as well, which will surely be a useful saving for the next owner. While the appeal is undoubtedly niche, a roadgoing Maserati race car promises an unforgettable experience for those who need a new track day toy for 2025. Even the trip to get another MOT should be entertaining.
I think there's such a thing as a day only MOT, I see motorbikes/trailbikes with no lights so they must have them
Still slightly confused regarding the hand brake- the article says it has one, the advert says it doesn't.
Very cool nonetheless, although like all of these road racers, pretty pointless. It would be easier and cheaper just to trailer it to and from the track.
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