Porsche has RS, Ferrari has GTO, McLaren has Longtail, BMW has CSL, Mercedes designates AMG Black Series and Maserati uses Stradale to describe their absolute pinnacle driver’s cars and sports/supercars. You know the type; shorn of weight, sticky tyres, aggressive suspension and steering geometry and blueprinted engines. 

Maserati however, is adamant their latest car to receive the Stradale treatment is so focused and hardcore it required an extra prefix - GT2. Unveiled at The Quail during Monterey Car Week, the GT2 Stradale is based upon the mid engined MC20 and takes the Trident into new territory, drawing technology directly from the GT2 racing car.

Nestled inside the carbon tub is a lightly reworked version of the MC20’s Nettuno engine, now producing 640 bhp, a modest increase over the MC20’s 630 bhp. But thanks to a weight reduction of 60 kg, the extra power goes further in the GT2 Stradale, which posts a 0 to 62 mph time of just 2.8 seconds. Despite the newfound aggressive aero additions, the GT2 Stradale is still capable of a top speed in excess of 200 mph.

Maserati states the aerodynamics are all purely functional, with the only nod to aesthetics being the repetitive use of three strakes within the bonnet vents and the front wings, an obvious nod to the brand's iconic trident logo. The front grill, bumper and diffuser have all been made larger - a look dubbed “Shark Nose” by Maserati - to increase airflow, while the engine cover also dissipates heat through several banks of three outlets. Maserati claims engine cooling has been improved by 16%.

At the rear, the huge swan neck rear wing offers three angles of attack, and a mighty diffuser marshals the passage of air underneath the car. In terms of the raw numbers, Maserati says the GT2 Stradale generates 500 kg of downforce at 173 mph, with the front of the car contributing almost as much downforce (130 kg) as the standard MC20 generates in total (145 kg).

Unlike the aerodynamics, Maserati has not yet revealed any details of changes to the suspension of the GT2 Stradale, but the fitment of standard Michelin Cup 2R tyres is a strong statement of intent. The ultra sticky rubber is wrapped around new centre-lock alloy wheels.