When Maserati returned to international GT racing in 2004 with a car built around the heart and bones of a Ferrari Enzo, it was compelled by homologation rules to produce 25 road-going models. Giorgetto Giugiaro’s initial concept proposal was beautifully wrought and polished by Frank Stephenson into the final car we know as the MC12 Stradale.
Maserati would build 25 more Stradales the following year, while the model’s dedicated GT1 race-car siblings – the Vitaphone Racing and JMB Racing entries – were busy winning the FIA GT Manufacturers’ Cup.
Twenty years on, Maserati has created two limited-edition MC20 supercars in honour of the MC12’s debut and its subsequent track success. Named Icona and Leggenda, the two MC20s sport striking visual packages inspired by the iconic liveries of the MC12 Stradale and MC12 GT1 Vitaphone. Just 20 units of each will be available. Both made their world debuts at this year’s annual Goodwood Festival of Speed, where they were joined by one of the 13 short-nosed MC12 Versione Corse cars that Maserati built in 2006 as non-competition track-only specials.
The MC20 itself needs no introduction. Since its 2020 launch, the car has garnered much praise for its design and performance. It’s a true Trident halo car. In Icona and Leggenda guises, it offers even more exclusivity thanks to several features from the Fuoriserie personalisation programme, along with a dose of nostalgia.
The Icona’s livery features the same exterior colours as the iconic MC12 Stradale livery: Bianco Audace Matte and Blu Stradale. These hues were originally chosen to match those of the Maserati GranSport Trofeo Light that raced in the 2004 Daytona 24 Hours. Maserati says the Trofeo Light was inspired by the 1959 Maserati Birdcage Type 61 – not such a stretch when you consider it weighed as much as 249kg less than a regular GranSport coupé. Chrome-plated wheels with blue Trident logo, blue brake calipers and a carbonfibre engine cover differentiate the exterior.
Where the Icona references the Stradale, the Leggenda’s Nero Essenza and Digital Mint Matte paintwork are a direct tribute to the unmistakable colours of the GT1 multiple championship-winning Vitaphone Racing MC12 GT1, a combination that also won the Spa 24 Hours race three times. Its Fuoriserie features include wheels in Nero Lucido and Nero Opaco with Digital Mint centre caps, several yellow Trident logos and black brake calipers.
Features shared by both versions include lightweight four-way monocoque racing seats (with model-specific colours and embroidery), a Sonus faber sound system, carbonfibre interior package and an electronic limited-slip differential, among others.
With impressive driving dynamics, model looks and commemorative liveries, the limited-series Icona and Leggenda have the potential for decent collector status, although it’s fair to say they’ll always be hanging onto the coat-tails of the legendary Maserati Corse 12.
More information here.
