Rumours suggested that Maserati would have something to tantalise us with for the Paris Show next week and it turns out it's a concept racecar based on the GranTurismo S.

Unlike most show cars, it's highly probable that Maserati has plans to produce the GranTurismo MC concept, albeit on a small scale to sell to race teams competing in the FIA's GT series.

To that end, the MC concept features an integrated welded roll cage, which stiffens up the chassis significantly. The racer is nearly 500kg lighter than the road car too, thanks to the binning of most of the interior and the replacement of all glass windows with Lexan. The fuel tank has also been replaced with a 100-litre item that has an FIA-approved carbon safety structure.

Despite the loss in weight, Maserati deemed it necessary to coax more out of the new 4.7-litre V8 engine than is produced in either the GranTurismo S or the Quattroporte S. Peak power is up to 444bhp, while torque has climbed to 376lb.ft at 4,750rpm.

Performance figures have not been released as yet, but the MC racer should be significantly faster in acceleration terms than the road car due to the weight reduction, and thanks to race-worthy suspension components, massive racing brakes and slick tyres should be well suited to track use too.

Although the wide-ranging updates to the GranTurismo S are functional, there's something brutally appealing about the racer's exterior. The lack of a large rear wing allows the GranTurismo to retain some of its elegance, though there's an extra dose of aggression now thanks mostly to the wide and low front bumper and splitter. A new bonnet features extra hot air vents, while the back bumper appears to house an aerodynamic diffuser to reduce lift at the rear of the car.

Given the presence of the already focused GranTurismo S in the range, it's unlikely that the MC concept will spawn an even more extreme Maserati road car, but expect to see it competing for GT honours next season.

Shane O' Donoghue - 29 Sep 2008