The Maserati MC12 version of the Corse is an Italian mid-engined masterpiece we didn't even know existed.

The Maserati MC12 Version Corse may not be the standout Italian supercar of the early 2000s. Nor could it be, as it shares the same skeleton and bears the name of the most famous supercar manufacturer of all time.

But ahead of the planned September debut of the Maserati MC20 sports car, the Version Corse and MC12 are more important than ever. According to [Car and Driver], the MC20 is the "natural evolution" of the MC12, boasting over 600 hp, a mid-mounted engine, and impressive acceleration.

However, the MC20 is not the first model to possess all of the above.

The MC12 is often seen as a longer, stiffer version of the Ferrari Enzo, but its special version with diamond features was quite different.

Like the Ferrari FXX, the MC12 Corse version was Maserati's hardcore track car; like the FXX, production of the Corse version consisted of 12 customer cars, one prototype and, in 2014, a car built in honor of Maserati's 100th anniversary. The production run was impressively short: just 14 cars, including 12 customer cars, one prototype and a road homologation version built in honor of Maserati's centennial in 2014. As with the FXX, Maserati also kept the MC12 Corse version for its owners, who drove the exclusive cars on the track but not on public roads. (Later, other MC12 Corse version cars were allowed to drive on public roads, but only one left the factory in this form.)

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Versione Corse was based on the MC12 GT1, which won the 2005 FIA GT Manufacturers' Championship, the 2005 and 2006 FIA GT Team Championship, the 2006 Drivers' Championship, and the 2005 and 2006 24 Hours of Spa races. The 6.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine with a maximum output of 755 hp at 8,000 rpm was mounted longitudinally behind the front seats and mated to a six-speed automated manual transmission similar to the Enzo but with different gear ratios. According to Maserati, acceleration from 0 to 124 mph in the Version Corse was 6.4 seconds, despite being rear-wheel drive only.

The top speed of the Versione Corse was 202 mph, lower than the FXX's top speed of 214 mph, despite being 33 pounds lighter than the Ferrari at 2,535 pounds. The difference in top speed could be due to two reasons: the FXX had a 6.3-liter V12 engine that was slightly more powerful than the Versionse Corse, and the Maserati had a slightly different, shorter nose to meet American Le Mans racing standards, which could have affected the car's performance. characteristics that could have affected the car's aerodynamics. characteristics that could have affected the car's aerodynamics.

The Corse version also used the tail section from the GT1 racer rather than the Stradale road car. This taller and more pointed wing was much less form-fitting than the one used on the MC12 road car, but still much more functional.

Nevertheless, the MC12 Corse version was sold from 2006 to 2010 and was priced at nearly $1.5 million. The car was also available in Blue Victory color, which the owner could specify as his favorite. According to Maserati, the first version of the MC12 Corse was delivered in black, and later versions were built in silver, yellow, navy blue, white and orange.

The latest version of the Corse, built in 2014, was road-legal, allowing private owners to park their cars on roads, but not yet on public roads. Currently, when a Vergne Corse car is put up for auction, the price can be as high as $3 million.

In anticipation of Maserati's return to supercars, it's useful to know where Maserati came from: the MC12 Version Corse took to the track with a scalpel, and its exhaust note was superb despite similar Ferraris being in the shadows.

Let's hope the MC20 follows in its footsteps.