Maserati MCXtrema is a track-only beast

Maserati used the Monterey Car Week to unveil the new MCXtrema. It’s a track-only beast with 544kW and 730Nm on tap from a twin turbo, rear-mounted 3.0l V6 engine. Only 62 units of this limited-edition super sports car have been produced.

The Italian brand’s most powerful car yet, the MCXtrema is a continuation of the legacy of the 2004 Maserati MC12, a track-bred sports car which has become a collector’s item going for about $2m (R38m) these days.

Aerodynamic performance is provided by a large front splitter for high levels of frontal downforce, while a large air scoop is connected to the adjustable wing by a central fin that runs along the bonnet.

In the upper part of the rear, a mesh facilitates the cooling of the car, and in the lower area there’s a large aerodynamic extractor. The chassis is a monocoque type made of light carbon fibre.

Inside, there’s an FIA-homologated safety cage for the protection of the driver, and for enhancing the car’s rigidity. The steering wheel has a five-inch central display with buttons and rotary selectors. The driver sits in a racing seat with six-point harness, and a fire extinguisher is fitted.

The pedal box and steering column are adjustable, and there’s a rear view camera display. Steering calibrations, traction control levels, brake balance and engine output strategies are possible, as is pit limiter, box communications and lap timers.

A passenger seat is optional, but a motorsport grade double-wishbone suspension, carbon-ceramic racing braking system, a six-speed sequential racing gearbox with a racing clutch and rear-wheel drive with a limited-slip mechanical self-locking differential are standard fitments.

The car has an FIA-homologated 120l fuel tank and an Air jack system for faster processing of the 18-inch wheels with a centre lock wheel nuts. Tyres are racing slicks or wet weather versions.

Maserati doesn’t mention pricing, but all 62 units are apparently sold already.