Maserati Track Day: We Hit Circuit of the Americas in Four Fast Maseratis
Are Maseratis Good on the Track?
It depends on the model, but we had a blast in both the 2025 GranTurismo Trofeo and MC20 — though if we’re picking favorites, it has to be the 2026 GT2 Stradale with its stiffer suspension, massively improved aero, stripped-out cabin and center-lock wheels.
What Does Maserati Compete With?
It’s model-dependent, but look for the GranTurismo and GranCabrio to butt heads with everything from the Porsche 911 and Aston Martin Vantage to the Bentley Continental GT. Elsewhere, the mid-engined MC20 faces down the McLaren Artura, Lamborghini Temerario and upper trims of the 911.
A day spent tracking Maseratis at the famed Circuit of the Americas? Gee, let me check my schedule.
It’s hard to say no to an invite like that — and fun times aside, this was a perfect (and rare) opportunity to experience a sampling of the famed Italian marque’s lineup in a track environment. Four cars, four distinct personalities: GrandCabrio Trofeo, GranTurusmo Trofeo, MC20 Cielo, and MC20 GT2 Stradale, all on Texas’ sprawling Formula 1 circuit.
Related: 2024 Maserati GranCabrio Trofeo Quick Spin: The Perfect L.A. Touring Car
2025 Maserati GranCabrio
I didn’t technically drive the GranCabrio on the track, but instead on a cone autocross course on one of the many, many concrete pads littered around the track’s in- and outfield. Fine by me, especially since I’d reckon the only time a GranCabrio would set wheel on track is if a race attendee made the wrong turn in the paddock.
Not that the GranCabrio would be out of sorts at a track day considering the baked-in performance bona fides of this latest gen of GranTurismo. Besides packing the same suite of speedy hardware as the slick-top Trofeo, it rides on the same Giorgio platform as the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, the former being one of the best-driving modern four-door sedans money can buy.
Good genes, then. It’d been more than a year since I’d last driven the GranTurismo in any real capacity, so the low-impact environment of the autocross was a perfect amuse-bouche to the (much) faster stuff to come. Still, the GranCabrio’s 542 horsepower and 479 pounds-feet of torque from Maserati’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Nettuno V-6 meant this was hardly a crawl.
How Quick is the Maserati GranCabrio Trofeo?
All-wheel drive and ZF’s ever-sharp eight-speed automatic transmission translate that power into a 3.4-second 0-60 mph scuttle on your way to a surprising 196 mph top speed — serious figures, though I was more concerned with explosive low-end grunt and the Trofeo’s ability to change direction (hopefully without a single cone embedded in the expensive, pearlescent bodywork).
Maserati set up the autocross course with two primary “straights” and two extremely precise, low-speed zones that tested the GranCabrio Trofeo’s brakes and chassis’ capacity for sharp, sudden directional shifts. The instructor’s fastest time was somewhere in the low 23s, but I was able to force an admission that “any time in the 26-second range is a good run.” Goal set.
I got three tries, with the first serving as a cautious wayfinding exercise on my part. At each standing start, the Trofeo impressed; 542 hp doesn’t seem like much in a post-Dodge Hellcat era, but the Nettuno V-6 embodies the best characteristics of forced induction. A soaring growl, an audible whistle, and the four-seat, 4,178-pound soft-top launched from the starting cone box with visible suspension compression.
What Does the Maserati GranCabrio Compete Against?
Just as you’ve built meaningful speed, it’s hard on the brakes as you whip into the sharp left-hander that leads to a low-speed chicane. It’s a spate of athleticism few will ever subject their GranCabrios to, but the glam softie dips, dives and dashes with the pace of something more focused.
Right from this first exercise, Maserati’s market positioning shines clear: comfier and cushier than an Alfa Romeo or Porsche, but sharper and more focused than a Bentley. However, with a base price roughly $70,000 higher than a 2025 Porsche Carrera Cabriolet, would you realistically grab the Maserati when planning for an autocross?
No chance. But for floating down your nearest riviera or — in the case of COTA’s Austin, Texas, locale — barbecue hot spot? It’s hard to beat the multitalented Maserati, especially if you’ve got full-size folks in tow. And my final time? Somewhere in the mid-26-second range.
2025 Maserati GranTurismo
I left the nitty gritty on the GranCabrio’s dynamics intentionally vague, as my next task was turning several laps on COTA proper in a GranTurismo Trofeo coupe, where I’d learn far more about the GranTurismo’s platform than a minute-and-a-half spent aggressively avoiding cones.
Before I set off, consider the GranTurismo: Forget the brand, both past and present, and the equal parts glory and tragedy associated with what remains one of the most evocative marques in the business. Take it purely as a shape, a speed form. Drink in those swollen haunches, that shark-sharp front end, and the sweeping profile that settles tautly on its wheels. To my eyes, it’s a phenomenally handsome car, with enough curb presence to blast a Carrera to smithereens.
But we’re not here for valet stand Olympics. I’m in one of two GranTurismo Trofeos following another helmed by a pro driver, facing down four or so laps before a pit cooldown to swap driver order. A 0-60 mph scoot in the mid-threes means the GranTurismo Trofeo is a very quick car by modern standards, but out on COTA’s wide, long straights, 542 hp suddenly feels closer to 300. Of course, a car with 300 hp here would feel as if it had 200; scale shrinks speed, and where the GranTurismo’s creep to the 130 mph waterline felt adequate on the back straight, a similar pace down an empty Nevada highway would feel like atmospheric reentry.
Is the 2025 Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo Good on the Track?
A hard-driving, hunkered-down track-day hero it ain’t — but that was never the point to begin with. I’ve driven the prior GranTurismo, and while its fabulous V-8 was a hoot, its long-legged, loafy character wasn’t attuned for anything beyond a tight mountain pass. There’s flashes of this cruiser character within the new GranTurismo, but it feels closer to a modestly softened Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrofoglio than to a Quattroporte.
Steering is light and surprisingly quick, devoid of much feel beyond some artificial “sporty” heft — not entirely unlike the overboosted-yet-precise steering offered by BMW’s current batch of M cars. Turn-in and corner-exit corrections are as good as you’d expect for a performance luxury car focused on holistic experience rather than hard numbers.
The Trofeo’s adjustable suspension and general chassis composure was more than capable for the car’s ultimate use-case, shoring well against the 3,957-pound bulk on both fast sweepers and COTA’s selection of tight, technical corners. AWD and low-end torque are the headline features here, with the rear-biased system dragging you through a sweeper with fed power and proving easily predictable when catching a rear-end squiggle.
Braking is another topic entirely. Initial pedal application is soft but power is ultimately strong, though it proved to be the car’s clear weak point for any sort of extended track work. Toward the end of both sessions, my car threw occasional brake temp warnings despite my careful and considered application when the pedal became noticeably soft. I think it has less to do with hauling the big bruiser down from speed as it does the vampiric effect from the GranTurismo’s myriad assistance and brake-vectoring systems working behind the scenes to keep the belissimo paint shiny and far from COTA’s retaining walls.
Just as I determined the first time I drove the redesigned GranTurismo, this new generation is a fantastic and elegant daily-use sports coupe that can, on occasion, be whupped for a few laps around your local circuit without falling entirely to pieces. Keep the brakes cool and the drive mode in Corsa — you’ll have a blast …
2025 Maserati MC20 Cielo
… But certainly not as much fun as you’ll have in an MC20. Next up was a handful of laps in Maserati’s sole mid-engined supercar, the first for the Modenese brand since the limited-edition MC12 in 2004-05. Prior to that Ferrari Enzo rework, the last production mid-engine Maserati was the Merak, and that ended after 1983.
All of this is to say I didn’t quite know what to expect of a Maserati supercar in this era of performance. All of the ingredients seemed tasty, however: The twin-turbo 3.0-liter Nettuno V-6 returns, now with a stout 621 hp and 538 pounds-feet of torque routed to the rear wheels via a Tremec-sourced eight-speed dual-clutch transmission shared with the C8 Corvette. Carbon monocoque construction keeps the weight for the Cielo just over a reasonable 3,781 pounds, while an adjustable suspension and available carbon-ceramic brake and electronically locking rear differential keep it all in line.
Most importantly, the MC20 Cielo has all the supercar vibes and visual hallmarks, complete with butterfly doors and a low, lithe profile that seems right at home on COTA’s pitlane but would come off as downright reserved when parked next to another mid-engined wunder-weapon from McLaren or Lamborghini.
How Does the Maserati MC20 Compare to the GranTurismo?
Though the Cielo is the roadster variant of the MC20, the power-retracting hard top stays on for our sessions. Whereas I had a sizable number of laps in the very familiar GranTurismo, I got just a handful in the unfamiliar MC20 — so I had make the most of it. Immediately, you can tell this is an obvious and expected leap in both performance and track capability, with a light, laser-precise front end and lovely adaptive, adjustable suspension that both managed weight transfer well and didn’t powder my spine when hopping over the track curbs.
Maserati says 0-60 mph dissipates in three seconds flat toward a top speed limited to 199 mph. This is a mighty quick car with oodles of accelerative pressure that, if you can manage a glance at the digital driver display, will spin to just shy of 150 mph on COTA’s long back straight. Power is consistent and available deliciously low in the rev range, all well managed by the telepathic dual-clutch that was always and immediately compliant in manual mode and fairly telepathic when left to its own devices.
It sounds good, too. A bit muted in context with the million-buck looks, but the 3.0-liter zings and barks like an Italian Nissan GT-R (that’s a compliment!) with enough turbo whistle to send a JDM crowd into a riot. It’s not nearly as sonorous as some of the hotter, angstier stuff from the traditional supercar houses, but this cashmere chainsaw is the perfect centerpiece to the Maserati’s luxe character.
True to form, the MC20 aims to balance Ferrari firepower with Maserati refinement, serving as the supercar for someone who enjoys a main course of grand touring with a heaping side scoop of back-roads blasts and an occasional track-day digestif. From what I could tell in four laps of COTA, this is the supercar to buy if you don’t want to stand out — even if you’ll still break every neck for a quarter-mile when you pull into traffic.
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2026 Maserati MC20 GT2 Stradale
This is especially the case if you bid “ciao” to the Cielo and upgrade to the new GT2 Stradale. Compared to the standard MC20’s demure, (relatively) understated elegance, the GT2 sears retinas and materializes phones from pockets with a massive rear wing and a palette filled with a spectrum of color-shifting matte paint. Think of this as the peaky, stripped-out, hunkered-down “RS” or “Speciale” track-focused mutation of the standard MC20, complete with stiffer springs, retuned dampers, swapped bushings and 1,102 pounds of downforce at 174 mph.
Other carve-outs include an extended lip spoiler, revised underbody, more aggressive diffuser, fender vents and additional aerodynamic channeling in the front fascia that nixes the standard MC20’s frunk. It’s a striking thing, looking every bit the roadgoing alter-ego of the impressively successful MC20 GT2 racecar. A run of victories in a European championship inspired the production car, so it stands to reason this would be one of the sharpest tools in the supercar shed, and you’d expect the experience to be starkly different when compared to the Cielo, especially when driven back to back in the same environment.
Not so much. I got around four laps in the GT2 Stradale, with an instructor riding shotgun to ensure I didn’t go too crazy. Fair enough, but most of my ambivalence between these cars is that I drove both at the same pace with mostly the same aggression, tempered by both lack of track knowledge and the instructor in the right seat. So, all I can really tell you is that you don’t really feel the GT2 Stradale’s extra 10 hp so much as you hear it. Carpets and sound deadening have been stripped out to complement the GT2’s new exhaust, and the six-cylinder’s rasp pings around the bare carbon cabin like a cartoon bullet.
The optional carbon-backed seats are constricting, effective, masochistic and supremely neat to behold, especially with my test car’s neon-blue microsuede upholstery. Could I feel that extra spring stiffness (8% front, 10% rear) at my speeds? No. Did I enjoy the sweet matte carbon fiber and highlighter-yellow accents on the interior? You betcha.
Cool name, cool car, cool color — cool day.
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