One to Buy: 123 miles from new 1 of 12 built 2006 Maserati MC12 Corse
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In its first full season of competition (2005), Maserati’s MC12 secured both the FIA GT Manufacturers’ and Teams’ titles.
Of the four FIA GT Championship races that fell to the MC12 in 2005, undoubtedly the most significant came at the season’s centrepiece event, the Spa 24 Hours, which took place from July 30th to 31st. On this occasion, the Vitaphone Racing entry of Eric van de Poele, Michel Bartels and Timo Scheider won by two laps from the JMB Racing sister car driven by Andrea Bertolini, Karl Wendlinger and Phillipp Peter.
It was the Vitaphone crew that also went on to take that year’s Teams’ title.
Following their satisfactory debut campaign and a no less impressive start to 2006, Maserati decided to offer an extraordinary MC12 track car based on the GT1 competition version.
Created in much the same vein as Ferrari’s Enzo-based FXX, the resultant MC12 Corse was built in a limited run and originally priced at $1.7m.
Like the FXX, the MC12 Corse offered customers the opportunity to run a front-line GT-style racing car at private track sessions. One prototype and twelve customer cars were built.
The key difference between the GT1 and Corse versions was that the latter did not need to comply with any specific regulations. Maserati were therefore able to remove the otherwise mandatory air restrictors and, with 756bhp on tap, the Corse became easily the most powerful MC12 ever built.
Going under the hammer at Bonhams’ Scottsdale auction at The Weston Kierland Resort & Spa on January 27th is chassis 003 of the twelve MC12 Corse customer cars. Configured in what is undoubtedly the best colour scheme for any MC12 (Blue Victory), chassis 003 is offered in as new condition having covered a mere 123 miles.
