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The only 2005 Maserati MC12 to be finished in black, has just been sold at Mecum Auctions for a cool US$1,575,000. In one of the world’s most exclusive clubs, this Maserati MC12 stands out as its most exclusive member. It is the only one finished in Black – all 49 other cars were completed in White with Blue accents. With a mere 1,300 kilometers, it is as fresh as the day it was produced, and in this case, the only one of its kind.
Maserati’s MC12 signaled the legendary Italian manufacturer’s return to international auto racing, but rather than begin with a clean sheet of paper, the company built the MC12 on an already-existing platform. Not another Maserati, mind you, but the astounding Ferrari Enzo. Perhaps more surprising is the path the MC12 followed from originating as a Ferrari, being transformed to a full-bore racer and then re-engineered as a homologation car. What is important is the result, which is nothing less than one of the most capable and distinctive genuine supercars ever built.
As dictated by its primary mission, Giorgetto Giugiaro and Frank Stephenson designed the MC12 around FIA/ALMS rules, producing a long, low shape that improved upon the Enzo’s ability to slice through the air with ballistic efficiency while using a detuned version of the Enzo’s 650-hp naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V-12. Mounted amidships and gulping its intake charge from a roof-mounted “persiscoop,” the Maserati’s 625-horsepower engine is mated to a paddle-shifted Cambiocorsa 6-speed transmission, driving the rear wheels only but delivering 60-mph in 3.8 seconds and topping out at 205-mph. The interior belies the car’s racing pedigree with a mixture of supple perforated Blue leather, carbon fiber and “Brightex,” a material that approximates the latter’s woven appearance but is soft and compliant.
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