A lot of high-performance automakers have taken to
spec-racing to show off their pride and joy exotics without having to worry
about any sort of regulations. Racing series like these allows these exotics to
be on their unchained best.
One automaker that has taken this route is Maserati
, which is in the process of beginning the third season of the Trofeo World
Series. The Trofeo World Series features a field of specially prepared versions of the
GranTurismo coupe, which has been upgraded with a new aerodynamic bodykit that
not only reduces its overall weight, but does so to make it more competitive
and race-ready.
According to Maserati, the GranTurismo racers are
far better than their 2011 counterparts, having showed its improved performance
in test sessions: 2.5 seconds a lap faster than the 2011 models.
All the cars that will compete in the Trofeo World
Series have been made track-ready by a dedicated team of technicians, ensuring
that all the drivers competing will be racing one a one-spec racing field.
Another new wrinkle for the 2012 Trofeo World Series
is the inclusion of new legs in the calendar, including the Infineon Raceway in
Sonoma, California and the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China,
among others.
Anybody looking to bring the heat in the Trofeo
series will need to pay € 110,000 (US$ 140,117 at the current rates),
excluding the race entry and test fees. For the four European stages, the price
of admission is € 70,000 (US$ 89,166), excluding fees,
while private teams who want to bring their own cars will need to pay € 35,000,
excluding fees, for the entire championship and € 25,000, excluding fees, for the European legs only.
