The new GT4 race car will mark Maserati’s return to
the GT4 championship after six years. The Modena-based firm will provide
technical support and replacement parts for the private teams competing in both
championships and will create a special award for the best driver and team.
The GranTurismo MC GT4’s final set up will be
established during the official pre-championship Balance of Performance (BoP)
tests where the SRO homologation standards will be completed.
Heavily based on the Maserati MC developed for the
Trofeo Maserati series, the GT4 is almost identical to its older brother. Up
front, the two are impossible to tell apart, as the aerodynamic package
received no modifications whatsoever. The GT4-spec car features the same
splitter, canards, vented engine hood, and twin intakes below the grille. The
same goes for the sides, which have the same mirrors, side skirts, wheels, and
wheel arch extensions. The only changes are noticeable around back, where the
GT4 gained a newly-designed wing and a modified diffuser. Although somewhat
similar in shape and size, the wing sits closer to the trunk lid. Together with
the new diffuser, which is still a mystery with no photos to run by, the wings
brings the car’s performance in line with that of the other GT4 cars.
Maserati had nothing to say about the GT4’s
interior, but it’s safe to assume that the Italians simply updated the
Trofeo-spec cockpit to GT4 regulations. All told, the cabin should be a
stripped off version of the road car equipped with a racing seat, a race-spec
instrument panel, cooling and ventilation systems for the driver, safety
structures, a tool kit, and pneumatic jacks. Safety equipment should include a
fire extinguisher, safety belts, a master switch to cut off all the electrical
circuits. As for safety structures, the FIA requires a safety cage with no more
than six mounting points and consisting of a main rollbar, front rollbar,
lateral rollbar or half-rollbar, and two diagonal members.
Under the skin, the GT4 will remain identical to
the Trofeo car. This means it will use the same 4.7-liter, naturally aspirated
V-8 engine and the electro-actuated transmission operated via paddle shifters.
Even the curb weight will remain the same at 1,410 kg, as this
number won’t impact GT4 weight regulations, which specify that the car must not
weigh less than 1,000 kg.
The GT4-spec version, however, will
pack less horsepower than the Trofeo version due to an air scoop that reduces
the output from 488 to 430 horsepower.
