THE fastest, lightest and most powerful Maserati road car to date was the star of the famed Italian supercar maker's stand at the 2012 Paris motor show.

The new GranTurismo MC Stradale is inspired by the Trofeo GranTurismo MC and the race-winning GT4 motorsport models and, according to the company, will have a top speed of over 185mph..

Engineers have incorporated handling and aerodynamic lessons learned from Maserati's three racing programs and as a result the MC Stradale produces more aerodynamic down force than the "standard" GranTurismo S without producing more aerodynamic drag. It also produces more power - 336kw, 450 hp - without using more fuel and it is more agile without sacrificing the GranTurismo S's highly praised ride quality, says the company.