The Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4 was the customer racing version of the GranTurismo a road car equipped with the V8 engine developed in collaboration with Ferrari. In 2009, the brand unveiled the GranTurismo MC Concept, which foreshadowed a track version and paved the way for a one-make championship launched in 2010: the Trofeo Maserati GranTurismo MC. The cars in this series are configured very similarly to a GT4, but with factory-specific technical regulations that allow for greater flexibility, notably a slightly lower weight limit and specific aerodynamic features.
Given the success of the Trofeo (which ends in late 2015) and the surge in popularity of the GT4 class, Maserati has decided to homologate its car using a compliance kit to transform the older Trofeo models and the new chassis into true GT4s. To meet homologation requirements, Maserati must revise the aerodynamics (reducing the size of the rear wing and front splitter), add weight, and recalibrate the engine to comply with the Balance of Performance (BoP). As a result, power drops from 460 to approximately 430 CV.
The year 2016 marked the model’s widespread entry into world championships. Thanks to its melodious 4.7L naturally aspirated V8 engine, the car is remarkably reliable and excels on fast circuits thanks to its top speed. On the other hand, its imposing size and heavy weight (set by the BoP at around 1,410 kg) make it less agile than its mid-engine competitors in tight corners.
The Britcar Endurance Championship Era (2020–2022)
Starting in 2019, the GranTurismo MC GT4 was withdrawn from top-tier professional championships, replaced by newer, more compact generations of GT4 cars. It then began its second life, becoming highly sought after for national club championships (such as Britcar in the United Kingdom) and «Modern Classics» historic racing series (such as the Masters GT Trophy), where its owners often take the opportunity to free it from its period-specific restrictions.
This is the case with the MC GT4 discussed in this article. The car’s true British turning point came when it became jointly owned by Vance Kearney (a seasoned GT driver) and Richard Dougal, founder of RNR Performance Cars. This shop immediately earned a reputation as a master craftsman in the maintenance, restoration, and track preparation of supercars, particularly the Ferrari 360 and F430 Challenge models entered in competition. Richard Dougal and his team have been named «Prep Firm of the Year» three times by the British Ferrari motorsports community. Starting in 2021, the duo entered the Maserati in the highly competitive Britcar Endurance Championship (in Class 4), where it competed against Cupra TCRs, Ginetta G55s, and other top-tier Audis.
The «RNR» Technical Revolution and the Italian Triumph
After competing in modern endurance racing, the team is reorienting the car toward sprint races and «Modern Classics» series, through a complete rebuild and conversion of the vehicle. This is where it is «freed» from the regulatory restrictions imposed by the GT4 category. The carbon fiber intake has been enlarged and paired with an «Inconel» stainless steel exhaust system. The result: The engine now delivers a gross power output of 485 CV at a blistering 7,200 rpm, with 530 Nm of torque.
In May 2024, Richard Dougal raced it solo at the prestigious Masters Historic Festival on the main Brands Hatch GP circuit, posting excellent lap times in the Masters GT Trophy class (which includes GTs from 2007 to 2018). It even managed to take the lead in the GT4 class standings against Aston Martin Vantages and Ginnetas.
August 9, 2026 marks the high point in the history of this chassis. Competing in the Modified class of the Hitek Alfa Romeo & Italian Intermarque Championship, Richard Dougal’s white Maserati dominated the event. This overall victory came against a Ferrari 430, an Alfa Romeo 4C tuned to 600 ch and a Maserati Trofeo V8, has definitively cemented this GranTurismo GT4’s place in the history of Italian racing at Brands Hatch, just as the track was celebrating the dual centennial of its layout and Maserati’s involvement in racing.
An MC GT4 ‘evo’ built for short races
The «Indy» circuit at Brands Hatch is short, extremely undulating, and offers no forgiveness for poorly managed weight transfer—especially in a car that weighs 1,410 kg on the scale. For the 20-minute sprint races at the Festival Italia, the heavy endurance refueling system—formerly used in Britcar—was replaced with a more compact and lightweight fuel tank, lowering the center of gravity. RNR abandoned the original setups in favor of Öhlins Racing adjustable coilover shocks. The spring rates were stiffened at the front to limit dive during hard braking at Paddock Hill Bend, while maintaining some flexibility at the rear to maximize traction coming out of the slow corner.
Although the body retains the MC GT4’s elegant white silhouette, several panels have been modified: a redesigned flat carbon fiber underbody extends toward a more prominent rear diffuser. The adjustable carbon-fiber rear wing has been repositioned with slightly higher mounts to capture cleaner airflow and stabilize the rear end in the ultra-fast section. In short, it’s an optimized and sleek Maserati MC GT4 that lit up the Festival Italia. A good omen, then, as’a new GT4 is in the works at Maserati Corse, which can already celebrate the GT2's successes.
To learn more, here's our video on the Maserati Granturismo Trofeo.
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