This Maserati V8 SUV races in rally-raid... but it's not really a Maserati

During the Baja TT Norte de Portugal, an emblematic event in the Portuguese off-road championship, an unexpected vehicle caught our attention: a Maserati Grecale... transformed into a rally-raid machine. A Maserati, It's not a common sight in rallying or even hill-climbing, although we did mention it some time ago. a Biturbo transformed into a Hillclimb monster“...so in rally-raid, imagine! A virtual MC20 “dakar” concept did circulate on the web, in response to the Huracan Sterrato, but that's as far as it went.

It's just a silhouette

Now, let's be realistic: unlike the production model, which is a sporty SUV intended for the road, this Grecale has retained only its “silhouette” appearance. It's actually a T1 prototype, developed by Portuguese team Team Consilcar. Beneath its Italian SUV-inspired bodywork lies a tubular chassis designed for racing, with long-travel suspension. Developed from scratch to replace their previous Ford Ranger Proto, it is powered by a V8 petrol engine developing over 300 hp.

Let's not forget that the real Grecale, in its most powerful “Trofeo” version, features the famous Nettuno V6 Biturbo with 530 HP and 620 Nm of torque, enabling the Italian SUV to reach speeds of up to 285 mph!

A seriously prepared machine

This prototype benefits from a completely revised technical package, including a more efficient gearbox, longer-travel suspension, latest-generation brakes, and optimized chassis and steering. Competing in the world's premier off-road category, this “Grecale Proto” meets all the hallmarks of a Dakar-type vehicle: extreme robustness, high performance and the ability to tackle demanding terrain.

Edgar Condenso, who will drive the new Maserati Grecale Proto in competition, was confident in the light of the initial feedback gathered during testing. «We can't wait to get the new car into competition. We've already covered a certain number of kilometers in testing and, despite some difficulties inherent in fine-tuning the suspension and electronic race mapping, the car feels very balanced to me. I think I'll soon get used to it. My first impression is that the car is promising; now it's a question of racking up the miles and improving it,» said the driver.

What if this unusual project gave Trident ideas?