Following the project initiated in 2001 to design and manufacture the Maserati MC12, Maserati engineers went back to the Ferrari-Maserati group catalogue. And they selected the best. The Ferrari Enzo proved to be an excellent starting point. But don’t be fooled into thinking that Maserati simply dressed up an Enzo chassis. It’s much more complex than that. Since the Maserati MC12 was primarily designed for competition, aerodynamics were one of the key factors in its conception and design. To provide optimum roadholding, the bodywork must generate maximum downforce. The Maserati MC12’s focus on aerodynamic downforce meant that it had to be larger than the Ferrari Enzo. Taking the V12 engine from the Ferrari Enzo, Maserati could hardly have done better to power its MC12. However, in order to maintain some sort of hierarchy within the group, the road version of the Maserati MC12 is slightly less powerful than the Ferrari Enzo, with 630 bhp instead of 660 bhp.