The Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet, in the South of France, will be the place of the opening round of the 2013 Maserati Trofeo MC World Series. There will be the first round of a series of a global championship, with races to be held in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East.

At least 24 Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeos will be present at the race and they will be driven by champions such as Renaud Kuppens, Alan Simoni-Riccardo Ragazzi pairing, Jonathan Sicart and Ange Barde.

Furthermore, there will be a new race format that will raise the standards and make each round more exciting. For instance, there will be two 30-minute events and a 50 minutes one. Nevertheless, the real change will be the introduction of added time for the quickest drivers.

To be more precise, this means that the top five drivers in the weekend's first two races are going to compete from 5 to 20 seconds longer, on top of their compulsory 45 seconds, during the endurance race.

The grand prize of the Championship is an exclusive, numbered and name-plated "Maserati 8CTF single speed" bicycle, that has been produced by Montante Cicli in a limited run of 200. It celebrates Wilbur Shaw's 1939 and 1940 wins in the Indianapolis 500 at the wheel of the Maserati 8CTF.

2013 Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo Specifications:

Bodywork

  • Carbon fibre
  • Windows
  • Windscreen, rear and side windows in Lexan

Chassis

  • Steel with welded integral rollcage structure, FIA approved

Interior

  • Backward-set driving position, with racing seat, dashboard and console in carbon fibre throughout
  • 6-points seat-belt compatible with HANS protection system

Electrical system

  • Specific, with data acquisition system integrated in the dashboard

Fuel tank

  • 110 l with a carbon safety frame homologated by the FIA

Brakes

  • Racing system without ABS, with steel discs
  • Front disc: 380 mm, rear disc: 326 mm
  • Front callipers: 6 pistons. Rear callipers: 4 pistons

Wheels

  • Front: 11"x18"
  • Rear: 13"x18"

Tyres

  • Front: 305/660/18
  • Rear: 325/705/18

Shock absorbers

  • Racing type, fixed setting with preload adjustment

Dimensions And Weight

  • Width: 1914 mm
  • Length: 4935 mm
  • Height: 1300 mm
  • Front overhang: 930 mm
  • Rear overhang: 1064 mm
  • Wheelbase: 2940 mm
  • Front track: 1618 mm
  • Rear Track: 1580 mm
  • Weight: 1400 Kg
  • Weight distribution: 51.3% front / 48.7% rear

Engine:

  • V8
  • Displacement: 4,691 cc
  • Power: 488 CV
  • Ignition: Bosch – digital system

Gearbox

  • Rear, longitudinal gearbox, with transaxle scheme
  • 6 gears + reverse, syncromesh
  • Electrohydraulic activation, with F1-type controls

Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo (2013)
Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo (2013) - picture 1 of 3
Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo (2013) - picture 2 of 3
Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo (2013) - picture 3 of 3

Source: Maserati