Maserati failed to beat the Porsche 911 on the road. Now it’s going to try and beat it on track

The current Maserati GranTurismo is no match for a Porsche 911. In any straight head-to-head test between a GranTurismo and almost any 911, the stylish Italian would most likely come away with a bloody nose and a runner-up ribbon. But that hasn’t put Maserati off honing its four-seat GT car into a GT4 racer – yes, the class Porsche has just crowbarred the 911 GT3 into now the Cayman has been discontinued, with the 911 GT4.

Having made its debut at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the GranTurismo Project GT4 is Maserati’s vision of a junior GT racing contender for 2028. Based on the facelifted GranTurismo we saw last month, the racer sheds some 400kg from the standard car’s circa 1800kg kerb weight. It also, per GT4 regulations, ditches its front drive shafts to become rear-wheel drive only and features adjustable shock absorbers and anti-roll bars.

> Maserati GT2 Stradale review – can Modena best the Porsche 911 GT3 RS?

The aero treatment is, as you’d expect, subtle as far as modern GT racers go (even GT3 cars are starting to look a bit wild) but more aggressive than the road car. Distinguishing features include a substantial rear wing, a motorsport-spec front splitter and canards. The bonnet features new vents, and there are revised vents to cool the race-spec brakes. Inside, a roll cage, an FIA-compliant seat and little else in the way of the grand touring luxury you’d expect from a road-going GranTurismo.

The 3-litre Nettuno engine is, of course, at the heart of Project GT4, though GT4 regulations will dictate that its power be limited to less than 500bhp. Maserati has not stated what power the car has and probably does not yet know what will be permitted, based on the Balance of Performance system that levels GT racing classes.

The GranTurismo could prove an oddly suitable car to convert for racing. It’s slippery but wide, with plenty of floor area for air to be accelerated across to generate downforce. With its substantial size comes weight and thus, even the GT4’s circa 1400kg weight is around the same as a fully-trimmed Porsche 911 GT3 road car…

More Maseratis in racing is a good thing - the brand’s heritage is rooted in Grand Prix and sports car competition. A world where Maserati competes in GT3 and even Hypercar would be a better one, by our reckoning.