Rare Maserati MC Stradale Arrives in Yekaterinburg as a Cultural Bridge
A Maserati in front of The Worker and Collective Farm Woman feels out of place—neither workers nor farmhands were ever meant to drive one.
And not every creative mind can afford to look in that direction: a standard GranTurismo on the used market today runs between 5 and 9 million rubles.
But museums, as you know, showcase the extraordinary. And so do their guests: the Maserati MC Stradale was presented to Roberto D'Agostino, Honorary Consul of Italy in Yekaterinburg.
— Mr. Consul, Italian cuisine was recently added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Which dishes from Russian or Ural cuisine would you hold in equally high regard?
— Every cuisine in the world is worthy because it reflects the culture and traditions of its region. Some are more widespread—Italian cuisine is among the most, if not the most, global. I live in Russia, I feel very comfortable here, and I truly enjoy it. And I appreciate your cuisine too—Russian, Ural-style. The recipes may differ slightly, but I try not to single out any one dish to avoid diminishing the rest. I live by the principle of "liking everything," and that way, I get so much more satisfaction from life!
— If you had to choose just one car for the rest of your life—Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, or Abarth—which would it be?
— Naturally, an Italian brand. Ferrari. But the most important thing is that consumers always have a choice.
The MC Stradale, however, isn't an option: only 500 were ever made, and production has long since ended.
This is the "angry" track-ready version of the road-going GranTurismo. Its standard V8 was tuned to 460 horsepower, propelling it from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.1 seconds.
For comparison, beside it stands a Ghibli from the early 1990s—also rare (just over 1,000 were built) and, for its time, devilishly fast: 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds.
It, too, is still in running condition. Which raises the question: If you could have just one Italian sports car for life… which would it be?
