In 2015, Italian coachbuilder Jagato unveiled a V-8-powered Grand Tour called the Mestro-powered Maserati. It was created to celebrate the centenary of Maserati as well as to honor the Maserati 450 S Coupe Zagato race car that was originally requested by Sterling Moss for the 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Now there is an open-top version, the design of which is very close to the Maserati 450 S race car on which the 450 S coupe was based. It is called the Mastero Barchetta Jagato, driven by Maserati, and it debuted in Italy in May at the 2022 Concarco d’Eleganza Villa d’Est. Only five will be made, the car will be delivered to a customer first with a display at Villa d’Est.
The car is built around a unique structure consisting of steel and carbon fiber, carbon fiber is also mostly used for body panels. The coupe was available exclusively with a Maserati 4.7-liter V-8 rated at 414 hp. The V-6 is rated at a much healthier 621 hp.
The selected engine is mounted in a front-midship position and drives only the rear wheels via a 6-speed sequential transmission. The layout helps ensure a standard 50:50 weight distribution and we are told the open-top car weighs just 2,645 pounds.
The suspension is a push-rod setup with double wishbone on the front and back. The wheels are a 19-inch set that carries 255/40-size tires on the front and 295/35 on the rear. The brakes come from AP Racing and include a six-piston caliper at the front and four pistons at the rear. We are told there is no traction control, which means that the Mastero-powered Mastero Barchetta Jagato should be like its name, Mestro is the Italian word for “monster”.
“We named the project after the first response from Sir Sterling Moss, who said ‘beautiful as a monster’ when he first saw it. [Maserati 450 S Coupe Zagato]Jagato President Andrea Jagato said in a statement.