No one’s ever complained about the look of the Maserati’s GranTurismo, just that it doesn’t cut it in the supercar league, when it comes to outright performance credentials.

That’s all changed with the all-new GranTurismo MC Stradale, which will debut at this month’s Paris Motor Show.

The two-place GranTurismo MC Stradale is "inspired by" the Trofeo GranTurismo MC and the GT4 and is intended as a street-legal performance car that can also be driven on the track.

The MC Stradale appears to be having its cake and eating it. It is said to produce more aerodynamic downforce than the standard car without adding to its low drag coefficient. It is also said to produce more power from its 4.7-litre V8 engine - 444bhp - without using more fuel.

Maserati claims that the new car will be more agile (thanks in part to being 100kg lighter) without sacrificing the GranTurismo S's "highly praised ride quality".

As well as being a paid-up member of the 300km/h Club (186mph), the car is said to be an answer to customer demands for a GranTurismo which can balance on-road driving needs with a bit of extra stimulation on-track, incorporating the handling and aerodynamic lessons from Maserati’s three racing programs.

The new addition to the Maserati range will go on sale in the first quarter of 2011 and you can expect to see it being sold at the Naza Italia showroom in the near future. More details will be made available closer to it’s Paris debut. Look after the jump for a set of high resolution pictures.