Preview: Montecarlo Rascasse

In the tiny nation of Monaco, home of the eponymous Formula 1 Grand Prix in the city of Monte Carlo, is a car manufacturer called Monte Carlo Automobile (also known as Montecarlo Automobile; also known as MCA). The marque’s newest vehicle is the Rascasse supercar, an impressively upscale 500-horsepower machine with an overtly nautically themed interior.

 

You might recognize the model name from the 18^th corner of the Monaco Circuit (or perhaps from playing the Formula D board game we’ve told you about). The brand, and the car, is steeped in Monaco’s racing culture, and rightly so.

 

The 30-year-old company sourced the engine of this exotic beauty from BMW (more specifically, Rolls-Royce), putting a 5.4-liter V-12 motor directly behind the passenger compartment. The engine is able to run on gasoline or hydrogen-enriched liquid propane gas.

 

 

It features a classic looking, worldly exterior suitable for a proper supercar. The front end, particularly the headlights, look like something that would seem right at home at Le Mans.

 

The interior, on the other hand would look more at home cruising in the Mediterranean Sea. It looks decidedly nautical, with long wood strips throughout the cabin. The wooden helm—not to mention the dash and digital gauge cluster—looks like it came straight from a luxury yacht. Also, if the occupants prefer to pretend they’re sailing the high seas with the wind in their hair, the Rascasse features a removable hard top to let in the elements.

 

 

Other details are still scarce, but Motor Authority reports that the Montecarlo Rascasse will be limited to 15 examples and will cost about $655,000.