The sports car concept Maserati Birdcage first appeared at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. Pininfarina built this show car with aerodynamic efficiency, and the low body hugs the alloy wheels completing with sensual lines and sculptural form of this futuristic Maserati.

Built on the Maserati MC12 chassis, weight for a production Birdcage should be in the region of 1111 kg (2450 lbs). This weight is achieved with the use of carbon fiber bodywork and an aluminum and carbon fiber frame. While the exterior continues the Maserati tradition, the interior points to the future of the man/machine interface, with a transparent heads-up display.

Although a lightweight sports car the Birdcage offers many comforts including air conditioning, leather interior, satellite navigation and electric windows. The Birdcage comes in roadster and coupe form and access is provided by the unique dramatic opening canopy.

With its 700-horsepower V-12 engine, the car had to be true to its racing heritage. It has an Acura NSX-like nose, large V-shaped rear diffusers, 22-inch wheels, lots of carbon-fiber, and a host of Motorola inter-connectivity technology. To help reduce costs a production Birdcage would shed the V12 in favor of a 350 bhp V6. The same reduction in engine size happened to the Jaguar XJ220 back in the early 1990′s.