The factory prototype, World Endurance Championship
2001 MV Agusta 952cc F4 Production Racing Motorcycle
Engine no. 952R2

Since its revival in the late 1990s under the stewardship of the Castiglioni brothers, owners of the Cagiva Group, the legendary MV Agusta brand has seen its range expand from a single model – the Massimo Tamburini-designed 750cc F4 superbike – to include the 1,000cc F4, various Brutale ‘nakeds’ and the three-cylinder F3. The first step along MV’s road to greater diversification was taken only a few years after the 1998 launch of the original F4, which had been designed as a ‘750’ to meet the then current regulations of the World Superbike Championship. MV had already produced an experimental, 898cc version of the F4 engine (in 1996) and with the focus of the worldwide sports bike market shifting to the 1,000cc class, the motore grosso (big engine) project was revived in 2001.

Prior to that, in 2000, discussions had commence