Supercar Sunday: Maserati’s roaring MC20 in different dresses
Maserati launched the MCPura recently, making its way to India as well and here's a look back at the car it based upon, the MC20, the brand's first car in 20 years to have in-house built engine.
New Delhi: In this edition of Supercar Sunday, I want to look at the simply amazing Maserati MC20 that has become the brand’s talking point with its amazing styling and engine. It made its debut in September 2020 in Modena, with a racing version being announced at the same time. The open-top variant, called the Cielo, debuted in 2022.
It is essentially the brand’s spiritual successor to the MC12 supercar from 2004. It is a mid-engine car, and the first car in 20 years that has an engine unit built in-house. As its rival, it faced competition from the likes of Porsche 911 Turbo S, Lamborghini Huracan and Ferrari 296 GTB. In more recent times, it has been rebadged as the MCPura with little aesthetic changes to itself. This sports car is produced in the brand’s Modena plant.
Maserati powertrain
The engine is called Nettuno, and it is a powerful 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine that made 630 bhp and 730 Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. In fact, the engine’s technology is derived from F1, and that just goes to show how powerful and neck-snapping the engine will be.
In terms of numbers, it can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 2.9 seconds and has a top speed of 325 kph. To make it lightweight, Maserati had given it a lot of carbon fibre and other lightweight materials. As a result, it has a kerb weight of less than 1,500 kg, which means it has a power-to-weight ratio of more than 420 bhp per tonne. It gets four driving modes in GT, Sport, Corsa and and wet.
The GT manages to have fluid shifting and soft suspension that delivers the car with a lot of power. The Sports mode is, of course, best suited for the race track, offering sporty traction and power, along with stiffer suspension and fast, direct gear shifts. In the Corsa driving mode, you get a lot of power instantly, and the gear shift is very quick, the exhaust valves are open through and traction control gets reduced. In Wet mode, the MC20 manages to take high-speed corners and acceleration controlled in slippery conditions.
Maserati MC20 interior and exterior
On the inside, the MC20 features a simple design language, with carbon-fibre Alcantara or leather dominating the interior. It gets a 10-inch digital instrument display and a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with the carbon fibre-covered central console that only has a drive mode selector, wireless smartphone holder, infotainment controls and just some more for basic functions.
The exterior, of course, takes cues from the MC12 and features the usual sport-soup silhouette. It comes with a clean look, with flowing lines and has very few aerodynamic additions, with the exception of the small rear spoiler for better downforce. It also comes with butterfly doors.
So, a Maserati at heart, retro in design, and speaking in the modern language of infotainment. It appears to have everything that someone looks for in a Supercar and some more.