Road Test: Maserati MC20
Maserati means business with their MC20 supercar, but have they done enough to disrupt the fast car establishment?
WORDS: Mark Rose | PHOTOS: Dom Ginn
My email inbox is bombarded on a daily basis with dull manufacturer press releases, most of which cover some boring new electric SUV that we’re told we really need but don’t actually want. Occasionally, however, something a little more juicy graces my email server and one of the more memorable announcements in recent years was the Maserati MC20. I specifically remember having to gather my jaw from my office desk at the sight of the press images. It was beautiful and more importantly, it was a Maserati supercar.
I emphasise ‘Maserati supercar’ because apart from the MC12 which was an ultra-low volume, rehash of the Ferrari Enzo, the Italian outfit hasn’t produced one since 1978 when the Bora went out of production. However, the idea that Maserati is an exotic brand and not one that’s been concentrating on SUVs and saloon cars, has endured. Yes, there was the 3200 GT from the late 90s (later the Gransport), and the GranTurismo and GranCabrio that went out of production in 2019, but these were grand tourers that never really set the world alight. The fact Maserati has been navigating some very fallow years made the introduction of the MC20 even more exciting, but it also raised the question, can they actually re-enter the supercar market and cause trouble for the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, and Lamborghini?
Two years have passed since that press release and with the keys to an MC20 in hand, I can finally set about answering the above question, but not before I spend some time looking at it. One doesn’t just drive off in an MC20. That would be rude. It should be enshrined in law that you must at least take a minute to admire the car before firing up the engine and buggering off. It’s a thing of real beauty, especially our test car which was finished in Rosso Vincente and equipped with fifty-thousand pounds of carbon fibre.
Visually, the cabin was less seductive but well thought-out with exotic materials. The mainstays of any supercar interior were present and correct – carbon fibre, Alcantara and leather, all pieced together to create a space that felt special. The ergonomics were simple with large column-mounted paddles, a large driving mode selector on the transmission tunnel, and essential buttons in obvious places. However, like any other supercar, the rear visibility is compromised but this is remedied thanks to a camera which doubles as a rear-view mirror. Also, dihedral doors are wonderfully flamboyant, but on the MC20 they require some extra clearance before opening. Other than these small annoyances, the Maserati is a comfortable place to spend time with space for larger passengers and carry-on luggage, and comfy, well-positioned seats. It even has a driving mode called GT, which makes you question whether it’s a snarling supercar or something that’s built for long distances.
Out on the road, it doesn’t take long to figure out the Maserati has something of a split personality. In the aforementioned GT driving mode, it cruises around in relative peace and comfort, even if the low-speed ride quality is a little harsh. But when you find an interesting piece of road and select either the Sport or Corsa driving modes, the MC20 comes alive.
The chassis is a masterpiece. It was developed by legendary Italian racing outfit Dallara who are also responsible for its construction, before the tub is shipped off to Maserati’s facility in Modena. Rigid thanks to its carbon construction, but playful and well balanced, the MC20 responds beautifully to your inputs, whether you’re peeling off the brake pedal and rolling in to a corner, or giving it a little extra throttle to get the rear rotated. It wants to play, and when you factor in the accurate steering and progressive brake pedal, what you have is a car that flows down a road with dexterity.
Dynamically, it gets under your skin, and while it might not be as communicative as a McLaren 720S or have quite the same appetite for tomfoolery as a Ferrari F8, it strikes an entertaining balance between the two.
Like a Ferrari, it also comes with a damper button which slackens off the suspension and improves ride quality between the driving modes. In Sport you get GT levels of damping and in Corsa you get the set up found in Sport. This helps round off some of the bigger bumps on our UK roads and gives you more confidence to push on. There’s also a wet weather driving mode and an option for ESC-Off if you’re feeling particularly brave.
The straight line performance lands the MC20 slap-bang in supercar territory. It doesn’t quite have the same poke as a 720S or F8, but it certainly keeps a Lamborghini Huracán Evo honest despite the power and torque only reaching two driven wheels. Power is sent rearwards thanks to an eight-speed dual clutch transmission which rifles through upshifts with no interruption, and snaps from one ratio to the next when coming back down the gearbox. The engine responsible for the performance is a 3.0 litre ‘Nettuno’ V6 which uses the type of cylinder tech found in Formula One engines. The patented technology makes use of two combustion chambers per cylinder which means Maserati has been able to squeeze a lot of power out of a relatively small displacement engine. With a couple of turbos bolted on, the MC20 punches out 621bhp and 538lb ft, or an impressive 207bhp per litre. Zero to 62mph is seen in just 2.9 seconds and it will top out at 203mph. Most impressive though is the midrange performance with torque between 3,000 and 5,000rpm which makes the car effortlessly fast, to the point where you don’t realise how quickly you’re moving.
And don’t think for a moment that this relatively small displacement V6 lacks the aural drama of other supercars, because it doesn’t. In the racier driving modes, the MC20 snarls its way to the rev limiter, the noise of the motor accompanied by the whooshing and fluttering of the turbos – the wastegate chatter is so pronounced that it makes the turbos in a McLaren seem subdued. Another benefit of the 3.0 litre V6 is that you can start the car and roll around your local town without bothering the neighbours, which is a blessing when so many people feel the need to throw scorn at the internal combustion engine. A supercar that’s beautiful, exciting and sociable? Apparently, you can have your cake and eat it …
Despite being absent from the supercar game for such a long time, Maserati has returned with a real contender. The MC20 is a pure blooded supercar right to its core, but it also offers something different to its rivals. It might not be the outright fastest, purest, or most outlandish car of its type on sale, but its certainly the most romantic and beautiful. At £227,000 before options, the pricing puts it in the firing lane of all the other machinery mentioned in this article, while putting space between it and the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo S. But what that money buys you isn’t just any supercar, but a Maserati supercar, and that’s a very special thing indeed. Welcome back Maserati, we’ve missed you.
Engine: V6, twin-turbo
Displacement: 2,992cc
Power: 621bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 538lb ft @ 5,500rpm
Transmission: 8-speed twin-clutch, RWD
0-62mph: 2.9 secs
VMAX: 203mph
Kerbweight: 1,475kg
Price: £227,000+
Technical Specifications
Beautiful, fast and extremely competent. The MC20 is a return to form for Maserati and a supercar which will have the competition looking over their shoulders.
9/10
Verdict & Rating
“When you find an interesting piece of road and select either the sport or corsa driving modes, the MC20 comes alive”
