Classic pearls of the future - Maserati MC20
06/28/2022
Do you remember the Maserati MC12 ? This was the last super sports car from Maserati, built between 2004 and 2005 as an offshoot of the Ferrari Enzo in truly homeopathic doses to compete in FIA GT1 championships. There were a few road versions (Corsa), but they were probably not seen too often on public roads.
A few years later, Maserati once again set about developing a super sports car, which was finally unveiled in September 2020 as the MC20.
The MC20 breaks away from the rest of the Maserati range, which is intended more for the Granturismo and luxury driver. The MC20 is a relatively purist mid-engined sports car without hybrid technology and without making too many concessions to everyday use. Instead, it has a carbon monocoque construction and suspensions that would also look good on racing cars.
With a length of 4.67 meters and a width of 1.97 meters, it is not extremely compact, but at least the weight has been kept at around 1500 kg.
The engine is based on designs from Alfa Romeo and Ferrari and has six cylinders arranged at a 90-degree angle. With two turbochargers, the 2991 cm3 V6 produces a whopping 630 hp at 7500 rpm and the 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox has to cope with a maximum torque of 730 Nm between 3000 and 5500 rpm.
All-wheel drive? Not available. Rear seats? No. Convertible version? Yes, it will be called the Cielo and will be a little heavier and less efficient. Electric version? Apparently at the project stage. Affordable? Well, EUR 210,000 and a few crumbs, depending on the VAT situation and extras, are not exactly a penny. Compared to Ferrari alternatives, however, the Maserati MC20 looks like a special offer and even Porsche cars with similar performance (0-100 km/h in approx. 2.9 seconds, top speed over 325 km/h) are hardly cheaper. A Lotus Emira, which the Maserati resembles depending on the angle, costs less than half as much, but is not as dynamic.
Is this enough to make the Maserati MC20 the classic pearl of the future? If you listen to Chris Harris in the latest episode of Top Gear, then the Maserati engineers have obviously got a few things right. On a dry track, the mid-engined sports car achieved hypercar times, but in the wet the car, which was only powered by the rear wheels, was rather average. Nevertheless, Harris described it as one of the truly exceptional sports cars and superior to most others in terms of handling. It was fast anyway and not even too expensive. He was more worried about how long Maserati would build it in view of the constantly mounting financial problems ...
For the real "petrolhead", the Maserati MC20 seems to be a real alternative and perhaps this sports car is one of the last real sports cars with a combustion engine that you simply won't be able to avoid in 10, 20 or 30 years' time? We therefore concede a "classic pearl" award to the MC20 and are now waiting to be allowed to drive one ourselves ...
P.S. You can discover more classic pearls on our long-running theme channel.
