The Maserati MC20

The MC20 was sculpted in the design department headed by Klaus Busse: “This is a car that speaks self-confidence. When you design a car as pure as this, every single detail of the car matters.”

The reveal of the MC20 supercar in September 2020 marked a new beginning for Maserati. At the time, chief operating officer Davide Grasso stated, “We are setting the cornerstone to build the Maserati of the future. MC20 is the first of its kind, and 100 per cent made in Modena—the model that starts a new era.”

Driving the MC20 is an experience not soon forgotten. At the Tenuta Venturini Baldini estate, located in the hills of Emilia Romagna, the MC20 formidably takes centre stage in the grounds of the villa. It is difficult to curb my enthusiasm approaching it. Opening the butterfly door and dropping into the driver’s seat, a palm’s distance from the ground, is to be enveloped in a cocoon of refined leather. I press the start button on the steering wheel, and the V6 Nettuno engine awakes with a deep rumble.

MC20s in Giallo Genio and Blu Infinito at the Piazza Roma in Modena.

This being a supercar, one might expect it to feel cramped; the reality is that the MC20 is comfortable (even for those over six feet)—the perfectly finished cabin is remarkably spacious. Parading through the villages of the Motor Valley, the MC20 attracts all eyes while the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission engages the gears with exemplary fluidity. It is remarkable that the same mechanics capable of firing the gears for road driving also perform on the track. And this is the MC20’s salient feature: the ability to transform from a docile Gran Turismo to a charged racing car. There are four tailored driving modes: GT, for everyday driving; Sport, for maximum performance in high-traction environments and track driving; Corsa, for an extreme driving experience; and Wet, for control in wet and humid conditions (as well as a fifth ESC mode, which disables all controls).\

The four-litre six-cylinder engine with 630 horsepower and innovative Maserati-patented twin combustion system derived from Formula 1 vehicles unloads its power on the rear wheels. With a carbon-fibre chassis and weight of 1,460 kilograms, the performance is thrilling: 2.9 seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/h and 8.8 seconds to continue up to 200 km/h, and then to over 325 km/h. And when it’s time to stop, the braking system halts from 100 km/h in just 28 metres. These numbers put the MC20 in the most elite category.

At the Autodromo di Modena, doing laps on the track, it is amazing how easy it is to go fast in the MC20. And when Andrea Bertolini, FIA World Champion and Maserati’s official test driver, takes the wheel, the super sportscar from the House of Trident expresses a speed that only a few cars in the world are able to match.

MC20 is a Maserati built to amaze that can storm around the track but also perform superlatively on the road. One of the quickest Maserati models to date, it will spearhead the company’s return to racing. And the MC20 story has just begun: a topless version is set to arrive next year and an electric version in 2023.