The Maserati MC20 Cielo sits at the top of the Trident’s current lineup. The Italian manufacturer has it labeled as a “Super Sports Car,” which invokes certain imagery and avoids directly dropping the vehicle into an established high-performance category. However, looking at the specs, calling it a supercar is more than fair.
Those specs are as follows: 621 horsepower and 538 lb-ft of torque thanks to a 3.0 liter Nettuno V6 engine, an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with overdrive, mid-engine configuration, and a 3252-pound curb weight. The “Cielo” designation marks this model as a convertible, though aside from the retractable glass roof the specs are essentially the same as you’d find in a non-convertible MC20.
I recently got the chance to try it out over several days, on a few different surfaces, and in various weather conditions, Here’s what I found.
It looks amazing
Just to get the obvious out of the way, the Maserati MC20 Cielo is an incredibly beautiful vehicle. It’s one of the few cars that will turn heads everywhere you go, and if you got a dollar every time someone pulled their phone out to snap a picture of it or shoot a video — you could probably offset the vehicle’s fuel costs.
It’s the best looking car in Maserati’s lineup, which is saying something as the GranTurismo is a bit of a looker too. Being the “Cielo” version, you can select “Spyder Mode” and drop the hard top in around 12 seconds. You need to be parked to make this happen, you’ll need to go through a couple of menus, and you will get a notification if you take your finger off the touchscreen a little early — but after you’ve dropped the top once, the process seems very simple. If we’re being nitpicky, a physical button or toggle is a far more comfortable experience than pressing up against a touch screen for 12-ish seconds. Oh, and it has a set of butterfly doors, which instantly make everything look a million times better.
The looks carry over to the interior, where you’ll be treated to a delightful mix of high-quality leather, suede, and carbon fiber. Both touchscreen displays are on the smaller side, though they’re still easy to use. The seats are pretty bucket-esque, but still very plush.
This is a surprisingly comfortable sports car
Maserati describes the MC20 as a “super sports car” and doesn’t seem to allude to it being any kind of grand tourer. Like many of its high-end, mid-engine peers, this could result in a pretty uncomfortable experience. After all, the focus is on performance. Comfort comes second at best, but could arguably be further down the list.
This isn’t really the case with the MC20. Yes, it’s low slung and might require a touch of flexibility when you’re getting into, or getting out of it. But once you’ve taken your seat, it’s all pretty plush. During the testing period, I spent several hours in the driver’s seat without any notable discomfort.
In terms of amenities, the Sonus Faber sound system does a pretty solid job, even with the roof down. You also get a cup holder. Just one, right in the middle. Said cupholder will be slightly behind you and isn’t easily accessible when you’re on the move, but it’s better than nothing.
Corsa mode is a little different
The Maserati MC20 has a handful of driving modes, including the standard “GT”mode, a mode meant for driving in rain, “sport” mode, and “Corsa” mode. That last one may be the most interesting. “Wet” mode is the most tame and seemingly dulls the throttle while making the electronic stability control (ESC) system a touch more vigilant. It may also be the most fuel efficient mode if you need to limp your way to a gas station. GT is a nice mix of comfort and power and will be the standard road driving mode for many. Sport firms things up and makes the throttle a touch spicier. Then we have Corsa mode.
Not all Maseratis have “Corsa” mode, which is essentially designed for the track. The throttle is aggressive, the suspension is firm, and everything just feels a bit more furious. From what I’ve experienced, Corsa is treated a touch differently in the MC20, or in the version of the MC20 I tested anyway. Firstly, you can’t just select it like you can on say the GranTurismo. You have to purposely hold the selector in place for a couple of seconds before the switch happens. This means you can’t just drop into it to give you a little extra oomph for an overtake, but you don’t really need that in the MC20 anyway.
Switching to Corsa mode also switches the stability control and other driver assistance systems off. A quick google suggests that you can have Corsa mode with these on, and you actually have to hold the selector in place for five seconds to turn off things like traction control. But this was not the case in my experience.
Launch control, which is activated via a button on the steering wheel and will get you that three-second 0-60 time, will only work in Corsa mode. In reality, the entire driving mode is there for the track and little else. I spent a lot of time in Sport, as driving around on public roads without ESC isn’t that sensible these days — especially in something expensive. However, with the MC20, you don’t need to worry too much.
You’ll struggle to find the MC20’s limit
Hypothetically, if you were to say take the MC20 to a deserted parking lot during a thunder storm, turn the traction control off, and do your level best to slide it around in a safe and controlled manner you’re still going to struggle a touch. It’s possible to get those back wheels sliding, but maintaining any sort of drift is pretty tricky, even with your foot flat to the floor. The Maserati just finds grip from seemingly nowhere and rights itself.
621 horsepower should be enough to send wheels spinning, but the wide back tires and the extra weight a mid-engine configuration sends rearward is seemingly enough to counteract that. And all of this is in extreme circumstances, it’s in one of the few situations where you want a vehicle to sort of go against everything it has been designed to do.
So, I can only conclude that the MC20 is an incredibly safe car. If you somehow stack one of these on a public road, you might actually be the worst driver on Earth. If you’re driving at a pace that won’t get the car impounded, then the MC20 will essentially be glued to the road in most weather conditions. I didn’t test it in snow or ice, and that is obviously a different ball game, but if you’re out in the summer, you’re in safe hands. Even the “wet” mode was pretty unnecessary. The vehicle performed just fine in GT mode, even during a downpour.
The Nettuno engine is great, but may not be the right fit
In recent times I’ve been full of praise for Maserati’s in-house Nettuno V6. Drop it in the Grecale, the GranTurismo, or the GranCabrio and you have a powerful twin-turbo capable of keeping things exciting. In those cases, it’s every bit the match for the Ferrari-built V8 it replaced in the Italian automaker’s vehicles. However, when you go mid-engined, things are a little different.
Plop the Nettuno right behind your head, and something it a bit off. The sound at lower RPMs isn’t exactly pleasant, and while it does make some inspiring noises once you get the hammer down, it’s still not quite what you want from an absolutely perfect mid-engined supercar.
Don’t get me wrong, this should be seen as a fairly minor criticism, even if nerve tingling sound has always been one of Maserati’s most distinct features. The performance is still there; the 621 horsepower MC20 Cielo can get you from 0-60 in three seconds and rip past 120mph in around nine. And when you’re in something low-slung, you can forget the stopwatch. It feels properly fast and thrilling. But the sound can’t really be compared to a naturally aspirated V8, or the V10 Lamborghini dropped in the Gallardo back in the day. It’s like chewing on a beautiful, tender slice of USDA Prime ribeye and realizing it needs just a touch more pepper.
All in all, the MC20 is a fantastic “Super Sports Car”
The Maserati MC20 is a fantastic vehicle whether you’re looking for a summer cruiser or a new track day toy. In terms of all-round practicality, with two-seats, a tiny trunk/frunk combo, and no room for a tow bar it’s not exactly a do-all family car. According to the EPA it will get 25 MPG on average, provided you aren’t driving it like a super car should be driven. So long-distance journeys are a possibility, especially if you consider how comfortable it is inside. With that being said, it’s firmly in the third car category.
If you want to get your hands on one, an MC20 Cielo has a starting price of $242,995 which may increase further should you snag a few optional extras. While I didn’t spend quite that much, I did put a good amount of my own cash into the gas tank while thoroughly testing it out. Which is generally a sign of something I’m going to thoroughly recommend.
