Future classic: Maserati MC20

By Aaron McKay

| 12 Jun 2023

Classic & Sports Car – Future classic: Maserati MC20

There’s a certain freedom to being out of the game for 40 years.

Slates are cleaned and expectations loosely defined, so in this case, most were happy simply that a new supercar was coming from Maserati at all.

Once Italy’s leading sports-car maker and Grand Prix star, Maserati’s presence began to fade when it left racing in 1957 and started a long journey into comparative obscurity, via a succession of GT cars and corporate buyouts.

‘Inside, a sparse simplicity highlights the fundamentals’

A flurry of ambition in the 1970s produced the Bora, and the Ferrari Enzo-derived MC12 enjoyed a brief racing career in the mid-2000s.

The MC20, however, seems to be the product of patient and rational planning.

With surprisingly little fanfare, this mid-engined, 621bhp, carbonfibre-tub supercar has arrived as Maserati releases its next generation of cars under the new Stellantis corporate umbrella.

The Maserati MC20 has perhaps surprisingly subtle styling for a supercar

It follows the modern supercar blueprint, with a twin-turbo V6 driving the rear wheels via a dual-clutch automatic ’box and a limited-slip diff, plus double-wishbone suspension with adaptive dampers, huge carbon-ceramic brakes and some clever aerodynamic work to manage speeds in excess of 200mph.

The styling is possibly the least dramatic of its breed: there are no huge wings, flared panels or exaggerated intakes.

Inside, a sparse simplicity highlights the fundamentals: low-slung, finely trimmed Sabelt bucket seats, a wraparound windscreen and the sculpted bodywork framing your view.

Clockwise from top: Maserati’s 2992cc twin-turbo V6 has 621bhp; the engine sits behind a stylish cover; intricate wheels front strong brakes

Its pièce de résistance arrives on the second corner you take.

The brakes scrub off speed smoothly, the apex falls into place and it settles into an urgent flow of momentum delivered with staggering composure.

The MC20 has an uncanny ability to turn almost any section of road into a rollercoaster of perfect angles, cambers and inconsequential bumps, while offering all the feedback and calm responses to measure out precisely how exhilarating you want the drive to be.

A whooshing growl of the V6 at the top end echoes an inner spirit of Group C racing more than sonorous supercar, but this fits with its pure sense of purpose.

A Maserati supercar is a welcome return

Maserati’s pre-chamber combustion set-up offers a highlight of the MC20’s specification.

A chamber in miniature helps to fire the main one, but it’s just a means to an end that matches the car’s brilliant fluency.

Ultimately, it’s this rather quiet yet great accomplishment that defines the returning legend.

Whether it’s truly a piece of Maserati magic is debatable, given the number of ex-Ferrari engineers on the project, but, in focusing simply on the core ingredients, the MC20 is so endearing that it has you spellbound.

Images: Luc Lacey