Maserati MC20 2021 Review

Set to touch down in Australia in the second half of this year, the all-new 2021 Maserati MC20 has been priced at a cool $438,000 plus on-road costs.

That’s some punchy pricing for a car-maker which hasn’t sold a supercar since 2004. But even at that money, Australians can’t get enough of Modena’s Ferrari-fighter and it’s already sold out Down Under until 2022, at the earliest.

Anticipating strong global demand, Maserati has confirmed that it began building the MC20 at the rate of five-to-six cars a day as early as last January.

That said, with only one shift operating at its new production line at the Viale Ciro Menotti plant in Modena, buyer demand was always expected to exceed supply as Maserati is currently only capable of producing around 1500 cars annually.

As standard, the MC20 follows in the tyre tracks of McLaren and avoids the cheaper aluminium spaceframe favoured by Ferrari for a stiffer, more rigid carbon-fibre monocoque chassis that has two extruded aluminium subframes hung off them.

The no-expense-spared engineering approach, which includes a carbon-fibre body, is reflected by its long list of standard kit that could leave most owners well satisfied without resorting to any option box ticking.

For example, the standard MC20 has 20-inch wheels at all corners and huge brakes – 380x34mm vented front and 350x27mm rear discs, clamped by six- and four-piston callipers respectively.

More performance-enhancing parts are available at an undisclosed cost, such as a lighter set of forged alloy wheels that shave 18kg from the kerb weight.

Later on, carbon-fibre rims will also be introduced that carve 28kg from the total mass.

Not available at launch, but in the pipeline, is a pair of carbon-fibre-shell race seats and a lightweight sports exhaust.

For those who plan to track their cars, Maserati also offers carbon-ceramic brakes that add larger-still 390x36mm front discs and 360x28mm rear rotors.

A large 10.0-inch freestanding tablet-style infotainment screen is the centrepiece of the dashboard, matched by a 10.0-inch digital instrument cluster.

Online connectivity functions developed for the MC20 include connected navigation, the Alexa smart assistant, Wi-Fi hotspot and the ability to manage some vehicle systems via the Maserati Connect smartphone or smartwatch app.

The MC20 will be available with six dedicated new paint colours: Bianco Audace, Giallo Genio, Rosso Vincente, Blu Infinito, Nero Enigma and Grigio Mistero.

‘Naked’ carbon-fibre bonnet, roof, front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser are also available that are claimed to shed the grams over the standard painted CF items.

Matching Ferrari, Maserati will allow owners to colour-match their MC20 to any hue they want, while adding exclusive trim and finishes within – but at a price.

It’s hard not to be astonished by what a technological tour-de-force the 2021 Maserati MC20 is – and the fact that, incredibly, it took just two years to materialise from a designer’s sketch to a stunning Ferrari fighter.

Even more astounding is the fact that, mounted midship, is a fresh-from-the-ground-up 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 that features bona fide Formula 1 technology.

Contrary to rumours, despite sharing the same bore and stroke as the F154 Ferrari engine – a V8 with two cylinders lopped-off it’s not.

Instead, the oversquare 90-degree dry-sump twin-turbo V6 is all the more special in an age where car-makers are calling time on the development of internal combustion engines.

At the very heart of the 3.0-litre’s creation is what’s coined Maserati Twin Combustion (MTC).

So secret is the new tech, just four weeks away from launch the engineer in charge of the patented technology wouldn’t show us the small part that makes its pre-chamber combustion possible. Nor would he discuss what metal alloys it’s made from.

If we wanted to know, he said buy a car and strip the engine down yourself. He was only half joking.

The theory behind MTC is that alongside a traditional spark plug is a trick little pre-chamber that, moments before the spark plug fires, works like a miniature flame-thrower.

The benefit of MTC is a bigger, more efficient band that has allowed Maserati to create an engine that pumps out 210hp/154kW per litre while easily meeting emissions targets.

Better still, the maximum 463kW and 730Nm of torque the MC20’s engine produces is only the beginning, with more powerful variants expected – all without having to resort to expensive (and heavier) levels of electrification.

Speaking of weight, factor in a light 1475kg kerb weight and straight out of the box Maserati’s first supercar in a generation is on the money for performance, with the 0-100km/h sprint taking 2.88 seconds and the 0-200km/h dash taking just 8.8sec.

Top speed, meanwhile, is claimed to be more than 326km/h.

Until very recently, driving any supercar over a considerable distance was the equivalent of climbing a stone staircase on your knees. But then one day cars like the McLaren 720S showed there was another way.

We’d now argue the new 2021 Maserati MC20 takes things further still.

It might miss out on the McLaren’s fancy hydraulically-linked springs, but thanks to its top-drawer expensive five-link independent suspension, advanced electro-mechanical dampers and some chassis witchcraft thrown in, the MC20 is now so comfortable you’ll never, ever want to stop driving it.

To prove its comfort credentials, the Italian car-maker pointed us in the direction of Modena’s automotive equivalent of a punishing assault course for supercars.

We’re talking a lunar landscape of a road with lumps, bumps, cracks, potholes and downright evil cambers that all looked as though they’ve been designed to throw you off into the very pretty scenery.

The MC20 coped with everything, even an all-four-wheels-off-the-deck moment, without scraping its pretty nose, hitting its bump stops or even producing any expensive-sounding noises beneath.

Thanks to its expertly-judged damping, at no times does the MC20 ever feel out of its depth, even on track where its specially-developed Bridgestone tyres ensure a progressive rear breakaway that makes slides easy to catch.

It really does feel like a big, friendly Alpine A110 – and that’s a huge compliment in a class renowned for snappy on-limit handling.

With chassis poise to spare, you can exploit the huge mechanical grip available and relish in the precise, accurate steering that accurately telegraphs how hard you can lean on those front tyres.

On road, there’s a wet, GT and Sport mode, with a final Corsa mode created for the track, plus three individual settings for the dampers.

We cycled between GT and Sport and opted for the mid or softest damper setting. Corsa allows modest-to-medium-sized drifts before reigning in any overindulgence.

The Tremec eight-speed dual-clutch borrowed from the Chevrolet C8 Corvette, aside from the odd clunky down-shift, is excellent.

Boosting confidence is the MC20’s shrink-wrapped feel, plenty of visibility and enormous stopping power of the carbon-ceramic brakes (we didn’t get to try the standard steel stoppers), although they do get grumbly, even after fast road use.

Perversely, after raving about how technologically advanced the V6 twin-turbo is on paper, in reality it dishes up the levels of jaw-dropping performance you’d expect.

It takes bravery, at least on country roads, to get anywhere near its 8000rpm redline and you’d swear its peak 730Nm was delivered far lower than 3000rpm – such is the thrust on tap from little more than idle.

Shame, then, that its soundtrack lacks excitement, at least from within the cabin. We had hoped it might recapture some of the iconic soundtrack from the old Busso Alfa engine, but, alas, it misses out.

Outside, or windows-down, the MC20 does sound better and a lighter performance exhaust is on the way. But we fear even that will never capture the aural excitement of a bent-eight.

An evocative soundtrack is the only chink in what is formidable armour worn by the 2021 Maserati MC20.

But despite its talents, in a market worth only 8000 to 10,000 cars a year, the famous trident brand admits its long-awaited new supercar will still struggle against rivals like the Ferrari F8 Tributo, Audi R8, Lamborghini Huracan Evo and newcomers like the McLaren Artura.

Luckily, the Maserati MC20 has something all its rivals lack – simply stunning looks.

In the flesh, the MC20 is nothing short of drop-dead gorgeous, and since most supercars spend their life lapping city centres rather than actual race circuits they were designed for, we’re willing to bet that’s a valuable commodity.

How much does the 2021 Maserati MC20 cost?
Price: $438,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Second half 2021
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol
Output: 463kW/730Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 11.2L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 261g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested