Maserati MCPura Is The MC20 In A Fresh New Suit
Unlike the MC20, which only became a convertible (Cielo) two years after launch, the MCPura is available with either roof from launch, and Maserati has elected to paint drop-tops in gloss paint with matte accents and coupes in matte paint with gloss accents. But before we discuss the cosmetics, we need to talk about performance.
The MC20 was launched with the Nettuno 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine developing 621 horsepower and 538 lb-ft of torque, enabling 0-62 mph in under 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph. For the MCPura, everything is the same except the torque figure, which has slipped to 531 lb-ft, likely due to efforts to meet stricter emissions regulations. Maserati hasn't elaborated on chassis changes in great detail, but it looks like the car may have picked up a little weight - Maserati claimed 3,251 pounds for the MC20's curb weight and is now quoting 3,307 lbs for the MCPura.
Cosmetically, the MCPura gets a new flat-topped steering wheel (to improve gauge cluster visibility) inspired by that of the GT2 Stradale, and if you order the coupe, you can have this with shift lights. The interior two-tone upholstery in Alcantara Ice features laser-etched seats, but other than that, little has changed. Also influenced by the design of the GT2 Stradale are the new, slightly more aggressive bumpers, and at the rear, an optional oversized spoiler can be fitted for more aggression.
The launch car appears in Ai Aqua Rainbow paint, while the Trident logos behind each door (and in the centers of the burnished wheels) now feature blue and magenta accents, but there's also a new Devil Orange, which pays homage to Maria Terera de Filippis, the first woman to qualify for a Formula 1 Grand Prix (in a Maserati 250F). In total, 10 colors are now offered.
Devil OrangeGrigio IncognitoGrigio MisteroNero EssenzaBianco AudaceBlu InfinitoRosso VincenteGiallo GenioVerde RoyaleNight Interaction
Orders are open from today, in both coupe and convertible forms, but pricing has not yet been announced. Expect a relatively small increase on the MC20's current MSRP of around $243,000 when the MCPura arrives at dealers in the second half of the year.
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If you've got millions to spend on a car that you probably won't drive that much, it's all about the experience, rather than emissions – another point made by Maserati's Parasacco. 'Maserati is a luxury brand, and there is a difference between a premium brand and a luxury brand,' argues Filici. He explains that while the driving experience of the GranTurismo and GranCabrio is excellent, even on a track, their 'autonomy' (ie freedom to go anywhere, rather than meaning self-driving) is constrained by the amount of battery that can be installed due to space and weight limitations, and the still patchy charging network in many countries. This is a drawback for cars aimed at grand touring, even if they also offer extremely fast charging, as the Maseratis do. 'Our customers pay a lot of money, and we need to ensure the right autonomy. We are working on this.' Should A Maserati Be A V8? It's not just electrification that is proving problematic. Even Maserati's switch from its traditional V8 to the excellent V6 Nettuno met with concerns from purists. 'Customers are asking for the V8, but we need to respect the environment, and moving from the V8 to V6 goes in this direction. We need to develop engines continuously, and the V6 Nettuno is a good engine coming from Formula One. Everything is related to the performance of the car, in the soul of the Maserati brand. You can drive the MC20, like the GranTurismo and GranTurismo, in a grand tourism way. The cars are easy to drive, but as soon as you want power, you can push the throttle and have the power you need. People are complaining about the lack of a V8, but the V6 is not a step backwards.' Nevertheless, the MCPura appears to be a reassertion of traditional Maserati heritage. 'We worked a lot around the name, because in the past, we had the MC12, referring to the kind of engine,' says Ficili. 'The MC20 refers to the fact that we launched the car in 2020. Now we want to do something different. An MC is the pure Maserati. Pura is the perfect name to represent the sense of the peak of our MC20.' This is all part of a reinvigoration of the Italian brand. Ficili has been COO of Maserati for less than a year and is also CEO of Alfa Romeo. On arrival, he restructured his team. 'Then we immediately began looking at the current range, starting from the Grecale, GT, GC, MC, to MCXtrema,' he says. 'What can we do immediately? So new color, new interior, new wheels, everything that is easy to do. Next, we work on the competitiveness. The situation is not easy right now due to tariffs. We are trying to understand what is going to happen.' The tariff uncertainty in America has been as problematic for Maserati as for other luxury brands selling into this lucrative region. 'The American market is fundamental for us,' says Ficili. 'We are delivering something close to 50% of our volume there, so we are paying a lot of attention to understanding the future following the decisions of President Trump.' 'In parallel, we are creating the future of Maserati,' Fucili adds. He currently won't reveal any details on this future other than that he has confidence in Maserati's plans. 'We need to keep Maserati where this brand deserves to be, considering the glory, the story, the legacy, that is unique in the world,' he says. 'Together with Alfa Romeo, we have this fantastic narrative. We need to start from this, imagining, dreaming a new future.' Does Maserati Still Have An Electric Future? This still leaves a big question mark over Maserati's plans for electrification, considering how negative the current US administration is towards EVs and anything to do with sustainability. 'We don't know what is going to happen the future,' says Ficili. 'I'm not sure that the transition from the current situation to BEV will be so fast as we were imagining two or three years ago, but that's still the direction. We don't have any other choice.' Some parts of the luxury market seem like a more natural fit for EVs than sports cars. An electrified Rolls Royce like the Spectre is perfect – smooth, quiet, and effortlessly quick. Most buyers of this kind of brand don't purchase them to hear engine noise. Even with the internal combustion versions, you can barely detect the motor. Ficili thinks the current range of engine choices is confusing for buyers. 'We need to change the brain of the potential customer, because now they must understand the difference between BEV, HEV, MHEV, plugin hybrids, internal combustion, diesel,' he says. 'If you test the GranTurismo Folgore compared with the IC, it's mostly the same. It's a question of how you are going to use the car. There is a question of residual value, too. Because no one knows what the future value of BEVs will be.' There was some talk of Maserati being spun off parent company Stellantis again, but Ficili is quick to deny these rumors. 'Maserati will be part of Stellantis range,' he says. 'It's the only real Italian luxury brand in the group. Everything is done in Italy. Design, production, everything in Modena. This will be forever the heart of Maserati. That's the reason why we are moving the production of GranTurismo and GranCabrio from Torino to Modena, coming back home, where we have the competencies of our people - blue collar and white collar. That will be forever the lineage and positioning in the brand. Coming back to our glory story, our legacy of racing that is part of the DNA of Maserati. We need to start from this story to create the future of this brand – our heritage. We do need to fix the economics first and make money. After that, the sky's the limit.' How much of that sky will be electric remains to be seen.