It was in 2014 when Maserati teased the world with a super sports car concept called the Alfieri. All red and bearing the Trident, the Alfieri sparked hope of Maserati’s entry into the prestigious supercar segment.
Despite the Alfieri’s production version being delayed by a few years, it finally arrived and was introduced as the Maserati MC20. It’s everything that the Alfieri wasn’t, especially with its powerful Nettuno V6 engine. Most importantly, the Modena-built supercar is now in the Philippines and we get to see one in the metal.
With a single glance, you know that the MC20 is a special car. What makes it even more alluring is the Bianco Audace paint option that the model car presented to us wears. The silk finish of the paint job kind of morphs depending on the lighting – as if the car needed any help in capturing attention.
Up front, the coupe has a sizeable Trident badge embedded within a simple mesh grille, sharp LED headlights that extend up onto the front fenders, and numerous creases and divots indicative of its aerodynamic nature. Exposed carbon fiber coats the front splitters, roof, and side sills, and makes its way to the rear.
The rear end of the MC20 looks more streamlined, with horizontal LED taillights, dual exhaust tips just under the license plate, and a large carbon fiber diffuser below that.
Much of the carbon fiber found on the exterior carries over to the interior as well. The center column, paddle shifters, and driver-focused steering wheel all wear the lightweight weave. The rest of the cabin – the seats, dash, and door panels in particular – sport a mix of Alcantara and stitched leather with blue accents, which makes the MC20 feel very special when seated on either of the two seats.
But what separates the MC20 apart from any other Maserati – or any other car on the road, basically – is its 3.0-liter “Nettuno” V6 engine. Fully developed in-house in Modena, the Trident-designed power plant is supported by two turbochargers, packing a massive 621hp and 729Nm of torque. All these numbers are sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, capable of catapulting the MC20 to the centenary in 2.9 seconds. The top speed is rated at 323 km/h.
While the power that the MC20 makes is massive, the weight the mill has to push is pretty light. The new Maserati supercar only weighs 1,500 kilograms, thanks to a lightweight monocoque construction, which means it has a power-to-weight ratio of 2.3 kilograms per horsepower, the best in its class.
The MC20 has four driving modes (Wet, GT, Sport, and Corsa), with a fifth one that turns off all electric nannies for a more fun drive. Each mode adjusts things like steering feel and throttle sensitivity, as well as the adaptive suspension. The double-wishbone setup with active shock absorbers raises and lowers the car depending on the drive mode.
Three Maserati MC20 have arrived in the Philippines this year – all of which have their respective owners. More will arrive in 2023; future owners will have to be very patient as each of the Italian supercars is hand-built in Italy.
The MC20’s exact price tag wasn’t disclosed but it’s somewhere north of P30 million, depending on how the customer spec’d it.