In ways this is an unfair comparison since the MC12 was a bona-fide supercar with a massive V12 engine which was only dwarfed by its jaw dropping proportions. It was a Le Mans racer with a tax disc along with a personality of a wild child but it was also a Maserati supercar which captivated the world due to its stunning looks.
Related: From Aston Martin to Porsche: The A-Z of supercars
While it was a Ferrari Enzo underneath, the direction which Maserati took was somewhat different in being more of a hardcore supercar with next to no attention being paid to passenger ergonomics.
Maserati MC20: Nothing else in the market is similar
Rearward visibility, space? What’s that? The Maserati v12 was an art showcase with a V12 stuffed at the back. The supercar car scene was bursting at its seams with such extravagant supercars back in the day but now things have changed. Hence, there is now another new Maserati supercar but one that takes into account the vagaries of the modern world.
It’s called as the MC20 Maserati super car and is touted as the big comeback for Maserati in terms of being a ground-up supercar to trouble its Italian rivals. The new Maserati supercar is popular as Maserati has thrown the kitchen sink and made this sports car on its own with nothing else in the market being similar. The styling though takes some influence from V12 Maserati in terms of its snout but the tighter proportions are sleeker GT and less cartoonish.
It is lithe, muscular and well endowed with voluptuous haunches. The wheels are pushed to the side and makes the car look wide. In essence, the MC20 is a hardcore racer like the MC12 but within a layer of GT underneath. To put things into perspective, there is an all-new cabin to prove that. Unlike the MC12 where you have no space, the MC20 is modern and packs in a lot of gadgetry, making it one of the best Maserati supercars.
There are fancy new dials and lots of cool details but there are some hints of being a proper Maserati too. The MC12 cabin on the other hand is dipped in nostalgia and is barebones with manual controls along with stark racing inspired switchgear.
A true supercar: Equipped with a melodious V12
Time has moved on and supercars these days have to bow down to legislations plus meeting tough emissions targets. A V12 engine is not quite possible any more but that was the powertrain which was fitted to the MC12. It was the same melodious V12 which was also fitted to the Ferrari Enzo- its more sensible sibling.
The V12 made more than 600bhp and sounded magnificent. The MC20 powertrain in comparison is a more prosaic sounding twin turbo V6 but the numbers are more impressive than the old bruiser.
The new “Nettuno” engine develops more power than just about any 6-cylinder engine with 630bhp and 730Nm. Turbocharging brings more effortless cruising rather than fighting for revs all the time. Yes, a V8 might have been the powertrain of choice to please traditional supercar fans but a twin turbo V6 packs in a lot of firepower along with pleasing environmentalists.
Introducing a proper Maserati
The MC20 is also a GT with supercar pretentions rather than a pure supercar which the MC12 was. A smooth double clutch automatic, plenty of toys to keep the driver on the road and other fancy systems mean that the MC20 is not as raw as the MC12 but a lot easier to live with. There is actual luggage space and it would be a competent companion in doing long journeys.
Maserati has clearly progressed with the MC20 but it is also about giving putting the soul of its previous sports cars into a modern luxury laced grand tourer. It’s taken a long time but a proper Maserati is finally here! Read more about the world of luxury motoring in the Regarding Luxury blog.
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Somnath Chatterjee grew up around cars and most of his childhood was spent obsessing over supercars. Years later he decided to start writing about them and hasn’t looked back since. While he has had his fair share of cars, the world of automobiles never ceases to amaze him. Travelling all over the world to drive them along with sharing that experience is what ultimately keeps him going. He hopes to drive a Ferrari 288 GTO someday because, well, do you really need a reason?
