“MC” stands for Maserati Corse, and cars bearing that mark have always been special. Leaning on the brand’s immaculate racing heritage, machines like the MC12, and even the last GranTurismo MC Stradale, were true stand-outs. In theory, that means this car should knock my socks off.
The car in question is the MCPura, a refresh of the already brilliant MC20, with a name change that completely makes sense when you consider what the car sets out to accomplish. It needs to fit the MC ethos and live up to the history.
I flew to Florence, Italy, to find out if Maserati still has what it takes to make me all racy. With a full day of driving through the hills and on the coast of Tuscany, in perfect weather, and with both MCPura Coupe and Cielo (convertible) available to test, the stage was set.
Maserati’s Fuoriserie Program Is No Joke: Ask And You Shall Receive
All the cars on Maserati’s Italian drive adventure were Fuoriserie examples – that is part of the brand’s bespoke customization business. The company says that over 80 percent of MC20 cars have been thusly optioned, to date. The personalization can include details as small as a special color stitching, or a single unusual option. And some cars are treated to a significantly more complex build process.
If you want your grandmother’s tablecloth used as a pattern for the seats, Maserati will do it. Any exterior color you want is technically achievable. Badge color and brake caliper paint: name it. You can even have graphics hand-painted onto the car (no vinyl decals allowed, only the real deal).
As with so many good and special things in life, your Fuoriserie-curated MCPura might be a bit of a wait. While simple changes like special contrast stitching can be had in roughly four weeks, brand-new paints, or those seats only your Grandma can love, could push a build by eight to twelve months. A nearly limitless curated delivery of your one-of-one Maser – also a feature of the program – makes the wait more worthwhile, at least.
The Best Parts Remain
Powertrain
While the days of Maseratis endowed with rowdy, cross-plane-crank, Ferrari V-8 engines are gone, the company’s modern, turbocharged “Nettuno” V6 is epic in its own right. The company uses the engine across its vehicle lineup, but the 621-horsepower, 538-pound-foot-of-torque variant in the MCPura is significantly more dramatic than the norm.
Turbo noises are ever-present. You can use the sound of them spooling to better understand when the engine is in boost (though it’s basically all the time). There is very little sense of lag, and the powertrain feels immensely stout at any engine speed.
Pulling onto the Autostrada was breathtaking; 60 miles per hour happens in 2.9 seconds. The car was fast enough that I even struggled with the physicality imposed at a full-tilt acceleration run. And, for those keeping score, the car will top 200 mph if you’re brave enough to keep your foot down.
Steering
The steering in MCPura is direct but light, far lighter than I’d imagined for a supercar of this ilk. This segment tends to favor high-effort steering, but MCPura is all about quick inputs and agility, so its lighter steering matches the overall character. The curb weights of 3,307 pounds for the coupe and 3,565 pounds for the Cielo go a long way to allowing the car to feel pointy, too.
Considering the technical nature of some of the roads we were driving, and occasional gusts of wind, the car’s extreme sharpness was appreciated.
Supple Suspension
The MCPura could absolutely be driven on a daily basis. The ride quality is shockingly smooth. Even over the harshest of bumps (and in the stiffest suspension setting) the car deals with road inconsistencies so well, you’d think you’re in a Quattroporte.
I also appreciate that you can change the suspension stiffness independently of the drive mode. Setting the engine response to Sport, but with the suspension on the softest setting, is a truly great way to explore tight and challenging roads.
Laser Etched Seats
Some will criticize the MCPura for having “funky” patterns in the seats, but there is art in the process and the product. Maserati uses a laser to very precisely remove small bits of material at a time that, when seen from a few feet back, create a mural effect.
Often, the top layer of Alcántara is a singular color, with the second layer below (revealed by the laser) surprising as a color-shift mesh-like material. It’s a wonderful visual effect that brings a ton of character to the interior of the car, appropriate for a car at this price and level of rarity, and sure to be a conversation starter. I do wish some of the other interior materials were similarly updated to a lavish standard.
A Subtle Facelift
The MC20 has always been a handsome thing, so a drastic change wasn’t needed – especially with similar mechanical underpinnings. But the cool MCPura visual updates, along with the renewed focus on bespoke cars, allow the timeless design to really sing.
What’s New?
All the wheel choices, except for the standard set, are forged. There is a new optional spoiler that integrates perfectly with the rear of the car, and you can order that in either raw carbon or painted to match the body.
There’s also a new steering wheel design, which, optionally, can feature a neatly integrated shift-light bar. Said lights are only available on the coupe, presumably as they’ll be handy for track work.
As Italian As It Gets
Driving a Maserati in its home country just feels right. The sense of national pride is alive and well in Italy, especially where the Carabinieri are concerned. In America, we must tiptoe past police when driving hardcore sporting machines. In Italy, when in an Italian supercar, one might get more of a nod of approval when “exploring the canyon roads spiritedly.”
Beyond that, the army of Maserati team members who joined us showed not only true pride in their country, but also a deep understanding of the brand’s history and the vehicles they produce today. The existing lineup, though not perfect, is perhaps the strongest in recent memory.
A More Fitting Name
The MCPura is, without a doubt, worthy of inclusion in the Maserati Corsa lineage. The car is a pure expression of the company’s most deeply held values: beauty, speed, agility, and flair. Flexible enough to be daily driven, or flogged with the top down through Tuscany, the MCPura offers a superb variation on a deeply lovable supercar.