Maserati MCPura launched as MC20 replacement – McLaren rival makes public debut
Maserati has updated the MC20 (with a light touch) to create the new MCPura, with design influences and features carrying over from the GT2 Stradale. We've had a first look at Goodwood
Maserati's MC20 replacement, the MCPura, is an evolution of the MC20 rather than a wholesale ground-up replacement, and we've had a first look during its public debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed. Judging by our findings in a recent group test between the MC20 and the McLaren Artura, Aston Martin Vantage and Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E-Performance, it’s right about now that the MC20 could do with such an update. It’s a light touch but the main news is, the epic Nettuno engine remains.
So what is the MCPura? Revealed in both MCPura Coupe and MCPura Cielo convertible specifications, the name is inspired by what Maserati calls the ‘origins’ of Maserati’s DNA – pure speed, pure luxury and pure passion. The name may well be the newest thing about the MCPura however, given this is a conservative refresh of the car it replaces.
Engine, performance and dynamics
The Nettuno engine, with its innovative pre-chamber combustion system, goes largely unchanged in the MCPura from the MC20, with 621bhp at 7500rpm and 538lb ft between 3000 and 5500rpm. Maserati claims the control systems for the engine have been revised, with an improvement in drivability and throttle response. But otherwise, no great change to the Nettuno engine is no bad thing. It’s one of the most characterful engines in this segment.
That power is still sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential. The drive modes control the character of the car – how it rides, steers and how the throttle responds. These are still GT, Sport, Corsa, ESC off and Wet modes as before. Corsa and ESC off give the engine’s full performance, with the chassis in its stiffest setup and the gearbox and engine at their most responsive.
Corsa keeps some traction and stability control elements while ESC Off leaves you all on your own. The suspension button in the drive mode selector remains, allowing you to soften off the adaptive dampers regardless of what driving mode you’re in – in Corsa and ESC Off it winds back to ‘rigid’ from ‘racing’ and in Sport, it winds back to ‘normal’ from ‘rigid’. Maserati wants the MCPura to be a usable, drivable car that doesn’t wear you out and that doesn’t require an expert driver to get the best out of it. Given the light touch applied in this update, it’s a good thing the MC20 largely delivered on those fronts in the first place.
Maserati claims the MCPura weighs 1475kg at the kerb, though suspiciously, that is identical to the ‘dry’ figure we have for the MC20. Performance figures are identical – 0-62mph comes up in 2.9sec, on the way to a 203mph top speed.
What about the electrified elephant in the room? There are no plans to continue with the electrified version of the MC20, that would otherwise become the electrified MCPura. Giovanni Perosino, Maserati Chief Marketing Officer, said: ‘Unfortunately, the acceptance from the market of BEV cars is low. We are still developing our battery electric vehicles to improve performance but it’s clear for the MC20 to stop the battery electric version, because of the situation in the market. The current propulsion is fulfilling what is the current request from the market.’
Design and interior
The carbon bodywork has been revised, with the front and rear bumpers taking inspiration from the MC20 GT2 racer, the MCXtrema track special and the GT2 Stradale. There’s more of a pronounced ‘shark nose’, with a greater use of hard edges across the vents at the front. The splitter has been adjusted to work in conjunction with revised underfloor aero, too.
Like the MC20, the MCPura continues with dividing its styling ethos, with the lower portion of the car being very functional and the upper area focusing on form. Directly side-on, not a lot has changed, except if you look closely at the badge on the door that now says ‘MCPura’. Move to the rear and the GT2 Stradale influence continues with rebalanced volumes. There are three new colour options for the MCPura – Devil Orange, Verde Royale and Night Interaction.
The inside has been revised too, with a new steering wheel option with a flat top and bottom borrowed from the GT2 Stradale, complete with LED shift lights. It’s fully trimmed in Alcantara, which is a running theme in the cabin of the MCPura. Alcantara is everywhere, from the seats (featuring laser etching) and the door panels to, most importantly, the dashboard. Maserati reckons this will improve visibility given it reduces glare compared with leather trim.
In terms of its digital appointment, the two 10.25-inch screens are unchanged, though the MCPura adds the GT2 Stradale’s ‘performance pages’ app to the infotainment. These pages include technical indicators (turbo boost, oil pressure, torque), consumption, torque management (how the torque is split between the rear wheels) and temperatures (for the engine, brakes and gearbox).
Order books are open now with deliveries expected to begin by the end of October. Maserati insists too that it won’t be building MCPuras to stock, rather, building them to order. ‘We will not push the car’ – a wise move to avoid making the same mistake McLaren once made in filling forecourts with supercars that no one had ordered.
