SKYWALKER UNLEASHED |
Its super sports car coupé sibling may have been commended with a string of prestigious design awards, but in our view, the open-top Maserati MC20 Cielo – a “first-of-its-kind” spyder, according to its celebrated Italian maker – is even more attractive than its hardtop relation.
Making its North American debut at the recent The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, which is part of the prestigious Monterey Car Week – an integral part of motoring culture in the United States – the MC20 Cielo was initially revealed in Modena, Italy, earlier this year before also appearing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK.
Not to be outdone, the MC20 – recipient of the 2021 European Product Design Award, Top Design Winner and 2021 Red Dot Award for Best of the Best for Product Design – recently made its African debut, showcased by Maserati South Africa at the Festival of Motoring held at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Midrand.
The MC20 epitomises performance and comfort, the dual spirit of Maserati, harking back to the racing roots of the Trident brand and its iconic GranTurismo essence. And, according to Maserati, the new MC20 Cielo spyder takes these qualities to a new level in terms of **al fresco** motoring.
The MC20 Cielo announces its unique features in its name: MC stands for Maserati Corse (‘Racing’), 20 refers to 2020, the year that began the brand’s new era, and Cielo (‘sky’) highlights the fact that it is a model devoted to open-air driving while maintaining all the perquisites of the coupé.
Equipped with the highly rated V6 Nettuno engine that made its debut in the MC20, the MC20 Cielo offers the same heady mix of sportiness and luxury but also something unique and a first-of-its-kind in its segment: An innovative retractable glass roof.
Raise Your Glass (Roof)
This state-of-the-art electrochromic (smart glass) window instantly transforms from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button on the central screen, courtesy of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) technology and is also best-in-class in terms of thermal insulation, epitomising the best in available glass technology.
At 909 mm long, 615 mm wide and with a surface area of more than half a square metre (5,268 cm2), the transparent glass roof is the largest in the segment, yet it does not impact luggage space. Made in partnership with Webasto, the roof guarantees perfect heat sealing and reduced cabin noise, and according to Maserati, it works at virtually all temperatures, from -30°C to +85°C.
Opening and closing in only 12 seconds, the roof can be operated at speeds of up to 50 km/h. It provides the MC20 Cielo with a multi-faceted driving experience: all-encompassing with the roof closed and opaque, a unique “big sky feeling” when the roof is shut but transparent, and holistic with the top down.
The retractable roof has been built into the upper part of the car, with no compromise on the cleanliness of the lines nor the aerodynamic efficiency of the bodywork. The engine compartment air intakes have been repositioned and optimised using computational fluid dynamics to avoid any adverse impact on aerodynamics.
Unique Styling & Body Colour
Like the coupé, the MC20 Cielo’s upper section conveys an aesthetically harmonious impression, while the lower part, with its bare carbon fibre, is more aggressively designed, with sharp edges and corners. The front grille links the upper and lower parts, combining bare carbon fibre with a body-colour top.
The three air vents on the front wing – a signature feature of Maserati models – are missing (it would be pointless as the engine is mid-mounted) but now feature in the channels set into the sides of the matching engine cover. As on the MC20 coupé, the polycarbonate engine cover proudly sports a stylised Trident – acting as a cooling air intake for the Nettuno engine.
The MC20 Cielo retains the butterfly doors – opening like wings unfolding towards the sky as a **coup de théâtre** – providing easier access into and out of the cabin. And it comes with a unique, dedicated and very apt body colour: Acquamarina.
This colour, available as part of the Maserati Fuoriserie customisation programme, is inspired by driving in the great outdoors. The pastel grey base, reminiscent of the MC20’s sporty DNA, is complemented by an iridescent aquamarine mica that makes it stand out. Besides the launch hue, the MC20 Cielo is available with another five exclusively developed colours.
PrimaSerie Launch Edition
Only at launch, the MC20 Cielo is available in the exclusive PrimaSerie Launch Edition, a limited series of around 60 units with the Acquamarina exterior colour, complemented by new MM20” wheel rims with gold finish and laser engraved “PrimaSerie” wording. The bodywork badges also come in a specific finish.
The interiors are upholstered in ice-coloured Alcantara and leather (in comparison to the black leather interior of the standard version), embellished with contrasting stitching in aquamarine on both the dashboard and the “PrimaSerie” wording on the headrest.
The spyder features new control levers behind the steering wheel, new buttons for the lights, and an Alcantara sport steering wheel (carbon fibre is optional) with a blue engine start button. An electric steering adjustment system, available as an optional extra, extends the angular movement of the steering wheel and adds only 700 grams to the car’s weight.
Two 10” screens, one for the cockpit and one for the centrally positioned Maserati Touch Control Plus (MTC Plus MIA) system, are slanted slightly towards the driver. A high premium Sonus Faber sound system with 12 speakers is optional. The central tunnel includes a new drive mode selector, two gear buttons, power window controls and infotainment volume control.
The drive mode selector, now a digital touch device, shows the five drive modes, which are each identified by a dedicated colour – Wet (green), GT (blue), Sport (red), Corsa (yellow) and ESC Off (orange). The droptop also introduces new Active Safety Systems, including autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign information recognition, and a 360° Surround View system.
Lightweight & Rigid
Typically, when a coupé is converted to a droptop model, the increase in weight is a significant challenge. However, with the Cielo, Maserati has managed to limit the weight gain to only 65 kg more than the coupé, thereby maintaining the innate sporty DNA of the MC20.
With the same revolutionary 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo Nettuno engine that debuted in the coupé version, delivering 463 kW and 730 Nm of torque, the MC20 Cielo has a power-to-weight ratio of 157 kW/litre. Coupled with an automatic eight-speed oil-immersed Dual Clutch transmission with six power and two overdrive speeds, the spyder has scintillating performance.
The carbon fibre chassis also guarantees uncompromising torsional rigidity, contributing to exemplary road and track handling. Complemented by proper airflow and heat flow management, the MC20 Cielo generates a high aerodynamic load with excellent drag traits, enabling it to reach top speeds over 320 km/h while continuing to hug the tarmac.
Last Word
The MC20 Cielo now expands the Maserati sports car offering to cover the convertible segment, which represents 35% of the global super sports car market. And while this latest model from Modena is not named after a wind, as per tradition, it evokes it instead – the wind of innovation, presented in a new spyder concept opening new horizons.
Report by Ferdi de Vos | Images © Maserati
