Say hello to the Maserati MCPura – a new name for an evolution of the MC20 that launched in 2020. For many reviewers there wasn’t much wrong with the car’s performance or the way it drove; however, the foibles that did arise were the key areas Maserati says it has now addressed.
The big changes for the Maserati MCPura on the outside concern subtle restyling, rather than excessive updates. Maserati has sought inspiration from the MC20 GT2 Stradale to create a more pointed nose, while at the rear there’s the option of a new spoiler and a reshaped rear diffuser. The side skirts have also been redesigned, and a gloss-black option has been added to run alongside matte and carbonfibre finishes.
Maserati says it has further refined the MC20’s aerodynamics for the MCPura, with reshaped front air intakes for better redistribution of air across the floor, the top of the car and the radiators. Maserati has also reshaped the floor around the wheels to increase airflow via a system of vortex generators, for better heat management. All this took 2000 hours in the wind tunnel and 1000 of fluid dynamics simulation in collaboration with Dallara.
Maserati has also added new colours to the range. The standard paint selection has been bolstered with Devil Orange, previously seen on 2022’s F Tributo special series for the Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante as a tribute to Maria Teresa De Filippis, the first woman to qualify for a Formula 1 Grand Prix, driving a Maserati 250F and nicknamed ‘She Devil’.
The MCPura and MCPura Cielo – the latter being the convertible version – are making their debut at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, and will be presented in a new colour, AI Aqua Rainbow (the hue pictured here). The MCPura will be in a matte finish, while the Cielo version is in gloss.
One of the biggest criticisms surrounding the MC20 was its cabin – in short, it didn’t feel special enough for a car in the Maserati’s price bracket. Its maker has sought to address that with the MCPura, thanks to extensive use of Alcantara on the seats, door panels, dashboard and steering wheel. Said wheel has also changed in shape, taking inspiration from the GT2 Stradale’s. It’s now got a flat top, and has the option of change-indicator LEDs.
The infotainment system is the same as the MC20’s, but the Maserati MCPura adds extra analytics and stats from the GT2 Stradale. These include measurements taken from the turbo, oil pressure, fuel consumption and torque distribution, and real-time temperature monitoring of the engine, carbon-ceramic brakes and transmission.
The Maserati Connect programme monitors the car through the Maserati Intelligent Assistant, which also acts as a sat-nav, wi-fi hotspot, TIDAL HiFi streaming service and Amazon Alexa unit. There’s also the option of a 12-speaker Sonus Faber sound system.
And what about the mechanicals? The Maserati MCPura continues with the 621bhp 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6, which uses a pre-chamber combustion system with twin spark plugs. Peak torque is 730Nm, which is fully deployed between 2000rpm and 5500rpm. The compression ratio is 11:1, the stroke is 82mm and the bore is 88mm; top speed is more than 325km/h (201mph) and the 0-62mph time is less than 2.9 seconds.
The engine is matched to an eight-speed DCT transmission, with the performance metered out via five drive modes – WET, GT, SPORT, CORSA and ESC OFF – which offer varying levels of suspension firmness, gearbox speed and pedal reactivity. Suspension firmness can be slackened off independent of the mode in CORSA or SPORT settings – useful on Britain’s seemingly corrugated roads.
Maserati quotes a dry weight of 1560kg, giving the new MCPura a power-to-weight ratio of 210bhp/litre. However, the MC20’s on-the-road weight was closer to 1700-1800kg, according to British road testers and owners, with big variances between LHD cars and RHD examples.
Maserati says the MCPura will be available to order immediately after the car’s Goodwood launch. Pricing has not been revealed at the time of writing. More details can be found here.
