Maserati MC20: open more emotions?

Come on. You want to know. For example, that with Cielo (Italian for sky) the MC20 now has traffic sign recognition. And emergency brake assist. No? HM right. But that driving modes can now be selected using a rotary switch and a touch surface? earlier? There you are. The game is there now, but it blurs quickly, because something else needs attention: the three-liter V6 engine of the Maserati MC20, that work of art made of steel with two-chamber ignition, which passes 630 hp and a maximum. 730 Nm to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. And how it does that! This background noise of the turbo, the greed, the crazy whistles, the quiet sound of blowing, as well as the rumble of the exhaust system – and all of it pure, without a filter.

roof? Under the hood, above the engine. There it crumbles in 12 seconds, operated by pressing a button on the 10.25-inch touchscreen on the center console. The rear window automatically moves to a position that should cause minimal vibration in the cockpit, otherwise it can be completely lowered or raised. But now: drafts, storms, everything. Add to that the athletic breathing of the engine, over and over, after each bend, before each bend. The V6 has two superchargers of different sizes that work with a maximum pressure of two bars. In general, work: An engine with a bank angle of 90 degrees always wants, always can. Up to 3,000 revolutions, it piles on the torque hard, producing shock-free thrust before the ax cuts the rope that wants to hold the counter-rev needle.

Then there is a full bell, hot, revving up to 8,000 rpm, as needed. It must be so! The squad gets really angry at high speed, the Bundesliga game, on the other hand, looks as civilized as a game of chess. Then: gear change. The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission will be able to do this on its own, at the right time, without a nod from the driver and front passenger, within a very short time. But… but what? Changing gears yourself is more fun. Despite or because of the obvious futility? Despite. Because: When you just think about dragging right (up) or left (down) the carbon sickle firmly mounted on the steering column, the transmission is already shifting.

flow and funny

Everything is fine, from the idea to its implementation, possibly back again. Indeed, that can be played a little in Corsa mode, above all there will be no direct improvement, but Sport is quickly proving to be the mode of choice for country roads. Exactly. Chassis, steering, drive. At the same time, as Maserati likes to emphasize, the MC20 in general, but especially the Cielo, should be better than the GT, ie ready for long journeys. In GT launch mode, however, it quickly becomes apparent that the chassis tuning allows for increased vertical body acceleration, especially on long waves, which sometimes makes the MC20 seem surprisingly wobbly. In Sport, on the other hand: more aggressive, with more soluble residual comfort, more drama in the drivetrain, more freedom for the part of control electronics. The latter method, however, becomes worn out quickly, the Maserati with its 20-inch wheels (245 front, 305 rear) sticks very well to the poorly traveled Sicilian roads, and almost never lacks mechanical appeal. Even the right foot can be heavy quickly on the exit of the curve, with the rear end loosening the thought on the spring, at the same time your rear end registers the side forces towards the outer edge of the curve before the big shock sets. in.

Jumping crowd room

Unfortunately, the weight distribution is 40 to 60, ie less balanced than in the coupe; Maserati specifies the gross weight at 1,560 kg. The strange thing about it: It should really be a few kilos more, but the Cielo feels like less. Why? A valid question. Hot tip: A combination of mid-engine, carbon monocoque, double wishbones and careful setup work. In any case, you throw the Cielo open in the corner, turn your hands, play with the gas, register a clear feedback from the steering wheel, its horizontal torque of the hand (and yes, the mouth of the Alcantara steering wheel, which is perhaps a little. too full, too ). In addition, the integrated seating position helps, the heroic support of the optional side of the Sabelt shells; A cord that runs directly to the neck and pushes, on the other hand, is very annoying. A guide loop on the back of the seat in the shoulder area can change that – just like on a regular seat.

Sleep instead of complaining

And where there’s a lot of grumbling at the moment: brake pedal feel. Excessive pressure, unclear pressure. So please: bite more on the first few centimeters of pedal travel. It doesn’t stand in the way of a GT claim either, I promise. The manufacturer describes the feel of the pedals with carbon-ceramic brake discs, after all they need heat. Apparently a temperature that cannot be reached for safe driving under the applicable laws. So: Leave the optional brake discs. A lot of shopping advice is a must have. Even if the price list starts at only 260,000 euros. Not helping, the place name sign warns of the next braking maneuver. In the village then: to cover it, the sun still shines brightly even in autumn. The roof closes in twelve seconds at 50 km / h – and still allows light into the interior. A large-area glass element in an aluminum frame makes it possible, a layer of polymer in it that is strong at the touch of a button makes it dark. And prevents heat. In any case, the climate system takes a long time to cool down the interior, which heats up rapidly due to the large windshield. But where is the sound now? Never quite out, how good. Snorkeling, screaming, gurgling, bubbling – everything is still there. And don’t forget: The rear window can be lowered, then more remmidemmi descends into your ear. Unfortunately, the roof element’s storage space requires rear fenders that are three centimeters higher than on the coupe and slightly modified airflow. But it does not harm the eyes or the sound and the drama of the three-liter engine. It continues to burn in the sequence of 1-6-3-4-2-5, it injects fuel at six bar into the initial chamber and at 350 bar into the main chamber, using this principle to reduce the temperature of the combustion chamber and thus the behavior of knocking, which leads to contributing extraordinary performance data. And that’s what you wanted to know, after all. Or not?

Opinion poll

Great. Maserati is finally remembering what the brand is all about.

Too much. Maserati should bring more SUVs to the market.

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Conclusion

Maserati expects the Cielo to account for 50 percent of MC20 orders in the coming days. After this ride, that doesn’t look too promising, because despite the extra weight, the mid-engined sports car drives playfully, naturally, easily and offers a more emotional feel when driven with the top down – fueled and a wonderful train. .