MASERATI MC20

MAGAZINE SCHEDULES, MANUFACTURER embargoes, global supply chain issues and post-pandemic travel restrictions make for some frustrating circumstances, especially so when it meant that within days of returning from ecoty 2021 we found ourselves in the Italian hills driving a Maserati MC20 for the first time.

‘This would have wiped the floor last week,’ said Jethro to the 2021 ecoty Whatsapp group. ‘Still, it means we don’t have to bother with next year’s test, Stu, we can spend on the budget on 996 parts instead.’

Such optimism in a car so far ahead of its ecoty appearance can backfire spectacularly. New cars continue to come along, stronger opposition, unexpected new heroes all making a case for themselves as the months roll by. The MC20 wouldn’t be able to take it easy.

Alongside the optimism there is considerable baggage. Maserati has been absent from ecoty for nearly 15 years and it’s hardly been at the forefront of the enthusiast’s mind in the interim. There have been a few highlights, such as the Ghibli and Quattroporte Trofeo, yet many lowlights too. But that was yesterday and Maserati’s tomorrow starts with the MC20. It’s sleek, with an unapologetic supercar look and feel matched with a turbocharged V6 that ignores any form of hybridisation, adding an appeal that will result in a fight for the keys from day one of the test.

But, and this is perhaps the biggest point of all, Maserati hasn’t produced a mid-engined supercar it can call its own since the Bora over 40 years ago. Its legacy and experience in this space is virtually non-existent; it makes Mclaren look like a seasoned pro, Audi a historical master and Ferrari… well, Ferrari is Ferrari.

The MC20 arrives with huge amounts of goodwill behind it, but an even heavier weight of expectation hanging over it.

‘ITS UNIQUE ABILITY TO BLEND ACROBATIC POISE WITH A VENOMOUS ENGINE IS FASCINATING’ – JETHRO BOVINGDON, EVO 294