New Maserati MC20 Is A Masterpiece In The Metal

What do you think of the Maserati MC20's design?

Last week, the much-anticipated Maserati MC20 made its public debut, signaling the start of a new design direction for the Italian automaker. A successor to the MC12, the MC20 may look tame in some people's eyes from the official publicity photos. But trust us: Maserati's new halo supercar looks breathtakingly beautiful in person.

We attended the reveal event in Modena, Italy, where Maserati's new Grecale SUV was also previewed, allowing us to marvel at the MC20 in the metal for the first time. In total, the design took around 24 months for Maserati to produce.

While some people feel the MC20 should look more aggressive considering this is the automaker's first supercar in 15 years, the exterior exudes elegance, combining classic Maserati design elements with contemporary styling.

At the front, the MC20 features a pronounced splitter and an oval-shaped, low-mounted grille, while the slender headlights are positioned higher on the fascia than current Maserati models.

A gently sloping roofline (the example presented in Modena was fitted with an optional carbon-fiber roof) gives the profile an elegant appearance, while a subtle spoiler and an aggressive diffuser at the rear enhance the car's aerodynamics, which took around 2,000 hours to refine in a wind tunnel. To keep the design as clean as possible, many of the aerodynamic components fitted are under the bodywork, eliminating the need for large rear wings and visible active aero. Elegant butterfly doors adorning the sides provide easy access to the cabin.

Its lightweight, curvaceous carbon-fiber body and carbon-fiber chassis bring the curb weight down to just 3,306 pounds. Combined with a mid-mounted 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 producing 621 horsepower and 538 lb-ft of torque, this results in a best-in-class weight/power ratio of 5.3 pounds/horsepower, enabling the MC20 to hit 0-62 mph in less than 2.9 seconds, 0-124 mph in 8.8 seconds, and top out at 202 mph.

Production of the Maserati MC20 is expected to start later this year. After the coupe goes on sale, the convertible and fully electric versions of the MC20 will eventually join the lineup. In the meantime, you can explore the design options available or the MC20 in Maserati's online configurator.