maserati mc20 sydney 169 0ns2
maserati mc20 sydney 00a
maserati mc20 sydney 096
maserati mc20 sydney 113
maserati mc20 sydney 092
Paul Gover16 Oct 2020
NEWS

Maserati MC20 makes Aussie debut

Ferrari price tag announced for all-new mid-engined supercar; waiting list already out to 2022

The mid-engined Maserati MC20 will be priced at $A438,000 plus on-road costs in Australia and $NZ390,000 plus ORCs in New Zealand when it arrives Down Under in the third quarter of next year.

Priced just short of the $485K Ferrari F8 Tributo, the first Maserati supercar for 15 years made its Australian media debut last night following a series of VIP previews in Sydney.

But as we reported when the exotic mid-engined super-coupe was revealed last month, the local waiting list for more than 50 cars already stretches into 2022 and Maserati Australia’s 2021 allocation is completely sold-out.

The first MC20 to land Down Under was air-freighted from Italy for a five-day stopover between visits to Japan and China, although it arrived without an engine, gearbox or suspension.

Even without the major internal organs, the display model is enough to show the serious intent of Maserati here. There’s a full carbon central monocoque developed with Dallara, butterfly doors and sumptuous trimming including a top-end infotainment system with a pair of 10-inch display screens and laser-etched leather panels in the cabin.

maserati mc20 sydney 00a

The only thing missing is a traditional analogue-style clock in the centre of the dash.

Its smooth shape is a sharp contrast to the wings-and-things efforts of most of its opponents, as Maserati has purposely kept all its aero investment hidden below the belt line.

Apart from the Ferrari F8 Tributo, the Maserati MC20 is positioned as a competitor to the Lamborghini Huracan and McLaren GT, despite its 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine giving away cylinders and capacity to its top-end opposition.

“It represents, I think, somewhat of a bargain. But we don’t see that launching of a vehicle like this is easy,” the COO of Maserati Australia, Glen Sealey, told carsales.

Despite rumours that the MC20 began life as a potential re-birth of the classic Ferrari Dino, and that Ferrari had a big hand in development work, Sealey says the existence of the car in a space that was previously reserved for the Prancing Horse proves that it is entirely Maserati.

“Ferrari is its own company today. There is still a level of relationship, but with the MC20 they are going to break the ceiling of where Maserati was allowed to go,” he says.

So it’s a very different proposition from its direct predecessor, the MC12, which was a Ferrari Enzo in a dinner jacket despite its sports car racing victories.

One of the key executives in the MC20 program and the ‘godfather’ of the Nettuno engine with its F1-style induction system, Matteo Valentini, was far more direct.

“There is no commonalities with the Ferrari,” he said during a video link from Italy for the press preview of the MC20.

“It has nothing to do with Ferrari. The technical bureau are not working together.”

Ferrari’s new V6 uses the same pre-chamber combustion system that has become commonplace in Formula 1 during the latest hybrid era, with both port and direct fuel injection combined with a pair of spark plugs.

maserati mc20 sydney 109

“After 20 years, we develop our own engine. This is the technology we took from the F1 engine and we use for the first time in a passenger car,” Valentini said.

“We are able to operate these two combustion technologies together, but also one-by-one. We call it Maserati twin combustion.”

The mechanical package of the MC20 is relatively conventional for a supercar, with the engine installed behind the two-seater cabin – and set very deeply into the chassis – plus an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and rear-wheel drive with an electronic limited-slip differential.

Performance figures are 470kW of power and 730Nm of torque, 0-100km/h acceleration in less than 2.9 seconds a top speed of more than 325km/h.

The basic monocoque weighs 100kg and the whole car – when complete – is 1470kg and makes 200kg of downforce from 240km/h.

maserati mc20 sydney 101

“This is literally a race-car configuration, on the road. But despite this we were asked to create something everyday usable and enjoyable,” said chief engineer, Federico Landini.

“We have used on the MC20 all the known lightweight materials. We have utilised precisely the right material.”

Electronically, the car has four drive modes – Wet, GT, Corsa and Track – and the safety package runs to the predictable suite including autonomous emergency braking and blind spot detection.

No-one at Maserati is talking about future developments of the MC20, although a convertible and electrified model are both known to be in the works, but its name – for Maserati Corsa – points to a competition plan and this is confirmed from Italy.

“As you can imagine, this car will bring Maserati back to racing,” said Landini.

“It is true that this is the proper vehicle to drive back Maserati to race. It is not yet defined… which categories will be present with the Maserati MC20. But you will soon have much more information.”

Share this article
Written byPaul Gover
See all articles
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.

If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
Download the carsales app
    AppStoreDownloadGooglePlayDownload
    App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
    © CAR Group Ltd 1999-2024
    In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.