That this £222,990 car is capable of 202mph is really not the point. All supercars are fast. Most are harsh, ungraceful and portray a degree of vacuity. All brown, no brain. Even the Ferrari 296 GTS, perhaps the Maserati’s closest rival and an immensely clever car (with the bonus of hybrid power), feels a little uncouth in its presence. The MC20 Cielo is the thinking person’s mid-engined supercar. It has the air of an urbane polymath, more likely to be driven in circles around the Royal Opera House than Harrods.
As with the Maserati MC20 coupé, the Cielo’s upper body is clean and pure while the lower parts are busy and intricate. Considerable attention has been paid to undercar airflow to maximize aerodynamic efficiency. It’s also retained its dynamic butterfly doors, aiding access and egress and boosting the visual theater. On the coupe, the Trident emblem is embossed on the polycarbonate engine cover window. A slightly outré nod to the ’80s. Here, on the convertible, it’s been stylized elegantly on the flatter cover panel under which the roof sits. Below lurks the incredibly power-dense 3.0 twin-turbocharged V6 that’s been christened ‘Nettuno’. With 621bhp on tap and an F1-patented pre-chamber twin-spark ignition system, the MC20 Cielo sprints from standstill to 62mph in 2.9 seconds.
It can do racy, but it can also do relaxed. It has a greater breadth of emotions than the competition. This is a romantic and soulful car that can make its own mood. The regular MC20 feels like a much more powerful and expensive Alpine A110 (same layout, 249bhp, £48,650), yet the Cielo has greater substance and exoticism. Brilliant and rapid though the Nettuno V6 is, it lacks a bit of snap, crackle and pop, but the absence of roof helps with the volume. It also makes one want to slow down a little, be gentler on the throttle and enjoy the sights.
