Maserati MC20 (Sept 2020)

Same platform, supposedly, but that's difficult when the 4C is basically a bespoke shell (iirc). Bespoke Maserati engine, hmm.

Isnt the 4C based on the KTM X-bow tub? That platform itself was developed by Dallara. So Maserati by way of Alfa Romeo by way of KTM by way of Dallara. :lol:
 
Its an attractive design, and the ICE config sounds amazing. There are a few things about the design I do not like however. I am not a fan of the side portion between the front and back wheel, along the bottom of the door. That vent setup. It's really ugly and doesn't fit well with Italy's usual design language. It looks to be a case of function over form. Which is unusual for Maserati. Other than that, I think it's quite pretty.
 
It's a much bigger car, in all directions, than the Alfa 4C, so i can't see how it will be based on the same platform. I'd imagine its a similar Dallara designed composite CF tub that it uses. But i admit than i've not read anything about it outside of this thread.
 
Its an attractive design, and the ICE config sounds amazing. There are a few things about the design I do not like however. I am not a fan of the side portion between the front and back wheel, along the bottom of the door. That vent setup. It's really ugly and doesn't fit well with Italy's usual design language. It looks to be a case of function over form. Which is unusual for Maserati. Other than that, I think it's quite pretty.
It certainly is function over form. Everything you see in white was designed by designers, everything in black was designed by computer.
It's a much bigger car, in all directions, than the Alfa 4C, so i can't see how it will be based on the same platform. I'd imagine its a similar Dallara designed composite CF tub that it uses. But i admit than i've not read anything about it outside of this thread.
I don't know why people keep saying this is a 4C just because the early camo looked to be a 4C disguise. There's mention if this having anything to do with the 4C but people keep parroting it. The other one is that this was meant to be an Alfa 6C, no evidence of that either and considering the plans for the 6C were shelved/postponed not too long ago I doubt they would have knocked it out in Maseratis plans in this short of a time. Both could be true but there is no info to back that up as far as I'm aware.
 
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Looks good but when I first saw it I thought it looks a bit like the Rimac C1/C2 from some angles. Also the 1500kg kerb weight seems quite heavy for a V6 with no hybrid.

Here's hoping it enters the Le Mans hypercar class. Would be a nice follow up to the mighty MC12 GT1 :D
 
Yeah, the reviews have been out for a short while. I don't think they really hit the dealerships yet, or if they did, it can't be very many.

I was reading a review about the MC20 a few days ago that claimed it was "fast and exciting, but not quite a supercar". That really got me thinking. The MC20 is an exotic, mid-engined, 630hp car that can do 0-60 in 2.9 seconds and boasts a top speed of over 200mph. Have we really set the bar so high that something like this is no longer in "supercar" territory?
 
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I personally think "Supercar" is a term relative to a car's contemporary peers. Just because a 300SL is slower than a Toyota Camry, doesn't mean it's not a supercar. An F50 would probably have trouble keeping up with a new 911 Carrera S. The F50 is a supercar, the Carrera S is not. (I also don't think the entry level Ferraris are supercars, they are exotic sports cars - I would classify this Maserati as an exotic sports car)
 
relative to a car's contemporary peers. Just because a 300SL is slower than a Toyota Camry, doesn't mean it's not a supercar.
To your point, it was a supercar. It isn't anymore.

I personally don't think it ever was though. It was designed to be usable. It was a genuinely good car. It was drivable on normal roads. I like Straight Pipes's concept of "supercars" where being a bad car in general is a prerequisite for being an actual supercar. Therefore even if a 911 Turbo outperforms an F50 in every measure (which it does, besides being exquisitely expensive) it's still not a supercar. A 911 Turbo is a really, really fast sports car. The F50 is the supercar, because it's stupid and awful at everything besides being radical.

This MC20 sounds pretty supercary to me. Really fast, really expensive, it's going to be really rare, and it's really impractical. Those are the main keys.
 
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To your point, it was a supercar. It isn't anymore.

I personally don't think it ever was though. It was designed to be usable. It was a genuinely good car. It was drivable on normal roads. I like Straight Pipes's concept of "supercars" where being a bad car in general is a prerequisite for being an actual supercar. Therefore even if a 911 Turbo outperforms an F50 in every measure (which it does, besides being exquisitely expensive) it's still not a supercar. A 911 Turbo is a really, really fast sports car. The F50 is the supercar, because it's stupid and awful at everything besides being radical.
300SL designed to be useable? I disagree, it was a homologated racecar with ridiculously high and wide sills and basically no trunk. And no, you can't take away the supercar nomenclature even if the relative performance fades - because it's a type of vehicle, not merely a denotation of performance. A Countach will always be a supercar (The supercar, really), no matter how many SUVs could wipe the floor with one in every performance measurement.
 
300SL designed to be useable? I disagree, it was a homologated racecar with ridiculously high and wide sills and basically no trunk. And no, you can't take away the supercar nomenclature even if the relative performance fades - because it's a type of vehicle, not merely a denotation of performance. A Countach will always be a supercar (The supercar, really), no matter how many SUVs could wipe the floor with one in every performance measurement.
Not only did they have a rather large trunk once you took the massive spare tire out, they also had luggage space behind the seats.

1954-1963-300SL-luggage-set-12.jpg


That looks pretty grand touring to me.

As for performance fading, I agree that that doesn't matter but your opinion reads as if it does. Actual performance doesn't matter at all honestly, merely whether the car is dumb and rad or not. A 300SL is not dumb nor particularly rad.
 
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Yeah, the reviews have been out for a short while. I don't think they really hit the dealerships yet, or if they did, it can't be very many.

I was reading a review about the MC20 a few days ago that claimed it was "fast and exciting, but not quite a supercar". That really got me thinking. The MC20 is an exotic, mid-engined, 630hp car that can do 0-60 in 2.9 seconds and boasts a top speed of over 200mph. Have we really set the bar so high that something like this is no longer in "supercar" territory?
I don't know if the intent has changed, but I read sometime last year this was intended be something usable every day, so maybe that plays into it not being "quite a supercar". Look-wise, it comes across more toned down & blends in better than other mid-engines, imo.

It has definitely flown under the radar a bit, but yeah, they're only just now hitting US showrooms. They've been out a couple months in Europe. Definitely have not come out as cheap as they were advertised; starting at $216K, I think fully loaded with all the carbon bits gets right at $300K & then you can add personal touches/finishes for even more. So far, the ones I've seen far exceed $300K, Maserati Washington had one listed at $375K.
 
Not only did they have a rather large trunk once you took the massive spare tire out, they also had luggage space behind the seats.


That looks pretty grand touring to me.

As for performance fading, I agree that that doesn't matter but your opinion reads as if it does. Actual performance doesn't matter at all honestly, merely whether the car is dumb and rad or not. A 300SL is not dumb nor particularly rad.
relative to a car's contemporary peers

Pretty sure the 300SL would pass the supercar-pass straight pipes test with flying colors anyways:
-Ridiculously expensive
-Doors that go up
-No cupholders
-No visor extensions - I doubt the visors even fold to the side
-The freaking rear view mirror is mounted to the dashboard
-A steering wheel that partially detaches and folds down

Also, please note that objectively Throttle House > Straight Pipes
 
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relative to a car's contemporary peers

Pretty sure the 300SL would pass the supercar-pass straight pipes test with flying colors anyways:
-Ridiculously expensive
-Doors that go up
-No cupholders
-No visor extensions - I doubt the visors even fold to the side
-The freaking rear view mirror is mounted to the dashboard
-A steering wheel that partially detaches and folds down

Also, please note that objectively Throttle House > Straight Pipes
But relative to its peers, virtually all European sports cars were high-luxury items, some doors still opened backwards in that era, nothing had cupholders, nothing had visor extensions, many cars didn't even have mirrors, and Ford also had a swing-away wheel in the early 60s. In it's time, the Gullwing wasn't actually that weird. It was basically a European Corvette with vertical doors.

Throttle House may be more comprehensive but Straight Pipes is more entertaining to me.
 
I saw one in yellow the other day. From afar I was very confused what it was because I didn't expect it to be out in public already. Thought it was a McLaren Artura mule testing :lol:

Very pretty in person. Definitely a supercar in my book even though it's not as visually striking as the MC12 (then again that car is basically a prototype for the road). The main complaint from most reviews seems to be the engine sound, which is quite unspectacular.
 
I saw one in yellow the other day. From afar I was very confused what it was because I didn't expect it to be out in public already. Thought it was a McLaren Artura mule testing :lol:

Very pretty in person. Definitely a supercar in my book even though it's not as visually striking as the MC12 (then again that car is basically a prototype for the road). The main complaint from most reviews seems to be the engine sound, which is quite unspectacular.
Most supercars seem rather quiet stock these days. Nothing an aftermarket exhaust wont fit. Speaking of which Novitec had an MC20 a couple months ago so I expect they're working on one.
 
Most supercars seem rather quiet stock these days. Nothing an aftermarket exhaust wont fit. Speaking of which Novitec had an MC20 a couple months ago so I expect they're working on one.
That's true. Turbocharging everything seems to have muffled the sound of a lot of engines (488 GTB vs 458 for example). I think people were expecting it to sound more like the GranTurismo V8 NA, which is unrealistic tbh.
 
I saw one in yellow the other day. From afar I was very confused what it was because I didn't expect it to be out in public already. Thought it was a McLaren Artura mule testing :lol:

Very pretty in person. Definitely a supercar in my book even though it's not as visually striking as the MC12 (then again that car is basically a prototype for the road). The main complaint from most reviews seems to be the engine sound, which is quite unspectacular.
Watched Farah's video on it, and yeah, the sound feels quite muted. I went through some older owners' forums I remembered browsing afterwards, and the engine noise was a concern some people listed last year when some private dealer reveals were happening. But, that may be part of Maserati's plan to make this a friendly, usable sports car.

Edit*
Not sure if it's mentioned in the thread yet, but I believe reports are sharing a Convertible/Roadster version is planned as well.
maserati-mc20-convertible-6.jpg


Also caught an owner saying he might wait for a "Scud" version. Likely speculation, but also completely normal with Italian sports car makers to happen.

Lastly, there is one up on BaT at the moment.

12 days left, currently at $270K.
 
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Watched Farah's video on it, and yeah, the sound feels quite muted. I went through some older owners' forums I remembered browsing afterwards, and the engine noise was a concern some people listed last year when some private dealer reveals were happening. But, that may be part of Maserati's plan to make this a friendly, usable sports car.

Edit*
Not sure if it's mentioned in the thread yet, but I believe reports are sharing a Convertible/Roadster version is planned as well.
maserati-mc20-convertible-6.jpg


Also caught an owner saying he might wait for a "Scud" version. Likely speculation, but also completely normal with Italian sports car makers to happen.

Lastly, there is one up on BaT at the moment.

12 days left, currently at $270K.
I dont think that's a secret tbh, Maserati said in one of their videos that ths reason for the bottom half of the car.
 
Does anybody feel like the side profile shape of this car is just...weird? Something seems off lol. I can't really put my finger on it but I think it's got something to do with a lack of rake or wedge to the shape. I feel like it's completely horizontal. Even the front and rear wheels are the same diameter which is unusual for such a car.
 
Does anybody feel like the side profile shape of this car is just...weird? Something seems off lol. I can't really put my finger on it but I think it's got something to do with a lack of rake or wedge to the shape. I feel like it's completely horizontal. Even the front and rear wheels are the same diameter which is unusual for such a car.
That super long overhang looks awkward to me. That's the only thing that's throwing me off. At the same time, I've yet to see one in person so it could just be awkward in photos but look perfectly fine in real life.
 
That super long overhang looks awkward to me. That's the only thing that's throwing me off. At the same time, I've yet to see one in person so it could just be awkward in photos but look perfectly fine in real life.
You mean the front? I feel like a long front overhang and short rear overhang are pretty normal for mid-engine cars but for some reason this car looks like everything is exactly the same length. I know it's not but visually it's very...even. Flat, symmetrical, I don't know. Especially in white, it's gotta be one of the least dynamic or energetic supercar designs I've ever seen. It looks like Snorlax.
 
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I think they were a little overeager with the black cladding along the center flank. That move tends to make a car visually lighter, but in this case, the car is already pretty slight with regards to the height of the sides. It's no slab-sided 370z. So I think it makes the car look a little insubstantial in the middle...a little squeezed. It's particularly bad in white, and even worse with the convertible because there isn't a roof to somewhat balance it out.
 
I think they were a little overeager with the black cladding along the center flank. That move tends to make a car visually lighter, but in this case, the car is already pretty slight with regards to the height of the sides. It's no slab-sided 370z. So I think it makes the car look a little insubstantial in the middle...a little squeezed. It's particularly bad in white, and even worse with the convertible because there isn't a roof to somewhat balance it out.
Makes the car look very long and flat. Speaking of which, I can't believe I just realized the huge similarities between the Birdcage and the MC20.

qjmlq8Z.jpg


That thing always had the same issue, looking very thin and long, almost like a bone lol. Interesting that they brought back the design language from a 2005 concept car.
 
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Makes the car look very long and flat. Speaking of which, I can't believe I just realized the huge similarities between the Birdcage and the MC20.

qjmlq8Z.jpg


That thing always had the same issue, looking very thin and long, almost like a bone lol. Interesting that they brought back the design language from a 2005 concept car.
No one really looks at a car from this angle though, well maybe except Mini Me.
 
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