The Maserati MC20 Cielo is the name of the new Spyder version of its flagship sports car. Instead of the ubiquitous folding fibre roof, Maserati has chosen an innovative retractable glass roof that can also transform from opaque to transparent with the touch of a button.
Cielo, Italian for ‘sky,’ was chosen to highlight the fact that this model was “devoted to driving pleasure in the great outdoors, while maintaining all the prerogatives of the coupé,” according to the brand.
The state-of-the-art electrochromic (smart glass) window can instantly be transformed from clear to opaque at the touch of a button on the central screen. This is achieved courtesy of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) technology. The automaker claims that the roof is also “best-in-class” in terms of thermal insulation and in terms of opening and closing speed – just 12 seconds.
Equipped with the same V6 Nettuno engine as the coupé, Cielo weighs just 65 kg more than the hard-top version. The impressive weight maintenance was achieved through the meticulous work done during the design stage. A task made easier thanks to its outstanding weight-to-power ratio.
Its carbon fibre chassis offers exceptional torsional rigidity, a combination that offers the car’s signature handling on the road and on the track. We are informed that the carbon fibre chassis is the same for all three configurations of the MC20: coupé, spyder and the future electric version.
As with the coupé, nothing is superfluous in the new spyder’s elegant yet sporty design. Everything has a function to play. The refined aerodynamics is the product of 360° testing in a wind tunnel, with the roof open and closed.
The only seemingly superfluous component of the car, the butterfly doors, was chosen because it provides easier access into and out of the cabin, as compared to conventional doors. This layout also offers a better display of the carbon fibre cockpit and the completely unmasked front wheel.
The launch version features a new three-layer metallic colour known as Acquamarina, available as part of the Maserati Fuoriserie customisation programme. This colour interacts with light, revealing itself in a surprising way. The base is a pastel grey inspired by the marque’s racing heritage. This base is accompanied by an iridescent aquamarine mica that enlivens the hue and makes it exceptional.
The new model includes a wide range of Active Safety Systems – including parking sensors, rear-view camera, and blind-spot monitoring (first included in the MC20 since the MY22) – and debuts the autonomous emergency brake system, traffic sign information and a new 360° camera.
MC20 Cielo is equipped with an optional High Premium Sonus Faber audio system. The EISA award-winning 12-speaker audio system, has been specifically repositioned and optimised to fit the unique acoustic needs of the spyder’s cabin, in order to stay true to the “natural sound” quality associated with a Sonus Faber audio systems.
