Maserati has unveiled a topless version of its new MC20 supercar, a model that promises to deliver the best of both worlds.
As with the new Chevrolet Corvette, McLaren’s 720S Spider and the open version of Ferrari’s 296, the Maserati has a folding hard-top roof.
But Maserati says its electrically retractable glass has a point of difference – Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal technology that can turn the roof clear or opaque “in an instant”.
We’ve seen similar tech in a variety of places, from Ferrari’s 575 Superamerica to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The MC20 Cielo – Italian for sky – can also flip its roof out of the way to create an open-air experience in just 12 seconds.
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The MC20 Cielo weighs 65 kilos more than the coupe, which is a relatively small penalty to pay for wind-in-the-hair motoring.
It has the same 3.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V6 engine as the coupe, sending 470kW and 730Nm to the rear wheels through a dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The MC20 represents the most complete Maserati sports car in years. It even has active safety gear such as autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring and traffic sign recognition.
Our road testers have had a go in the coupe version, reporting that its “brutally fast” 2.9 second sprint to 100km/h delivers the pace of a proper supercar, sounding “seriously tasty” when approaching its 8000rpm redline.
The catch is that it isn’t cheap.
The coupe is a $500,000 proposition, priced from $438,000 plus on-road costs.
We wouldn’t be surprised to see the roadster add a further $50,000 to the bill.
- news.com.au