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In terms of the subject of driving nirvana, there aren’t many who high the concept of driving an Italian supercar within the Italian countryside. So when an invitation got here from Maserati to check drive the brand new MC20 Cielo in Sicily, there was no approach it might have been turned down, not solely due to what we’d be doing, however the automotive we’d be doing it with.
The MC20 Cielo is in fact the convertible model of the model’s flagship supercar, the MC20 Coupe. ‘Cielo’ means sky in Italian and within the phrases of Maserati, the fortunate few of us had been going to expertise loads of that with this automotive, roof up or down.
Earlier than that, somewhat again story. The MC20 basically is not only important as a result of it’s the primary mid-engined Maserati in twenty years, nevertheless it’s additionally the primary mannequin you may’t say ‘”Oh, it’s only a Ferrari with a special engine.” It heralds a brand new period of independence – constructed from the bottom up as a Maserati, with an engine of its personal, however extra on this later.
What lay forward in our drive across the Southwest part of Sicily was not one thing we might have anticipated or imagined. Forward of the three-hour journey that might see us travelling over 200 km from the Masseria Della Volpe villa, the very first thing Maserati designers and engineers current on the flag off had been keen to indicate was how fast and simply the roof retracted.
All in a matter of 12 seconds. Not solely was it fast, however the two-piece glass folded in close to silence. Because the Maserati people identified, this was on account of the truth that electrical motors (and never hydraulics) had been used for a quieter operation.
It might have been a gradual drive out of the villa’s yard and onto the principle street, however the Cielo was fast to exemplify the grand tourer qualities Maserati had supposed for it to posses. Positive, it took few kilometres to familiarise with the automotive however earlier than I knew it, the Cielo was a pal, an ally for what can be an extended drive.
Whether or not it was intentional or not, the primary few legs of the drive – when navigating via the slender small city roads of Noto and Buccheri – really provided an opportunity to look at what the massive Cielo can be like when it’s not being pushed shortly. Positive, a greater view of the curbs and street edges would’ve been welcomed, however typically talking, it’s simply not a standard trait in such car sorts.
With that being the one exception, the Cielo was as enjoyable to drive as a BMW 5 Sequence on these roads. After I dared, the Cielo was pushed somewhat more durable, however after I couldn’t (or didn’t dare), it was docile and accommodating.
The steering was mild and fluid, with simply the correct quantity of precision to level and shoot, though it wasn’t overly participating. The suspension soaked up the bumps rather well and a few of them weren’t even on the tarmac. That is Italy, and the Cielo noticed its fair proportion of cobblestone roads too.
When the roads lastly opened up, so did the throttle. Going from GT mode to Sport mode, there was a extra noticeable sense of urgency. Every little thing from the damping, the steering, the throttle, the gear modifications, the noise even, turned somewhat firmer and sharper – somewhat extra alive. In fact, I accepted the ‘invitation’ to bounce.
It wasn’t scary. The Cielo was quick if you needed it to be, but nonetheless straightforward to coast alongside if you needed it on ‘standby’ mode for open roads. Gaining extra familiarity with the automotive and its playfulness, it was straightforward to neglect our environment and what we had been doing.
The roof was folded again, the sky was clear and blue, the views at each flip had been to die for and the roads forward had been winding, clean and clear. What an event; and what a automotive to have alongside for the experience. This was a core reminiscence second.
It didn’t cease there. Simply earlier than our mid-way break in Dirupo Rosso, the roads opened even wider, with not simply curvy roads however loads of straight stretches as nicely, these so far as the attention might see. If the engine felt alive in Sport mode, the Cielo was actually woke up in Corsa (Race) mode, with the ‘Race mode’ in us very a lot switched on as nicely.
Suffice to say, we had been thrown to the sting of our seats. On this case, the opposite finish of it. The sheer depth from the way in which the Cielo charged ahead was breathtaking, with the correct foot firmly planted for mere seconds earlier than the dearth of braveness took over. These restricted however valuable seconds confirmed loads of what the automotive can do, when it’s not required to be gracious.
So that is what it feels wish to misbehave in a automotive that may do 0 to 100 km/h in three seconds, I assumed. Nonetheless with the roof down, the aural delight when Maserati’s new Nettuno engine opened up its lungs at 8,000 rpm was like having heavy metallic music enjoying behind you as you witness an intense motion film scene.
It’s an engine that’s pleased to rev. The three.0 litre twin-turbo V6 was designed fully in-house and is the primary powerplant to come back out of the brand new Maserati Engine Lab in Modena. With 630 PS and 730 Nm of torque, there’s loads of punch. That energy is available throughout eight gears in a dual-clutch transmission that’s intuitive in the way in which it shifts, whether or not by itself accord or when demanded by the motive force.
Arriving on the location for our espresso break lastly provided a second to understand the MC20 Cielo’s proportions. Its clean clear traces exude grace, however with bulges in all the correct locations for a component of seduction. It didn’t seem like it was attempting too exhausting to face out both – a standard (elegant) trait of grand tourers.
The Trident on show on the engine cowl is what the youngsters at present would name a ‘low-key flex’. It’s a press release, in fact. In spite of everything, if you happen to’re going to shout concerning the model, why not shout it out loud? That is in any case a supercar; it’s imagined to have some aptitude.
En path to the ultimate cease, which Maserati named the ‘Cielo Hub’, had been many extra kilometres however this time on the freeway. With the roof again up and the music on, it felt like we had been in a efficiency saloon with bucket seats. Notably, there was loads of room for 2 adults, extra headroom for a 180 cm tall particular person and a cabin area that enables for dialog with out the necessity to shout.
This additionally allowed us to be aware of the fashionable gimmicks; some sensible, some simply plain cool. The electrochromic sunroof will be frosted, for extra pure mild within the cabin with out the glare whereas a digital show on the centre knob provides entry to the completely different drive modes.
The gorgeous coastal highways finally led us to our ultimate cease, which was by far the most important spectacle of the drive. With one final swing on the idea of openness, an MC20 Cielo was displayed near the ledge of what’s supposedly a villa used for occasions, with an unhindered 180-degree open view of the ocean because the backdrop.
What a method to have fun a automotive, a brand new period for Maserati, and what a method to finish a grand tour.
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