Driving the Maserati MC20 Cielo: Does the petrol still feel better than the electric?

Among the criticisms of electric cars that avid “gearheads” have is the lack of passion. Complaints are about the lack of noise, lack of gear shifting and less driver involvement from both. Having tested many very fast electric cars in my time as an electric car journalist, I thought it was about time to explore what it feels like to step back into the great car of a combustion engine. The car in question was the Maserati MC20, one of the best supercars on the market.

The MC20 I had was the Cielo version, which is Italian for sky. It designates a Spyder, not a coupe. While the coupe arrived in late 2020, the Cielo arrived two years later. However, this is no ordinary spider. The Cielo has three roof modes instead of two. You can raise or lower the hard top, but it’s actually glass equipped with polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) technology that can change from cloudy to clear with an electrical input. The panoramic sunroof on the BMW iX may offer this feature, but the Maserati version is more extreme, going from completely opaque to transparent at the touch of a button on the LCD panel.

It’s a useful mid-range option because above 60 mph the Cielo is very noisy, so you’re out of luck listening to music, talking to a passenger, or hearing navigation instructions. Instead, turning the glass clear gives an open-top feel in a form you can enjoy at speed on the freeway. However, on a sunny day for a drive through the countryside, you’ll want to lower the roof so you can enjoy the roar of that wonderful fossil-fueled engine behind you and the appreciative comments from passers-by. One kid on a bike caught up to me when he stopped at a city traffic light to tell me how much he liked the car (he even knew what model it was).

Maserati MC20 Cielo: a real racer at heart

However, the MC20 Cielo is not a fashion accessory for posers, even if it has an incredible visual presence. The three-liter twin-turbocharged V6 “Netuno” produces a whopping 630 hp. at 7,500 rpm and 730 Nm of torque at 3,000 rpm – entirely through the rear wheels. The transmission is an eight-speed dual-clutch oil system with six power speeds and two overdrive speeds. Although cars in every class are getting heavier, the MC20’s body is made from carbon fiber and composite materials, bringing the curb weight down to an impressive 1,540kg. The roof adds just 65kg of weight compared to the coupe. That means the official 0-62mph sprint is quoted as ‘less than 3 seconds’ with a top speed of ‘more than 199mph’.

Since I drove the MC20 Cielo exclusively on public roads, it was impossible to get close to its limits. But it’s brilliant on undulating British A-roads, although it’s very difficult to stay within the law. A rotary knob on the center console provides access to five driving modes. There is WET for slippery conditions, while the default mode is GT. Then there’s SPORT mode, which speeds up the automatic gearshift, stiffens the suspension and tweaks the traction control. In addition, CORSA mode boosts the engine’s turbo boost, makes gear changes even quicker, and further tunes the suspension for racing. Alternatively, you can option the CORSA with the electronic stability control completely disabled, something I was reluctant to try on public roads in a car with this power.

However, I tried the other modes and the most obvious difference is the throttle response. In GT mode, the power comes on relatively gradually. The accelerator produces quicker return in SPORT mode and even quicker in CORSA. The latter also allows you to press the Launch Control button on the dashboard, where you can fully enjoy this under three second 0-62mph acceleration. You can use the paddles on the steering wheel to downshift for faster response when overtaking. The vehicle will then return to automatic mode after a short period of time. However, even in CORSA mode, the engine’s torque doesn’t kick in as quickly as the fastest electric cars I’ve driven. But when it arrives, it’s just as brutal and comes with an engine wail that’s sure to put a smile on your face.

Considering how powerful this car is, it’s also surprisingly easy to drive in ‘normal’ conditions thanks to the robotic dual-clutch gearbox. Even in traffic, you can relax and let the car take over, although you may need to engage the electric parking brake if you stop on a hill. However, this is not a GT cruiser in supercar clothing. This is a proper race car for the road. Although I didn’t get to drive it myself, last year I was lucky enough to have a professional driver take the same car up the Goodwood hill climb in wet conditions. It was a very obvious monster on the track.

So how does the MC20 compare to the fastest electric cars?

The Maserati MC20 Cielo qualifies as the pinnacle of combustion car technology, but is it better than the best electric cars? A few things that EV skeptics criticize are the quietness of electric vehicles and the lack of gears. The MC20 certainly has plenty of grunt, making its internal combustion engine familiar to everyone from the first press of the start button. However, today’s performance cars at this level usually have robotic manual “flywheel” gearboxes, just like F1 cars, because they are faster than using the clutch independently. Maserati’s automatic system is so good that you only have to shift gears yourself on the race track. Therefore, the driving style is often no different from driving a gearless electric car.

However, as enjoyable as the MC20’s massive power is, the throttle isn’t as instant as the fastest electric cars I’ve tried, even in CORSA mode. The Tesla Model S Plaid can provide instant acceleration enough to make you physically sick. The ZEEKR 001 FR, which I drove around a racetrack in China a few weeks ago, is as extreme as a road-going electric car can get. It may be a “shooting break,” but it has a whopping 1,300 horsepower and a 0-62 mph time of 2.02 seconds. The ZEEKR 001 Performance holds two Guinness World Records, including the fastest drift for an electric car. It even has a “Raikkanen Mode” developed with the help of 2007 F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen. Despite its size, the 001 FR handles the race track with aplomb. This is amazing considering it weighs over 2,400kg.

Despite the magic the ZEEKR does to hold turns, there’s no getting away from the extra 8-900kg it has over the MC20, which means the latter will turn and hold a turn at a much faster rate. Maserati’s own all-electric Gran Turismo Folgore is also faster in a straight line than the MC20, hitting 62 mph in 2.7 seconds. After all, it has 751 horsepower. I was driven around the Misano racetrack in this car before the Formula E race weekend, and the acceleration is ungodly, it makes you dizzy. But the GranTurismo Folgore is only 70kg or so lighter than the ZEEKR. He battled Mizan at blistering speed, but his driving style was to slow down to get his weight around the corner and then use that monster acceleration. It’s a similar strategy to driving a Porsche 911.

The electric car I’ve driven the most laps on a track is a Polestar 2 on the main track at Goodwood (not the hill). The biggest difference from combustion engine cars that I’ve experienced on the track is how the regeneration sits between hard acceleration and normal braking. Formula E drivers like the predictability and progressivity of regenerative braking on their cars, but in a road-going electric car, where regeneration kicks in as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator, it takes a bit of finesse to get the balance right. Driving a combustion engine car fast around a track basically involves accelerating between turns, braking as late as possible to make the turn, maintaining speed while going around, then accelerating off the apex. The MC20 is a classic example of this, and during my experience up the hill at Goodwood, the rear end was satisfyingly twitchy, but the car went through every corner with exceptional speed.

Combustion vs. Electric: Horses for Courses

The Maserati MC20 Cielo is a fantastic car. The regular version rightfully won many awards, including Evo’s 2022 Car of the Year, and the Cielo adds more outdoor joys to the equation without sacrificing that great racing pedigree. It’s a track demon that you could comfortably use for daily commuting if you’re super rich and a little crazy. It comes at a price: the car I tested cost more than £322,000 ($409,000). That’s more than, say, the McLaren Artura Spider, but you don’t buy a car like that for value for money.

No other car I’ve driven has inspired as much love from friends and passers-by as the MC20. It is incredibly beautiful, especially in the red “Rosso Vincente” color that I borrowed. While a Ferrari or Lamborghini is a bit obvious, the Maserati MC20 also exudes rarity and class, even if those scissor doors are a bit ostentatious. My own very fast electric car felt ordinary after driving the MC20, as you’d hope, although its immediate torque is a bit more suitable for overtaking on public roads. However, there is an electric version of the MC20 on the horizon. If Maserati can keep the weight down while delivering acceleration even better than the GranTurismo Folgore, it will be an absolute beast. I can’t wait.