Maserati updates MC20 and renames it MCPura

It may sound a bit like a gourmet hamburger but MCPura is the new name for Maserati’s MC20 which renews, kind of. 

The five-year-old V6 flagship, that goes up against the likes of McLaren’s Artura, attended the Goodwood Festival of Speed. A new badge reflects its ‘pure’ character, says Maserati. “We have achieved energy in its purest form: pure speed, pure luxury and pure Italian passion.”

MCPura remains a pure-combustion model, with its 3.0-litre Nettuno engine developing 463kW and 720Nm. It still goes to the rear wheels via a Tremec eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Maserati reckons on a sprint time to 100km/h of 2.9sec and it evidently hits 300km/h in under nine seconds. All of which means no change from MC20 figures.

Under the skin are no other significant mechanical updates but MCPura has a new front end with a reshaped grille. There are fresh bumpers front and rear. Butterfly doors remain. A cleaner diffuser design keeps the styling ‘deliberately understated’. 

This is evidently at the heart of the original MC20’s appeal. Designer Klaus Busse said of its design: “It’s purposeful. Every line, every element, serves aerodynamic efficiency, cooling and performance – wrapped in elegant restraint. This is purity realised.”

A twin-spoke wheel design is new and there are added colour options, like orange, green and black, along with the hero Al Aqua Rainbow. This is a triple-layer blue-green that changes colour according to the light.

Inside, the changes are also subtle with increased use of Alcantara, a new steering wheel that’s flat top and bottom, and the option of LED gearshift indicators. Production of the coupé and Cielo convertible (with retractable glass roof) kicks off in September.

Maserati says the MCPura will be built to order, with a high level of personalisation possible. One of the options is an “oversized spoiler”. Another is a carbon fibre steering wheel. The five drive modes you still select using a wheel-mounted button.

Expect a premium over the price of the MC20 which goes for $450k-$510k in New Zealand.