The 2023 Maserati MC20 Cielo (pronounced “chi-elo”) spyder makes its debut two years after the launch of its coupé sibling as promised by the Italian car maker.
The Maserati MC20 Cielo’s name has a meaning of its own. “MC” stands for “Maserati Corse”, “20” refers to the year “2020”, when a new era of the brand began and, finally, “Cielo” means “sky”; a prerogative for what the car stands for.
Powering the Maserati MC20 Cielo is the Trident brand’s Nettuno V6 engine that has been in use on the MC20 fixed-top since its debut. The 3.0-litre power plant produces a massive 630 hp and 730 Nm of torque, paired to an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox that Maserati claim will propel the convertible from a standstill to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and accelerate all the way to a top speed of over 320 km/h.
The Maserati MC20 Cielo comes equipped with a state-of-the-art electrochromic smart glass that instantly transforms from clear to opaque, courtesy of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) technology, with the touch of a button on the 10-inch centre console. Maserati have stated that the glass panel is the largest in the segment and the roof of the car provides best-in-class thermal insulation with an opening and closing time of just 12 seconds at speeds of up to 50 km/h.
Although the MC20 Cielo uses the same carbon-fibre monocoque design as the coupé, the Cielo is just 65 kg heavier than its fixed-head sibling, weighing in at 1,540 kg. The difference is, where the MC20 coupé is geared for light weight, the Cielo is designed for greater torsional rigidity of the chassis which is necessary for compensating for the retractable roof.
Maserati is also offering a limited-run “PrimaSerie” launch edition of the MC20 Cielo limited to just 60 units. Each of these will receive unique and exclusive touches such as the new Aquamarina exterior paint scheme. The three-layer paint colour, part of the Maserati Fuoriserie customisation program, combines Pastel Grey with iridescent Aquamarine Mica.
Another difference the Cielo has over the coupé is the addition of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), traffic sign information, a 360-degree camera, as well as a new digital rotary controller for selecting between the Wet, Corsa, GT, Sport and ESC Off driving modes.
The launch date and the price have not been announced yet but the Maserati MC20 Cielo will be priced at a premium over the coupé counterpart.
Story: Alshin Thomas
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