Hard-top Maserati MC20 morphs into glass-toped new MC20 Cielo

Maserati has resumed its renaissance with the latest unveiling being a cabriolet version of the MC20 that started the trident marque’s revival two years ago.

The third completely new model after the debut of the Grecale two months ago, the MC20 Cielo, the latter suffix meaning sky in Italian, indirectly replaces the long since discontinued GranCabrio spin-off of the GranTurismo as Maserati’s first wholly new drop top in over a decade.

Once again styled by Centro Stile Maserati in Turin, the MC20 Cielo rides on the same carbon fibre monocoque chassis as the coupe, but with required changes in order to compensate for the removal of the roof.

More rigid than the coupe, the MC20 Cielo ticks the scales at 1 540 kg, 63 kg heavier, with the other difference being an overall height decrease of three millimetres from 1 221mm to 1 218mm. Unchanged is the wheelbase, overall height and length.

ALSO READ: ‘New era’ kicks-off as Maserati unveils all-new MC20

The roof itself, a joint development between and Webasto, measures 909 mm long, features a central section made entirely out of glass and folds in a retractable folding manner underneath the rear decklid in 12 seconds.

Said to have been tested in temperatures ranging from -30°C to more than 85°C, the roof also sports an opaque function using what Maserati calls Advanced Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal technology.

Retaining the polycarbonate engine cover, upwards opening or butterfly doors and available with an optional matte titanium Maserati trident badge on the decklid, the MC20 Cielo’s visual differences from the coupe stretches further than the roof.

Mounted on model specific 20-inch alloy wheels with the option of 30 kg lighter carbon wheels, the MC20 Cielo has had the air intakes for the engine cover relocated, the B-pillar redesigned and vents added to the rear wings as a means of aiding cooling.

A total of five colours round the exterior off; Bianco Audace, Grigio Incognito, Giallo Genio, Blu Infinito, Rosso Vincente and Acquamarina only available on the PrimaSerie Launch Edition.

Inside, the MC20 Cielo’s interior is otherwise identical to that of the coupe, but comes with a number of upgrades that will be rolled-out on the hard-top as well.

This includes an Alcantara or carbon fibre steering wheel, an electrically adjustable steering column and a new touch dial for the drive mode selector, still with five settings; Wet, GT, Sport, Corsa and ESC Off.

Elsewhere, the MC20 Cielo retains the 10.25-inch instrument cluster and similarly sized infotainment system, as well as the digital rear-view mirror, adjustable suspension, the six-speaker sound system plus the optional 12-speaker Sonus Faber audio.

Residing at the back, the Formula 1 technology infused 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged Nettuno V6 produces an unchanged 463kW/750Nm fed to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Equipped with the same Brembo six-piston caliper setup at the front and four at the rear as the coupe, with the discs measuring 380 mm and 350 mm respectively, the MC20 Cielo will get from 0-100 km/h in three seconds, 0.1 seconds slower than the coupe, and reach a top speed of 320 km/h.

Still to go on sale, pricing for the MC20 Cielo was not disclosed, but expect a small premium over the coupe’s estimated starting sticker of R5.5-million.