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• Maserati has been doing cold-weather testing Italy and hot-weather testing in South Africa.
• The test unit has covered about 10 000km in Upington.
• Already five models have been ordered for South Africa.
• For more motoring stories, go to Wheels24.
While Maserati made a bit of a splash of their recent cold-weather testing in Italy of the much-anticipated MC20 supercar, a second unit has been quietly undergoing hot-weather testing in South Africa.
Having covered almost 10 000km during testing in the vicinity of Upington – an area naughty people visit to get a sneak preview of their final destination – the MC20 ended its limited tour in Maserati SA's dealership in Bryanston, Johannesburg, where Wheels24 had the opportunity to meet the Trident's upcoming halo model face to… uhm, grille.
While the MC20 has gradually shed its camouflage over the past few weeks, this was the first time the South African media could get up close and personal with the car. This particular car is a pre-production model, which is evident from the fact that it bears plastic trim in places where the production units will sport carbon fibre. Likewise, its interior still hosts some of the test equipment, complete with cables duct-taped to the interior panels, while the fit of the upward-swivelling doors is not yet tuned to perfection.
What do you think of Maserati's new supercar? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
If the MC20 looked gorgeous in the pictures you may have seen up to now, let us assure you that it looks even better in the flesh – or sheet metal, if you want to be clinical about it. It's body, both in plan format and the side view, is as shapely as that of a belladonna. It follows a visual metaphor know as 'coke bottle' styling, with svelte hips and shoulders and a narrow waistline. Wherever you look, surprising little details catch your eye – such as the Maserati logo 'floating' above the grille rather than being mounted directly onto it, and the trident shape making guest appearances on the wheel spokes and the transparent engine cover.
Physically, the MC20 is bigger than we had expected, and for a supercar, surprisingly easy to get into and out of. But don't expect it to be either a lumbering whale or a toothless tiger: with 463kW on tap from the 3.0-litre V6 Nettuno mill to propel a body that weighs in at less than 1500kg, the facts lend credibility to the rumours that it has achieved test speeds of over 330km/h, and 0-100km/h acceleration of under 2.9 seconds.
Maserati Bryanston's dealer principal, Nagesh Naidoo, told us that South Africa is the first country in the Southern Hemisphere and also the first right-hand-drive country to have placed its order for MC20s. In fact, five units are already spoken for. Naidoo says that production MC20s will be in their showroom during the first quarter of 2022 if all goes to plan.
And the price tag for this beauty? Maserati says It is expected to come in below the price of a Ferrari F8, which would place it around R5.5 million.
