Driving a Maserati in the Tuscan hills in Italy, roof down, revs up… what more could a driving enthusiast ask for? This is the life that is portrayed by the new MCPura supercar.
It’s the facelifted version of the MC20, featuring revised suspension, new colour and trim options, and just the right amount of styling changes to keep it looking gorgeous and modern, with a dash of exotica to top it off.
2025 Maserati MCPura: Specifications
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6
Output: 463kW@7500rpm / 720Nm@3000-5500rpm
Gearbox: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
Drive type: Rear-wheel drive
Wheels: F: 20×9.0, 245/35 R: 20×11, 305/30
Tare weight: 1475-1560kgPower-to-weight: 3.18:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 11.6L/100km (MC20)
Fuel tank/Fuel type: 60L/98 RON
Power efficiency: 39.91kW:L/100km
0-100km/h (claimed): 2.9 seconds
100-0km/h (claimed): 33 metres
Starting price: Coupe: $450,000, Cielo: $520,000)
2025 Maserati MCPura: How much does it cost?
Prices for the Australian market start from $450,000 for the coupe, and $520,000 for the Cielo spyder. That means it is actually cheaper than the MY2024 MC20, which started from $490,500 in 2024.
It’s still very expensive, obviously, but it is refreshing to see prices come down for a change. After all, this new MCPura is a very similar package, fundamentally. The Cielo open-top spyder starts from $520,000. (All excluding on-road costs.)
2025 Maserati MCPura: Interior & packaging
Starting with the design. Only the keenest of Maserati fans will spot the differences – or existing MC20 owners. You’ve got a new front clip and intakes, available in naked carbon fibre or default gloss black, matching sills and side intakes, with a fresh bumper bar and diffuser at the back.
We shouldn’t comment on the overall look as that’s always a subjective thing. But boy does this look stunning. Especially in the new ‘Ai Aqua Rainbow’ light green pearl paintwork. The colour flips according to the angle of the light spraying onto it, with gold and soft grey, to a bright silver at the sharpest of angles.
Against the glistening waters along the coast of Forte dei Marmi in Italy, it is about as glamorous as it gets. Buyers can opt for a matt version of this colour as well, although it doesn’t quite have the same impact in my opinion.
Buyers have a huge variety of other choices available, too, including more exclusive and bespoke combinations through its Fuoriserie personalisation division. Maserati presents two main pillars for options, including traditional-inspired and future-inspired.
Traditional is all about pulling together Maserati’s rich heritage in motorsport and sports cars. So, think along the lines of rich red for the exterior and deep tan leather, along with other classic combinations.
For those wanting something louder or more modern, you have everything from bright fluoro green to subtle silvers, paired with contemporary stitching and materials. Alcantara-wrapped seats with carbon fibre dash shrouds are available, along with a selection of colours for the iconic Trident badge on the headrests and exterior.
For the highly discerning client, Maserati invites customers to put forward their own ideas to create something truly special and unlike any other build. This process can take around six months to curate, back and forth between the customer and styling division to get the build exactly to the customer’s wishes.
A large portion of Maserati customers go through the personalisation program, especially on high-end models such as the MCPura. So it makes sense that you would rarely see two vehicles alike.
Taking a seat inside and you immediately feel like you’re inside an exclusive environment. This is no ordinary car. You sit low and the dash surrounds you like the cockpit of a plane. And then the centre console provides a securing barrier or wall, making you feel perfectly cocooned.
Surprisingly, this isn’t a cramped cabin. You have decent space to move about and the driving position is widely adjustable so you’re guaranteed to find an ideal driving position. The example we drove featured an electrochromic glass roof which can flick from transparent to smoked at the touch of a button.
Storage in the cabin is limited to a cup holder at the back of the console, a glove box, and that’s about it. But there is a 100L boot behind the engine and a 50L shallow compartment under the bonnet at the front. It’s reasonably practical for a supercar but obviously no station wagon.
2025 Maserati MCPura: Powertrain & handling
Power? Yes, there’s plenty of that here. It might be a carry-over engine from the MC20, but make no mistake, this unit is an absolute gem. It uses technologies derived from Formula 1, including pre-chamber combustion with two spark plugs per cylinder to speed up the combustion process. More combustion equals more power and response.
The engine, called Nettuno, is a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 that churns out 463kW and 730Nm – a lesser tune is applied to the Maserati Gracale Trofeo. That’s a serious amount of torque for the capacity, with the turbochargers pushing in around 2.0bar of boost (about 29psi). It runs a high compression ratio as well, at 11:1, so it’s as responsive as a typical high-revving naturally aspirated V6.
Having such high compression also helps to reduce – or pretty much completely eliminate – any turbo-lag. You can hear the engine roaring under load with a throaty induction noise. But you can also hear the turbochargers spooling up with a seductive whistle, accompanied by a huge surge in acceleration and g-force. Even when the engine revs are low, it pushes you hard in the back as you’re propelled forward.
Maserati claims 0-100km/h takes just 2.9 seconds with the standard launch control system. Although I didn’t get a chance to test that on this occasion, it feels every bit that quick from behind the wheel. An electronic limited-slip differential helps to ensure the 305/30 rear tyres hook up every time.
We’re told minor revisions have been made to the suspension system for the Pura, compared with the MC20, mainly aiming to improve refinement. But overall, the differences are minor. As standard it comes with adaptive dampers and a hydraulic nose-lift function so you can raise the nose on steep driveways or over speed bumps.
The configuration is straight out of racing, with double wishbones at the front and semi-virtual double wishbones at the back. This is the type of layout you’d see on bespoke racing cars, including F1 cars. The MC20 used Bilstein DampTronic X technology, however, at the time of writing I was unable to confirm if this system is carried over. Since the majority of the vehicle carries over, it’s probably a safe bet.
It means that on regular roads the suspension is able to absorb bumps with the compliance and wheel movement of a regular sports car. But flick it over into Sport or Corsa mode and you’ll get serious lateral bracing so you can rail around bends with confidence.
Even in Corsa mode it is not overly rigid or fidgety. Sure, it is firm, but at a level that’s to be expected from a car of this calibre. I could live with it on a daily basis, for example. But I get that some drivers would prefer the default GT mode as it is more forgiving.
One of the best characteristics about driving the MCPura is the unfiltered and genuine feedback you get through the steering. It’s like you’re running your hands over the road surface. Although, that might sound like a bad thing, I mean that in a very positive way. This is like riding a bicycle or wearing a really good pair of shoes. It provides immediate and accurate feedback so you fully understand what the car (tyres, suspension, engine) are doing, allowing you to really enjoy the drive.
However, the best part about the MCPura has got to be the engine. It tells a story as it climbs through the rev range, with lots of howling and whistling from the turbos (running 29psi), the wastegates sneezing, and that roar from the naturally-aspirated-like high-compression V6, it all leaves you buzzing with excitement. Exactly what a supercar should do.
2025 Maserati MCPura: First impressions
It is stunning to behold, from every angle, handles like a race car, and the engine portrays more drama and character than any other six-cylinder on the market. In other words, it’s a genuine Italian supercar.
Perhaps its main hurdles are the competition. At around this price the McLaren Artura (from $495,004) is not far away, but it features a more complex hybrid V6 system boasting 500kW. There’s also the McLaren GT (from $436,615) with a more supercar-ish 456kW twin-turbo V8.
Other alternatives you could look at include the mighty Porsche 911 GT3 Touring (from $449,100), or the twin-turbo V8 Ferrari Roma (from $453,000) that belts out 456kW. The Lotus Emira could also be seen as a ‘budget’ option offering similar core characteristics.
Why pick the MCPura? Because it is one of the most exotic and exclusive out of all rivals mentioned above. And it embodies the original spirit of one of the longest-running marques in motorsport history. This is a Maserati.
2025 Maserati MCPura: Video
