Some buyers of Italian supercars reflexively focus on a badge: Ferrari, then Lamborghini. But in 2022, Maserati reminded us that there’s another Italian car company, with a rich 108-year history and a respected name, but one that has been tarnished by missteps and muddled strategies in recent years.

That powerful reminder of former glory came in the form of the Maserati MC20, the Robb Report editors’ choice for Car of the Year in 2023. And why not? It’s a legitimate supercar with classic Mediterranean curves, a lightweight carbon-fiber monocoque, and a unique, charismatic personality. Now, as the Stellantis-owned Maserati switches things up again, reversing plans to become an all-electric brand, the MC still plants a tricolor flag for what Maseratis are meant to be: Rakish, romantic, high-performing, and 100-percent Italian.  

The name is now MCPura, but this lightly updated 2026 model doesn’t stray from that MC20 formula. Where some modern supercars look like testosterone-fueled racers that took a wrong turn from Le Mans, the MCPura coupe remains a breath of fresh air. And that’s especially the case in the convertible MCPura Cielo I drove along Italy’s Ligurian coast. It was also the identical Cielo that Maserati unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and again at The Quail during Monterey Car Week. 

What’s New for 2026

While the 2026 MCPura is new, it’s not a major departure from the MC20. Differences include a redesigned front bumper that adds a note of aggression, a nod to the track-centric GT2 Stradale model. That bumper accentuates the Maserati’s alluring, shark-like snout. It’s available in a gloss-black finish, or carbon fiber. At the rear, a new bumper envelops a subtle pair of exhaust outlets, atop a reshaped diffuser that better directs air from the fully enclosed underbody. 

Inside, drivers cradle a new flat-topped steering wheel, also inspired by the GT2 Stradale. It’s wrapped in Alcantara, the faux suede from Italy, as is seemingly every available surface in a standard “All-Alcantara” treatment. Coupe buyers can choose a carbon-fiber steering wheel with shift lights—always a helpful touch—tracing its upper rim. Full Alcantara seats are another striking option, versus standard leather bolsters with Alcantara inlays. 

Design

The MCPura Cielo is an Italian cinema star among sports cars, inside and out: Effortlessly beautiful, memorable in its details. But never tacky or overdone.  As many collectors of classic cars would agree, the world needs more sports cars that prioritize form, rather than pure function. 

Having brought the MC’s dashing silhouette to life, Maserati made sure to not screw it up. The cabin is equally convincing, a refreshing alternative to the Top Gun-cockpit fantasies of some supercars. This interior is airy and rich, with a relaxed GT vibe and winning details: Leather door pulls worthy of designer luggage, a tricolor-flag emblem that seemingly flutters on the passenger dash, artful paddle shifters in a choice of aluminum or carbon fiber. 

This show car flaunted the growing role of Fuoriserie, Maserati’s customer personalization program, with a striking-yet-tasteful array of exterior and interior flourishes. Prospects can even order this identical car, including its stunning Al Aqua Rainbow paint, with special pigments that create a subtle rainbow prism effect under sunlight. It’s one of 30 Fuoriserie paint colors, in addition to 10 standard MCPura paints. Among standard shades, “Night Interaction,” blends plum and deep blue in a two-layer, color-shifting effect. It’s so alluring that one can overlook the florid paint name. Laser-etched seat graphics, in a range of patterns, are another customizable touch. 

My convertible flashed Fuoriserie’s magenta body accents, embedded with blue mica, that elevated the Cielo’s style like Harry Winston jewelry at the Met Gala. Those included a signature Trident badge on the Maserati’s snout, repeated on the C-pillars and the wheel caps of the 20-inch forged alloys. 

Power Train and Other Hardware

Other supercar competitors have stuck with V-8s, or supplemented V-6 power with a bump of electric hybrid boost. Maserati stays loyal to its trusty Nettuno V-6. This 3.0-liter twin-turbo uses racing-style pre-combustion chambers, with two spark plugs per cylinder, to generate 621 hp and 538 ft lbs of torque. 

Butterfly doors bring the drama, along with reassuring glimpses of exposed carbon fiber on a featherweight monocoque designed with noted race manufacturer Dallara. The body is all-composite as well. Yet the model isn’t a paragon of lightness overall, with a dry weight of 3,404 pounds for the coupe and 3,564 pounds for the convertible: Not bad, but not McLaren-light. 

A 10.25-inch touchscreen may spark debate, with its obvious family debt to Stellantis, Maserati’s corporate parent. Defenders will argue that the Google-based infotainment system is more intuitive than that found in many supercar rivals. But few will defend Maserati’s decision to put the Cielo’s convertible roof controls on that screen, rather than a trusty analog switch. 

Performance

With that convertible top stowed, on a picture-perfect Italian morning, the MCPura showed it hasn’t lost its raffish charm. The Nettuno engine, connected to an eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission, urges the Maser to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, and allows for a top speed of 202 mph. When matched with a relaxed GT setting, the transmission upshifts too eagerly in full Automatic mode. But the gearbox shifts fluidly everywhere else, best conducted by those oversized paddle shifters. 

An adaptive suspension offers an especially broad spectrum between GT-style comfort and, in its full Corsa mode, wild-eyed performance. This includes giving the car the ability to break those rear tires loose—much like a Shelby Mustang by way of Modena. Yet the car doesn’t aim to be the most ludicrously powered machine, or the most ferocious on track. A Ferrari 296 GTB or McLaren 750S are objectively faster, and include more digital technology to lay down monstrous power with no slippage from the rear wheels. But that doesn’t mean Maserati’s diva can’t perform.

The MCPura steers like Italian olive oil, simultaneously smooth and spicy, a signature of our favorite Italian cars. Push harder, and the Maserati reminds you it’s a carbon-fiber-intensive vehicle, with its rigid backbone, lithe feel, and eagerness to plunge deep into corners. Dialing up that Corsa setting makes maximum engine boost available on demand, sharpens the throttle, firms the suspension, and throws active exhaust valves open at all times. 

The MCPura segues onto the Autostrada, backdropped by the Apuan Alps that loom unusually close to this ocean coast and sugar-sand beaches. The scene set, this supercar does its cinematic best—albeit more John Frankenheimer than Fellini. Strafing the highway at speed, it never loses its graceful bearing. With the Cielo’s top down and that uncommon V-6 engine perched behind one’s noggin, the whispers and sighs of its dual turbochargers only add to the charm. 

Is it Worth it? 

Supercar pricing is more relative than ever, especially when a 1,071 hp Corvette ZR1 can be had for around $182,000 to start. Maserati says the MCPura will start from $246,000, or $281,000 for the Cielo. That’s roughly on par with a McLaren Artura V-6 hybrid, another carbon-chassis supercar, but a good $20,000 less than a Porsche 911 Turbo S. Things rise rapidly from there, including an all-new Lamborghini Temerario hybrid whose base price may brush $390,000. In any language, Maserati’s residual values have been nothing to write home about. Yet one may say the same about many McLarens, Aston Martins, or Bentleys of late. 

Bottom line: This is one of the prettiest supercars on the planet, reason enough for a style-conscious buyer to fall for an MCPura. It’s also a more capable performer than some supercar aficionados might expect. And it all comes with a generous slice of la dolce vita, the kind of charisma and personality that’s hard to put a finger on, but impossible to fake.

Specifications