Maserati MC20 Cielo Spyder Makes North American Debut

Maserati’s MC20 Cielo makes its North American debut at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, automotive event in Monterey, CA.

Cielo – Italian for “sky” – is the spyder, or convertible roadster, version of Maserati’s MC20 coupe. The Cielo features a standard, electrically retractable glass roof with a state-of-the-art electrochromic (smart glass) window that can be transformed from clear to opaque at the touch of a button on a central screen.

Drivers can choose to have the roof closed and opaque, closed and transparent or put the top down for what the automaker calls a “holistic experience.” The roof can be safely retracted in 12 seconds at speeds of up to 30 mph (50 km/h), and has no impact on storage space, Maserati says.

The MC20 is powered by a newly developed 3.0L, twin-turbo Nettuno V-6 introduced on the ’20 MC20 coupe. It generates 621 hp at 7,500 rpm and 538 lb.-ft. (729 Nm) of torque from 3,000 rpm. The power-to-weight ratio is 207 hp/L and the compression ratio is 11:1. Top speed exceeds 198 mph (320 km/h).

Maserati MC20 front 1.4_0

The mid-mounted Nettuno is the first engine designed for a road car to employ a pre-chamber combustion system using twin spark plugs, a technology derived from Formula 1 racing, the automaker says. It is mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.

With convertibles typically weighing more than the cars on which they are based, Maserati engineers managed to limit the Cielo’s increase in weight to 143 lbs. (65 kg) to maintain the performance and driving pleasure of the coupe. The carbon-fiber chassis provides torsional rigidity and outstanding handling on the road or track.

Active safety systems featured on the roadster include parking sensors, rear-view camera and blindspot monitors. The Cielo also offers available autonomous emergency brake, traffic sign information and a Surround View 360° system to help with parking maneuvers using four extra cameras.

Butterfly doors, found in both the MC20 coupe and convertible, provide easy access into and out of the cabin while showing off the carbon fiber cockpit.

Maserati MC20 Cielo interior

Inside are two 10.25-in. (26-cm) screens, one for the cockpit and the other, the Maserati Touch Control Plus (MTC Plus Maserati Intelligence Assistant [MIA] Multimedia System) in a central position. The matte-finish carbon fiber in the interior provides a tailored, fabric-like look. The Alcantara-clad steering wheel now comes as standard.

The monocoque body is entirely made of carbon fiber and composite materials and has been designed for all three types of the MC20: coupé, convertible and, in the future, electric. The monocoque’s architecture and geometry are the same for all three versions, but differ in the distribution of the carbon fiber and its layers, to provide monocoques with different structural characteristics for the three different types of car: