THE SHAPE OF WATER
Pure elegance, pure adrenaline, pure emotion. Maserati’s new sports car, the MCPura, is a sublime example of the twoseater concept. Clothed at its debut in a striking Ai Aqua Rainbow livery, a blue with a subtly changing iridescent hue created by special pigments
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Diego Tamone - ph. courtesy by Maserati
The formula underpinning its balanced mix of elegance and sporty appeal is jealously guarded in Modena, nestling safely within the folder containing the classified plans for the latest sports car to leave the Viale Ciro Menotti factory. To present a playful parallel between two strokes of genius from the realms of physics and mechanics, this car can be summed up in one provocative, rather grandiose equation: E = MCPura. In other words, a combination of Einstein and Maserati. An exaggeration, of course, but one that helps underline the importance of the newest sports car to bear the trident marque, the MCPura. This model is a coupé, although the Italian brand also offers it in the equally attractive guise of an open-top version with retractable electro-chromatic glass roof that opens in only 12 seconds and can shift instantaneously from transparent to opaque. It is a development of the MC20, a car that five years ago introduced the aesthetic lines and technological solutions that opened a new era for the brand. This transformation was made possible by the Turin “Centro Stile” and the sensitivity and skill of the designers who work there. The lines were then perfected in the wind tunnel by the illustrious Dallara company. This dual heritage helps ensure that the MCPura is a
The MCPura in the two configurations produced by Maserati: Cielo, or convertible (below and opposite page, top) and coupé (opposite page, bottom). Both feature butterfly doors and are personalisable through the Officine Fuoriserie Maserati programme. Made in Italy in every detail, the fluid lines combine with aerodynamics developed with Dallara.
proudly Italian creation. Conceptually, the car was developed by dividing it into an upper and lower section. The upper part was shaped by the creatives, whose aim was to emphasise the aerodynamic aspect through extremely clean, subtle shapes. Everything is designed to please the eye, like the flowing outline, the absence of glaringly obvious aerodynamic appendages and the semi-concealed air intakes. Then there is the “shark nose” front, recalling the cars that used to dominate the track, and the butterfly doors – not only aesthetically pleasing but functional, too, as they provide more comfortable access to a cabin fitted out in Alcantara
Above, the design interiors of the MCPura, with seats, door panels, dashboard and steering wheel, covered with Alcantara. The shape of the steering wheel, which has a flat upper section, is inspired by the design adopted by the cars in the GT2 championship. Left, the unmistakeable hallmark lines of the open roof version
leather. The undershell, though, was developed by high-tech devices and programmes with the aim of optimising efficiency and airflow in the lower body. This is all the result of over two thousand work hours, required to implement the sartorial approach behind the carbon fibre and composite body shell. In the context of this sartorial, artisanal philosophy, personalisation of the MCPura is handled by the Officine Fuoriserie Maserati, a recently-launched workshop whose extensive tailor-made programme makes it possible to render all the brand’s super sports cars personal, or even unique. The engine, though, is untouchable – the MCPura is powered by a 3-litre twin-turbo engine called Nettuno in a 6-cyclinder V configuration generating 630 Hp and 720 Nm of torque, providing this model, which weighs in at around 1,500 kg, with an enviable power to weight ratio of 2.3 kg/Hp. maserati.com