You know how it goes with each new supercar. First comes the coupe, hopefully to a rapturous reception, then a drop-top to keep up the positive momentum - and maybe a track special if there’s some real confidence behind the project. Once all that hubbub has died down, we're into limited edition territory - a little jazzing up here and there to remind everyone of this supercar among all the other supercars.
Now it’s the turn of the Maserati MC20 to follow that path with this, the Notte Edition. Described as pushing the mid-engined exotic as ‘closer to its racing soul’, there’s only going to be 50 for the entire world, each ‘a roaring creature, conceived to seduce’. Right.
Perhaps surprisingly for a car pitched as extra racy, with former GT1 world champion Andre Bertolini involved with the project, and ‘inspiration from the mesmerising racing world’, the MC20 Notte is mechanically standard. Powertrain, chassis and brakes all continue unchanged; hardly the end of the world given how good the standard car is, but a tad disappointing for a very limited edition apparently so heavily influenced by the track.
The significant changes are cosmetic, then, Maserati expanding its Fuoriserie custom programme to a production run. So the black is not just black - it’s paint that turns from ‘a glossy black shade to a magnetic matte ‘nero essenza’ in the dark, with glow-in-the-dark, matte white gold accents including the Trident. The 20-inch birdcage wheels are black with more white gold accents, too. Inside the Notte, there are not-very-racy-sounding six-way adjustable power seats, an Alcantara wheel with carbon inserts and a ‘Una di 50’ plaque between the headrests.
“Fuoriserie means ‘custom-built’ in Italian, and our Trident’s customisation program is conceived to create one-of-a-kind rolling sculptures for our clients. MC20 Notte celebrates the thrill of racing and the allure of the night combining supreme performance and Italian elegance with a touch of mystery of the nocturnal world. It is the first Fuoriserie limited edition of MC20 and it is dedicated to super sportscar collectors and track enthusiasts”, said Klaus Busse, Head of Maserati Design. Sounds like a bit of a cop-out from here, too.
The launch video probably won’t ramp up the enthusiasm much, either, featuring as it does David Beckham, the aforementioned Bertolini and some awkward buddying up. Good job the base MC20 is stonking because it’s hard to see where the Notte builds on the promise much. We still live in hope of a proper Longtail-smashing Trofeo appearing one day. Until then, the 50 Nottes are available to order now (with a track experience thrown in), albeit without prices released. And if one of 50 is not exclusive enough, there are already Fuoriserie-enhanced MC20s out there in unique specs - this Spider has £30k of MC12-evoking paint. Which feels rather more motorsport-inspired than glow-in-the-dark badges.
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