Maserati MC20: I road tested three Maseratis in Yorkshire - but the price made me gulp

No. It was the price: £296,000. It made me gulp.

We were in Ripon at the ever-so-grand Grantley Hall for a driving day when I wondered if this car, the MC20, was more than the cost of a decent home in Yorkshire’s smallest city.

A quick glance found an attractive terrace in North Street and a lovely two-bed apartment in Hemsworth Walk for much the same money, yet Maserati won it for me. A poorer investment than bricks and mortar but dashingly more fun.

Not this one though: the 3.0 litre V6 in the MC20 might emit 630bhp and a growl loud enough to frighten Riponians but I much preferred a Granturismo in rosso (red). The price, £212,060. A comparative snip.

To continue the housing theme, I did a bit more research. Now, you might struggle to get a house for that money in Ripon. The nearest I could find was a park home.

But the Granturismo was a cinch compared to its banana-coloured rival. The MC20 is impressively beautiful but the rosso one is a more elegant and grown-up model and almost as quick. It’s altogether more Italian. More classical, if you like.

You won’t have to worry about gullwing doors hitting the garage roof, either, for there are conventional portals on the Gran T.

So, how does this car shape up? It’s a cultured machine with a wild side if you prod it. Dab the pedals and it’s as tame as they come but try a firmer touch and hold on to your hat. It’s quick, as the 3.5 seconds official figure illustrates, yet it can draw attention even when stationary. Even stood still it could trigger a speed camera though magistrates may disagree.

Some of the touches are fantastic (the aluminium and stainless steel trim) but others seem to be technology for the sake of it.

The rear view camera in place of a mirror, for example, and the £29,000 for the red paint. Fantastic colour, but how much, as we are accustomed to ask in Yorkshire if anything seems silly money.

There is much to love and admire. It is a practical car (310 litres of boot compared to 150 litres split between front and back on the MC20). Getting in and out is a squeeze but that says more about my heft and agility than the door dimensions.

It is a big car (almost five metres long) yet it feels taut and compact with brilliant steering and a surefootedness which builds confidence. On North Yorkshire’s rugged roads, it was fine. On a better finished surface it would be sublime.

This car is modest only comparison with the MC20 which feels and sounds stronger and louder, like a more confident sibling. Each to their own but I prefer the Granturismo.

This car is a petrol-powered machine and it seems Maserati will continue to build them, despite the rush to electric.

Maserati wants to focus on its future product portfolio through what its customers say and desire.

That’s according to the brand’s new North European boss, Mariangela Del Vecchio, who expressed her thoughts about what the brand wants to achieve for its new electric models.

She believes that the brand needs to have a combination of internal-combustion engined vehicles and EVs as the company focuses on a more sustainable future.

Maserati’s electric range of vehicles are badged ‘Folgore’, with nearly every model in the firm’s line-up now coming with a battery-powered option.

Speaking about the brand’s electric portfolio, Del Vecchio – who was appointed Maserati’s North European boss in November 2024 – said: “We are more driven about what the consumers are saying and we’ve tried to meet the customers’ desires because we are Maserati. We are a desirable and iconic brand that combines both the past and the future through ICE vehicles and electromobility.”

She added: “The EVs in our range will help the brand to increase the share of electric vehicles in the market, and this will be the first full year in which we will have a full range of electric vehicles. Our cars are from specific segments with specific customers, so it’s not about big volumes of sales, it’s more to meet the customers wishes.”

Maserati’s ‘Folgore’ (it’s Italian for lightning) electric range is available on its Grecale SUV, GranTurismo coupe and GranCabrio convertible.

All models are on sale now with prices starting at £109,905 for the Grecale and rising to £185,610 for the GranCabrio.

Meanwhile after its world premiere last August during California’s Monterey Car Week in the United States, the Maserati GT2 Stradale is finally on the road and ready to hit the market, starting in Europe in April.

The debut of the road-legal version of the GT2 that took the House of the Trident back to the track in the closed-wheel championships was christened in Andalusia with a driving experience dedicated to the main stakeholders and customers worldwide. They had the opportunity to test its mettle both on roads out of town and on the track, to emphasise both the souls of the super sports car: racing DNA and the comfort typical of the House of the Trident.

From the charming city of Marbella, the test drive route wound its way through the panoramic curves of the Parque Nacional Sierra de las Nieves to arrive at the private Ascari circuit near Ronda, the pearl of Andalusia. The 5,425 metres of the track named after the Italian Formula 1 world champion driver – who also raced with Maserati – recall the brand's iconic heritage.

Indeed, Maserati boasts a long and glorious sporting history. When the brand started work on the MC20 project, the halo car that marked the beginning of a new era for the House of the Trident, it had already decided to return to the track. This philosophy and the brand’s racing DNA resulted in the Maserati GT2, which took the Modena-based manufacturer back to racing victory in the Fanatec GT2 European Series championship.

Maserati Granturismo

Price: £159,630 but the extras brought the price to £212,060. Highlights included the rosso paint (£29,160), the Maserati trident symbol stitched on the headrest (£600) and a Sonus high premium sound system (£3,360). I'd suggest the basic car would suffice

Engine: A 2,992 V6 cylinder engine which emits 550bhp via eight automatic gears

Performance: Top speed 199mph and 0 to 60mph in 3.5 seconds

Economy: 28.2mpg

Emissions: 227-229g/km

Warranty: Three years’ unlimited mileage