One of the most surprising newer performance cars that shocked me when it was first unveiled in 2020 was the Maserati MC20. At First glance, it’s a surprisingly good car, and after the first reviews trickled in, it’s all that was promised and more.

This car was shocking, but why is it that a company which has 107+ years of heritage in motorsport and performance cars surprised us, considering the MC20 may be one of the most generic supercars to grace the new market? For the past couple decades, Maserati has been sort of a badge sell– the fancy name that every non-petrolhead loves to say, hear, and drive, while us car-lovers couldn’t name 2 models in it’s current range. It’s a brand that’s almost been forgotten, with the exception of a few great historic icons. The last one being the MC12 supercar (also the MC20’s predecessor) in 2004. The past 20 years of cars rolling off the Maserati assembly line have lacked character, personality, and a sense of passion that feels genuine.

Petrolheads around the world are bemoaning the financially-motivated decisions by big-name sports car and supercar companies developing and rolling SUV models off their production lines. But in 2016 when the company unveiled the Levante, their first jumbo-sized, 4-door SUV, nobody batted an eye. Not even a little social hazing came beyond the usual criticisms from first reviewers and journalists. The simple fact of the matter was nobody in the world of car enthusiasts really cared about the modern brand.

Much of the lack of enthusiasm for the brand stemmed from the lack of innovation and change. The brand (like many of those in FCA’s portfolio) didn’t see frequent updates and facelifts like many of its counterparts. The company hasn’t competed in motorsports for years, and the technology embedded into the Maserati lineup was nothing unique or groundbreaking. Maserati got pushed aside, especially after the 2008 Financial crash. Fiat and Alfa Romeo became the front focus of Fiat-Chrysler’s Italian identity—and Maserati was left on the back burner.

The MC20 is the perfect car, and possibly at the perfect time. The COVID-19 Pandemic created a lot of changes, and scripted many endings. But in its wake, there are all sorts of new beginnings. The MC20 doesn’t promise to change the world of supercars. It’s a very simple and basic construct: a 2-door, mid-engine, boosted V6-powered supercar with some fancy-trimmed interior, good looks, and a bit of hybrid technology. But for the first time in a VERY long time, Maserati has made an absolutely beautiful car.

I certainly have some form of unregulated bias against many cars being designed today. I would generally characterize automotive aesthetic design today as “sporty”, with little focus on making a car look beautiful. I’m certainly not one to talk. I drive a 10th generation Honda Civic. But Honda understood that this design directive has gone too far, and made major improvements with the 11th generation. My favorite car of all time is the first generation of Jaguar F-Type, in the SVR trim. It hearkens back to the most beautiful car in history, the E-Type in much of its design. Don’t agree with me on the E-Type? That’s okay. Enzo Ferrari, the godfather of motorsport heritage, said that the E-Type was the most beautiful car ever made. It’s a fast and exciting performance car, and it doesn’t look like it wants to kill and eat you, unlike most aggressively-styled cars today.

So back to the MC20. It’s got this beautiful array of LEDs in the headlights, and the front grill doesn’t look like it could vacuum up small children. It’s a simple car in terms of layout and structure, and unlike every manufacturer today (especially the American ones), there aren’t twenty million trim levels and configurations available. Just enough to differentiate yours from your neighbor’s.

The MC20 holds another secret that it holds for racing enthusiasts: The “MC” in the car’s name stands for Maserati Corse. This may be a good indication that the company is planning on returning to racing. This would make sense because if the company is serious about making great sports cars again, it could be planning on making great racing cars again soon as well! Interestingly enough, the MC20’s powertrain has Formula 1 technology integrated into it, meaning a possible return to the pinnacle of motorsport could be imminent within the next 10 years

In my opinion, the company got it really right. It’s not necessarily groundbreaking, but it puts Maserati back in the peripheral attention of car enthusiasts. A brand that’s been all in name for so many years may be returning to its glory days of making cars that cause the people who really care about burning rubber and fast driving to get excited. It’s a really big deal. And I worry that if the MC20 goes rather unnoticed by enthusiasts, the brand will slip back into the oblivion. I’m looking forward to what Maserati has in store for the future! What are your thoughts? Is this the beginning of a new beginning for Maserati? Will the MC20 be the brand’s lynchpin for the next generation of enthusiasts! Let me know what you think!