We often forget the subtle nuances of driving and that includes the environment surrounding us. The sights, sounds and the road which filters through our palms are missed within the vagaries of daily life. The Maserati MC20 Cielo is all about embracing the sky by being the convertible sibling of the MC20 coupe. The MC20 Cielo Spyder joins the line-up and is arguably the MC20 to get due to its extra layer of involvement. It certainly looks the part too and comes with carbon-fibre flying buttresses while the butterfly doors of the coupe have also been kept. The shape is organic and has the purity which you seek from a convertible Italian supercar. The carbon fibre construction and the exotic underpinnings are also there but new to the Cielo is also a glass roof which is different from the usual fare. There is no soft top or a traditional metal top instead there is a clear glass roof which is 909 mm long, 615 mm wide and has a surface area of more than half a square metre (5,268 cm2).
MC20 Cielo is also the only model in its class with a fully retractable glass roof as standard while to operate it you need a button on the central touchscreen as in just 12 seconds, the roof opens or closes.
Another tap on another touch button and the glass changes from clear to opaque or vice versa. Advanced Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) technology makes it possible for the change of transparency to take place in an instant; it works at virtually all temperatures, from -30°C to +85°C.
There is also a new colour: known as Acquamarina, which is available as part of the Maserati Fuoriserie customisation programme. Top-down or up, the Cielo looks gorgeous and is replete with some stunning design cues.
Of course, with top-down, you can hear the 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder twin-turbo, ‘Nettuno’ engine more. While not quite having the soundtrack of a barrel-chested V8, the V6 has the energetic mannerisms of a typical Italian supercar.
As is with most things these days, the MC20 Cielo has more digital controls now with a new drive mode selector showing the drive mode preset by the driver, suspension calibration management and ESC Off, all on its small screen.
Maserati MC20 Cielo offers five drive modes: WET, GT, SPORT, CORSA and ESC OFF. Each one is identified by its color: WET is green; GT is blue; SPORT red; CORSA is yellow; ESC OFF is orange.
Elsewhere, new additions include the addition of Active Safety Systems along with parking sensors, a rear-view camera and blind spot monitoring.
The interior is a bit sombre but bathed in carbon fibre while coming with all the usual amenities too although the boot space is not much here ergonomically it is not a challenge, unlike some convertibles.
If you want a gorgeous drop-top supercar to stand out and be a bit different, then the MC20 Cielo Spyder has you covered and you can also enjoy its powertrain more now. With prices pushing north of $250,000, this is an alluring Italian recipe for fun.Â
This story originally appeared on Upscalelivingmag
