Can the Maserati MC20 sway Ferrari customers in Malaysia?

KUALA LUMPUR: Maserati has always been a respected sports car brand around the globe. Sales have been good and it has stood tall amongst the German manufactured sports car models. However, when it comes to supercar brands, like McLaren, Lamborghini, Porsche and its older and more popular sibling Ferrari, Maserati has always been at the end of the pack.

Now comes a change in attitude and probably fortune for the Maserati brand with the arrival of the Maserati MC20 supercar. Launched globally just a few months ago and already in Malaysia, this all-new supercar is about to take away sales from all its rivals, including Ferrari.

 Yes, you read the above statement right. Maserati has a supercar to rival and in some areas, better than Ferrari and send a worrying note to the engineers at McLaren and Lamborghini. 

The MC20 uses a brand new engine that comes with technology first used with success in Formula 1 racing. To keep the European Union ‘emission masters’ happy, this supercar uses just a 3,000cc twin turbo engine that allows the driver to accelerate from standstill to 100 kmph in just 2.9 seconds. Yes, a 3.0L engine that pushes enough power for this lightweight 1,500 kg supercar to get better acceleration than the Ferrari Roma which takes 3.4 seconds and the same as the Ferrari 812 Superfast which is 2.9 seconds. 

Now, the very exclusive and expensive LaFerrari accelerates at 2.4 seconds which is 0.5 seconds faster but costs more than twice this Maserati MC20. So, the bragging rights for the LaFerrari owner over the MC20 owner is more than RM2 million Ringgit?

Still, with the super wealthy Malaysians, there seems to be little flinching when it comes to paying twice to get exclusive vehicles and this is why Ferrari’s will continue to sell more than Maserati’s in Malaysia and probably most of Asia.

Meanwhile, we have learnt that already 9 Malaysians have paid the asking price of RM1,078,000 (before local duties and taxes are included) for this Maserati MC20 and the unit seen here is the first unit to be delivered to a Malaysian customer with some customised options.

The second and following units will be arriving in the coming months and with the publicity given on this Maserati supercar right now, we are surely more than 20 bookings will be in for Naza Italia before Christmas 2022.

The Maserati MC20 comes with a 3 years standard factory warranty with no mileage restriction as almost all owners will park this supercar in Langkawi for a year or two to reduce its import duties and then when they do drive it, it will be a weekend warrior that might see less than 20,000 kilometres in 3 years of ownership.

Also read: Maserati Grecale: Key design & comfort highlights