Maserati: The MCPURA Debuts in Style at Goodwood Festival of Speed
An invitation to the Four Seasons Hampshire and the renowned Goodwood Festival of Speed turns into a first look at Maserati’s newest automotive thoroughbred – the MCPURA.
There are some invitations you don’t deliberate over: “Would you care to join Maserati at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire and the Goodwood Festival of Speed for the global unveiling of their newest car?”. Yes. Absolutely. When should I pack my weekender?
A day later, as my taxi coasted through the immaculately trimmed hedgerows of the English countryside, that unmistakable frisson - part curiosity, part anticipation - settled in. While Maserati’s flair for drama is well documented (we’re talking about the people who named their 2020 supercar simply 'MC20'), this new chapter promised something… different.
Overnight Stay: Horsepower and Aperol Spritzes
The experience began in impeccable style at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire - a setting so tranquil and refined I briefly considered abandoning city life entirely. Nestled amid 500 acres of rolling greenery, the beautiful Georgian manor stuns with quiet grandeur and timeless elegance. It also served as the perfect prelude to the high-octane world of Maserati.
Upon arrival, I was handed a key card and informed that I’d be staying in Room 1102 - “one of our best,” the receptionist said with a knowing smile. She wasn’t wrong. The suite was exquisite: light-flooded, spacious and overlooking acres of manicured lawns that seemed to stretch on forever.
That evening, Wild Carrot - the hotel’s restaurant - hosted a stylish welcome dinner. Maserati’s senior leadership team had flown in from Modena, including Klaus Busse, their celebrated Head of Design and Santo Filicci, the newly appointed global CEO. Over several courses and a generous pour of Italian wine, the room buzzed with stories from the factory floor, design philosophy debates and even a few musings about rival brands. It was an informal, relaxed affair, underscored by a quiet but growing excitement about the following day.
The Reveal: E = MCPURA
Early the next morning - at an hour typically reserved for regrettable airport lattes and sleepy international flights - we boarded a coach bound for the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Britain’s spiritual home of automotive ambition.
By the time we arrived, the festival was already buzzing. Carbon-fibre masterpieces shimmered under a searingly hot sun, seemingly endless helicopters dipped into nearby fields with executive precision and crowds flowed through the paddocks with energy and intent.
At the Maserati stand (tucked into the Supercar Paddock), two cars stood cloaked like runway models awaiting their cue. The stand’s elegant minimalism contrasted beautifully with the surrounding frenzy. A crowd gathered, hushed and excited. Phones rose, including mine. Espresso was briefly forgotten. The countdown began.
With a theatrical flourish, the covers came off and there they were: the new MCPURA Coupé in matte Ai Aqua Rainbow, and its convertible sibling, the MCPURA Cielo, dressed in gloss. Both dazzled with chameleon-like brilliance. Inspired by a prism breaking down white light, the patent-protected colour begins as a tranquil blue but shifts in sunlight to reveal subtle rainbow undertones — a hue that feels more haute couture than automotive.
The matte finish on the Coupé and the gloss on the Cielo created a striking contrast, while both wore the same magenta-with-blue-mica Trident insignia, elegantly placed on the grille, C-pillars and sides. Even the wheel hubs carried matching logos, framed by burnished, diamond-cut rims that sparkled with architectural precision.
From MC20 to MCPURA: A Refined Evolution
If the MC20 was Maserati’s power move back into the supercar segment, the MCPURA is its elegant encore. It doesn’t attempt to eclipse its predecessor but stands beside it - more refined, more emotionally expressive.
Pura means 'pure' in Italian and the MCPURA embraces that idea in both form and philosophy. Where the MC20 feels aggressive and stripped-back, the MCPURA is deliberate and sophisticated. It shares the carbon-fibre monocoque chassis and iconic 3.0-litre twin-turbo Nettuno V6 (630 CV, or 621 horsepower), but its performance has been subtly rebalanced for road pleasure. It still sprints from 0–100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds, with a top speed north of 320 km/h, but its delivery is more nuanced - power with poise.
Design shifts are subtle but meaningful. The lower fascia has been reimagined, drawing on GT2 race car cues but softened for elegance. Gloss black finishes accentuate the sculpted contours, playing beautifully with light and shadow. The ‘shark nose’ front is more assertive and an optional oversized rear spoiler nods to Maserati’s racing heritage without overwhelming the design.
Step inside and the contrast becomes more pronounced. The interior is a celebration of Italian craftsmanship: a two-tone Alcantara scheme runs through the cabin, with laser-etched Trident motifs on the seats and dashboard. The finish shimmers in iridescent blues and reds, echoing the colour-shifting drama of the exterior.
Even the smallest details - the subtle Italian flags integrated into the dashboard vents, the MCPURA badging, the burnished carbon trim - speak of luxury born from obsession. It’s futuristic yet tactile, luxurious without being ostentatious. Every button, every stitch, every edge feels intentional.
The car’s most theatrical flourish - the butterfly doors - may be the only stylistic indulgence its designers allowed. But far from being purely decorative, they serve a purposeful dual role. With a single upward motion, they reveal the carbon-fibre cockpit, expose the front wheel arch and showcase the sculpted aerodynamics. It's dramatic, yes - but also practical, easing cabin entry and transforming every arrival into an entrance.
The Cielo Effect
For those who prefer their supercars with sky, the MCPURA Cielo delivers. The folding glass roof uses PDLC (polymer dispersed liquid crystal) technology to turn transparent or opaque at the touch of a button. It's theatre, really - Maserati calls it a “sky feeling” and they’re right. One moment you’re cocooned in a private cabin; the next, the sky floods in. The experience is meant to be more immersive than convertible tradition usually allows and, remarkably, it still matches the Coupé in both performance and structural rigidity. No compromises - just a different expression of the same idea.
As the crowds dispersed, I couldn’t help but reflect that the MCPURA doesn’t want to outdo the MC20 but, rather, it stands beside it - a refined evolution, where every line is intentional and every detail honed. No less powerful, just more precise in its expression.
Maserati has always been about more than performance. They build cars that move you - not just physically, but emotionally. With the MCPURA, they’ve captured all of that, distilled it and wrapped it in a colour that shifts with the sun. Their mantra of being Masters of Italian Audacity has rarely felt so well embodied.
Would I order one? If I had £209,000-plus spare (or £234,000-plus for the Cielo). Matte or gloss? Let’s just say… I might need both.
https://www.maserati.com/global/en/models/mcpura
