Why the Maserati MC20 is this year's most beautiful supercar

Supercars are all the rage right now, so we spoke to Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, about what makes Maserati's swanky new car stand out from the crowd

Is this the most beautiful supercar launched in 2020? We’d say very possibly. It’s the new Maserati MC20, unveiled earlier this month in Modena, Maserati’s home city in Italy.

If you’re looking to spend £150,000-£200,000 on a fast car, you could, of course, opt for a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, McLaren or Audi R8, but this Maserati makes them all seem a bit…obvious.

It’s been decades since Maserati last built a desirable high-performance supercar: it’s been busy trying to sell its Levante SUV and Ghibli saloon. But here’s a Mazzer we can all drool over, with its white paintwork, slinky roofline, graceful curves and simple bodywork. There’s something about a rare Italian supercar that just makes passers-by stop and sigh in a way they don’t if a McLaren passes.

It’s been launched with a V6 petrol engine producing 630 horsepower, but, more temptingly, there’s an electric version to follow, as well as a convertible option.

For all its soft styling, it’s a serious supercar: top speed of over 200mph, 0-62mph in under 3.0 seconds and the engine sited in the middle of the car, for the best possible balance and handling.

Inside, the softness disappears, replaced by two large, curved seats to hold you through the corners and wrapped in a mixture of leather and suede, strafed with sharp lines of electric-blue fabric (there are an impress array of choices - you could for example choose tan leather seats and red and white fabric inserts, or whatever takes your fancy, courtesy of Maserati’s Fuoriserie bespoke division).

There’s an eight-speed automatic gearbox with flappy paddles on the steering wheel and two large screens that show your smartphone functions or can hook you up to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.