Maserati MC20 buying guide

The Maserati MC20 is a recent enough car that the main risks are paperwork and spec, not age. Check that every recall was closed, that the service record is unbroken, and that the options are the ones the market wants.

It is a Modena-built, mid-engined supercar with a carbon-fiber monocoque developed with Dallara and butterfly doors. The Nettuno 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 makes 621 bhp and drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Production ran from 2020, the Coupe arriving first and the Cielo following in 2022 with a glass roof that switches between five settings.

It suits a buyer who wants a usable, fairly lightweight supercar and is happy to deal with the Maserati network for service. Independent expertise is thin, according to Car Collector International.

Paperwork matters as much as the car on a model this new.

• Ask for proof that all four recall campaigns were completed, as SafeCarInfo advises, before you agree to buy.
• Look for a car still under warranty or with an unbroken dealer record, and ask what was done at each service and by whom.
• Put the car on a lift and inspect the splitters and undertrays, because the low nose and long overhangs get scraped.
• Drive an electronic-diff car slowly to find out whether you can live with the low-speed shudder.
• Test the dual-clutch gearbox cold and hot, in manual and automatic modes, and check launch control.
• Reconcile the gearbox fluid service and fault code history against what the seller tells you.
• Get the original build sheet, the Fuoriserie order book and a photo of the numbered plaque on any limited edition before going further.
• On a car without documented main-dealer service, get an oil analysis, a cold-start check, an ECU boost and knock-history readout, and an injector and pre-chamber inspection.
• Demand full body-shop documentation for any car with a claim or repair history, including any carbon tub inspection or repair.
• Operate both butterfly doors several times and watch for slow actuators or latches that do not catch cleanly.

NHTSA lists six recall campaigns for the 2022 to 2027 model years. The most serious are a split-prone fuel line sensor housing that can leak fuel (2022 MC20), and two on the 2023 MC20 Cielo for the windshield frame: bonding that may be insufficient and let the frame detach in a crash, and stud sealant that may not have been installed.

The others cover brake lights that may flicker on 2022 cars, incorrect tire-label weight information on 2022-2024 MC20 and 2023-2024 Cielo cars, and radio software that may prevent the rearview image displaying on 2022-2025 cars. A campaign for a model year does not mean every car was affected, so check a car's VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. NHTSA holds no owner complaints for these model years.

Find a Coupe with a full build sheet, a clean dealer service record and every recall closed. Prefer one with carbon-ceramic brakes in good condition, or budget for new rotors. If you want the open roof, make sure the Cielo's windshield frame recalls were done.

Skip any car with gaps in its history or an undocumented carbon tub repair. SafeCarInfo calls the recall history notable and a quality-control concern for a 2022 car. Look over the MC20 price guide and used Maserati listings before you negotiate, and read the Maserati warranty terms and the service record before you sign.