Late last year, Maserati confirmed that they would be building a convertible version of their MC20 supercar by revealing a camouflaged prototype. Now, our spy photographers were able to capture another one of those prototypes undergoing cold-weather testing near the Arctic Circle.
This prototype looks nearly identical to the one presented by Maserati, even down to the cloud-patterned wrap hiding the removable roof. That being said, both display a few changes over their fixed-roof counterpart, though they’re mainly from the beltline up.
These changes start with the A-pillars, which will need to be reinforced both to make up for the structural rigidity lost from the removable roof panel and to better support the car in the event of a rollover. The rear decklid will also need to change to accommodate the convertible mechanism, as well as the roof, though the reason for that is a bit more obvious. The convertible mechanism can be seen on this prototype in the form of rectangular protrusions along the roofline, and we’d imagine those will go into hiding before this car reaches production.
We’d love to see the convertible keep its usable rear trunk space and trident-shaped window vents, but due to the challenges involved in preserving those with the roof mechanism, it doesn’t seem likely, especially since Maserati went through the trouble of covering the rear glass.
Powering the MC20 convertible from behind the driver’s seat should be the same twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 engine making 621 hp (630 PS / 463 kW) and 538 lb-ft (730 Nm) of torque. Those figures allow the coupe to go from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 2.9 seconds onto a top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h), but there’s a chance the convertible will be slower due to the slight differences in weight and aerodynamics.
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Keyword: Maserati MC20 Convertible Spied Undergoing Cold Weather Testing