Maserati MC20 vs. Porsche 911 Turbo S Lightweight test drive
The debut of a mid-engine supercar is always an event worth commemorating. Roll out a new car with a gnarly engine mounted somewhere just ahead of the rear wheels, and we’ll be scouring Google Maps for twisty roads quicker than you can say “The C8 Corvette democratized this whole category.” So when Maserati unveiled the 2022 MC20, we couldn’t let the occasion pass without smashing a figurative champagne bottle over the prow. By which we mean bring an MC20 to the most glorious, desolate roads we could find and see how it stacks up against the 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S Lightweight.
“But,” you cry, as your blood pressure skyrockets and your dog runs away, “the Porsche 911 Turbo S is not mid-engined! I reject this premise!” Well, we’re sorry, but the 911 Turbo S resists easy categorization. Life is messy—sometimes two cars compete for the same customers, but one has its engine behind the rear wheels and the other just ahead of them. That difference aside, both the MC20 and the 911 Turbo S Lightweight use 600-plus-hp turbocharged six-cylinders and eight-speed dual-clutch automatics, and their base prices are close to each other. Plus, if you’re going to compare a new Maserati to anything, you may as well pit it against the reigning king of exotic-adjacent performance for going on 47 years.
The MC20 would seem a worthy challenger. With Ferrari cast out of the Stellantis empire, Maserati is the conglomerate’s Italian crown jewel, and it intends to start acting the part. To that end, the MC20 gets its own new engine, the Nettuno V-6—3.0 liters, 621 horsepower, and unique to Maserati. Its Italian bona fides run from the carbon tub (Dallara) to the seats (Sabelt) and even the sound system (Sonus Faber). Maserati’s Viale Ciro Menotti factory in Modena can build only six or seven cars per day; you will never see a screaming lease deal on an MC20. This is a new model, sure, but it’s primarily a declaration of intent.
The 911 Turbo is in its fifth decade of continuous development. This 992-generation S Lightweight embraces a few tricks from the GT3—lightweight aluminosilicate glass, rear-seat delete, fixed carbon-fiber buckets—to drop 89 pounds, making its 640-hp flat-six feel that much more ferocious. Which, you know, is exactly what it needed.
To find out whether the MC20 is ready to take on the 911 Turbo S (and thus, the world), we staged both cars on the California coast north of Los Angeles and headed up into the hills and high desert for a few days of Route 33’s blind corners, big climbs, and long, desolate straights. Turbos huffed, tarmac was tattooed with rubber, conclusions were reached. Will you be surprised?