Maserati North America is recalling 1,092 units of the MC20 coupe and convertible over to tire placard labels with incorrect vehicle capacity weight values. While that may not seem like a big deal, bear in mind that overloading increases the risk of a blowout, especially when said vehicle features rubber designed for performance driving.
Maserati S.p.A. of Modena became aware of the described issue on May 3rd, prompting an investigation that concluded the following month. The safety boffins at the House of the Trident confirmed that certain MC20 vehicles feature iffy weight values on their placard labels, resulting in a noncompliance with FMVSS 110.
Under federal motor vehicle safety standard number 110, manufacturers are required to express what combined weight (cargo and occupants) should not be exceeded. The suspect labels don't correctly define this maximum weight, and that's kind of amusing.
How come? It's amusing because Maserati somehow developed a heavier mid-engine supercar with twin-turbo V6 muscle than Ferrari did with the plug-in hybrid 296, which packs a V6 as well. It should be noted that MC20s are built around a carbon-fiber chassis, while 296s feature mostly aluminum. How big of a difference is there between the ICE-only Mazzer and the plug-in hybrid Fezza?
Maserati continues to quote under 1,500 kilograms (3,307 pounds) dry, whereas Ferrari quotes 1,470 kilograms (3,241 pounds) dry for the 296 GTB. According to Car & Driver's scales, the MC20 actually weighs 3,757 pounds (1,704 kilograms) compared to the Ferrari's 3,532 pounds (1,602 kilograms). Indeed…
Photo: Maserati
The bad news doesn't end here, though, because Maserati continues to advertise its twin-turbo V6 as being 100 percent Maserati. Although the cylinder heads certainly are, pretty much everything else is derived from Ferrari's twin-turbo V8 and the Alfa Romeo twin-turbo V6, which itself wouldn't have been possible without the Prancing Horse's force-fed V8.
Similarities include V angle (90 degrees), firing order (cylinders 1-6-3-4-2-5), the oil filter mounting, bore and stroke, cylinders and liners, the cooling passages, the location of the crankshaft position sensor, the crankshaft pulley, and the rear engine cover's bolt pattern and flanges. 100 percent Maserati what now?
Criticism aside, Maserati's recall population is split between 380 units of the MC20 Cielo and 712 examples of the fixed-head version. Their production dates range from July 19, 2021 to May 14, 2024. Dealers will be notified no later than September 4, the day owner notification letters are to arrive by first-class mail.
Obviously enough, service technicians are required to add an overlay label to fix the recall condition. All of the affected MC20s feature 17-character VINs beginning with Z. As a rule of thumb, the Italian Republic is ZA through ZU compared to ZX through ZZ for Slovenia. The ZV-ZW range is currently unassigned.
If 621 ponies and 538 pound-feet (730 Nm) of torque isn't enough, Maserati will sweeten the deal with a tri-motor electric powertrain at some point in 2025. The forthcoming MC20 Folgore is expected to better the GranTurismo Folgore's 818 horsepower. Over at Alfa Romeo, the MC20-based 33 StradaleBEV promises over 750 cavalli vapore or 740 horsepower of the mechanical variety.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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