maserati’s MC20 icona and leggenda pay homage to the race car that returned 37 years later

Maserati celebrates 20th anniversary of MC12 road and race car

Maserati brings out MC20 Icona and MC20 Leggenda, two sports cars that pay homage to their ancestral road and race vehicle, the MC12. In 2004, the Italian car manufacturer re-entered the racing sphere by introducing the MC12, 37 years after being away from the competition. It won several races across cities, with 27 victories in the FIA GT Championships alone between 2004 and 2010. For Maserati, the MC12 remains the fastest road car they ever made, with a top speed exceeding 205 mph.

It is this road car, the manufacturer’s benchmark in GT championships, that inspired the release of the 2020 Maserati MC20 super sports car. This recent model marked a new era for Maserati during that year since it was the first one to be equipped with the V6 Nettuno engine. Four years and a 20th anniversary later, two iterations of this MC20 came out, all in the name of their predecessors, featuring tailored liveries and content inspired by the MC12 Stradale and MC12 GT1 Vitaphone liveries.

all images courtesy of Maserati

MC20 Icona and legGenda sports cars by Maserati

The two MC20 special series, named Icona and Leggenda (see more here), are expected to be offered in a limited edition of 20 units each. The Maserati MC20 Icona’s livery, or the exterior graphics and designs, follows the same colors of the 2004 MC12 Stradale (road car), a homage to the style of the Maserati Trofeo Light when it ran in the 24 Hours of Daytona. The latter is tied to a piece of Maserati’s history: it was the first car to be inspired by the Maserati Birdcage Type 61, which was produced between 1959 and 1961. In such a way, the modern Maserati MC20 Icona sports car’s design can even circle back to the late 1950s.

The MC20 Icona sports car is colored in Bianco Audace Matte and Blue Stradale livery. The Maserati Fuoriserie logo in Bianco Audace stands out on the side of the livery, in the lower panels near the rear wheels, with the Italian flag logo positioned on the door under the MC20 lettering. In the middle of the chrome-plated wheels, with the specific Trident design, the hubcaps are silver with the Trident logo in contrasting blue. The brake calipers are also painted blue, the mirrors come with an auto-dimming feature, and the engine cover is made of carbon fiber.

Maserati’s MC10 Icona sports car, a homage to the 2004 MC12 road and race car

Carbon fiber interior with monocoque racing seats

The Maserati MC20 Leggenda race car comes next, its skin wearing Nero Essenza and Digital Mint Matte, the same colors of the MC12 GT1 under the Vitaphone Racing team. The latter race car brought home the record of three victories and two runner-up placings in the 24 Hours of Spa. To have its modern spin through the MC20 Leggenda may help Maserati fans relish the race vehicle’s victories, now embodying trident wheels in Nero Lucido with Nero Opaco and Trident Digital Mint hubcaps.

Their Trident logo is in yellow, placed on the grille, doors, and C-pillar, and their brake calipers are painted black. Lightweight 4-way monocoque racing seats are installed for the cabin, and Trident embroidery on the headrest shows up with the words Icona or Leggenda, depending on the model. Both of the sports car models, the MC20 Icona and the MC20 Leggenda, are equipped with a Sonus faber sound system, carbon fiber interior package, electronic limited-slip differential (E-LSD), suspension lifter, blind spot and rear cross path systems, and mats in the front and in the boot.

Maserati’s MC20 Leggenda sports car, a tribute to the 2004 MC12 road and race car