Jeremy Clarkson test-drives the Maserati MCPura: "I had a great time driving this supercar, and got an even more pleasant surprise."

After recently back behind the wheel of the Alfa Romeo Giulia QuadrifoglioJeremy Clarkson continues his tour of Italy. This time, the new Maserati MCPura Cielothe convertible version of the trident supercar. An essay published in the columns of "The Times", in which the British journalist mixes passion, irony... and a night-time breakdown.

Italy, a country that doesn't kill its brands

Clarkson begins his paper with an almost philosophical reflection. Why have so many British brands disappeared while Italy has managed to preserve its own? Where the UK has seen the demise of Humber, Triumph or Rover, Italy keeps Lancia, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat and Maserati alive. In his view, the difference is cultural. The British love mechanics. Italians love cars. Not just the parts, but the whole object, almost like a living being. Abolishing Lancia for financial reasons would be, he writes, as inconceivable as razing the Colosseum to the ground to widen a traffic circle. See Stellantis continue to invest in Maserati for him, is almost irrational... and therefore profoundly Italian.

A £300,000 supercar

The MCPura Cielo (derived from the Maserati MC20) is the range's flagship convertible. Under its rear hood: a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 developing 630 hp. Power that Clarkson describes as ideal. Beyond that, it would be terrifying. Below that, useless.

On paper, the price is in excess of £234,000. And once the carbon options and some equipment have been added, the bill soars past £300,000. At this level, you'd expect a festival of precious materials. Yet Clarkson is surprised, and not necessarily in a good way. The controls seem to him to have been taken from a Fiat Punto (in reality, it's more like a Fiat 500), the seats are firm and the whole thing less spectacular than he'd hoped. Even the design, despite the large trident on the hood, looks familiar. And yet...

Fun in the rain

The test drive took place in appalling weather conditions: pouring rain, bitter cold, strong winds. Not exactly the ideal setting for a convertible Italian supercar. And that's where the surprise begins.

In "Wet" mode, the car is civilized, comfortable and usable. Clarkson emphasizes the ease of use, comparable to that of a compact like a Volkswagen Golf. Better still, there's plenty of storage space front and rear, and enough room to drive with a hat on. But the real shock for Jeremy Clarkson, his pleasant surprise, came from a detail. Having deactivated the driving aids the day before, he discovered that when he restarted, they remained deactivated. A small regulatory miracle that delights him. "I'd buy it just for that," he confides. Indeed, the journalist keeps repeating that he doesn't like these driving aids.

When the sun is shining, the twin-turbo V6 expresses itself with gusto. The sound isn't intoxicating, but it's an effective accompaniment to hard acceleration. Clarkson began to take a liking to this imperfect, almost discreet Maserati, far removed from the ostentation of some of its British rivals.

Then, the breakdown

And then, of course, there had to be a twist at the end. On the main road from his farm to his pub, the MCPura Cielo breaks down. In the middle of the night. At the time of writing, it's impossible to know what happened. As he imagines the hassle of loading the ultra-low-slung car onto a trailer, the supercar suddenly starts up again. Clarkson hasn't dared drive it since.

Deep down, his article reveals something quite touching. Jeremy Clarkson defines himself as a "car guy". Despite the breakdown, the ordinary plastics and the stratospheric price, he concludes on an almost melancholy note: seeing Maserati disappear would have the same effect on him as destroying the Uffizi Gallery (a museum in Florence) to reduce an electricity bill.

In the end, his verdict was paradoxical. Yes, the MCPura Cielo left him stranded. But yes, he also enjoyed driving it. And the most pleasant surprise of all was rediscovering that a supercar can still be imperfect, endearing... and profoundly Italian.