Tops down, engines ringing to the redline, and an empty California canyon road to play on—it rarely gets better than this. Electrification is arriving at almost every level of the auto industry, including the very top. The Maserati MCPura is one of the most beautiful supercars of this era, but it's also one of the last ones that doesn't have to carry the weight of a high-voltage battery or the additional complexity of an electric motor. Instead, there's a ripping twin-turbo V-6 engine, power to the rear wheels, and an old-school elegance where form and function meld in a stylish fusion, especially in the open-topped Cielo version you see here. Could this be peak analog supercar?
The McLaren Artura Spider takes the other, more modern path, integrating a high-tech and highly potent hybrid powertrain with design that plays on many of the themes familiar from McLarens over the last 15 years. Despite the very different approaches, the prices for both are very similar. So let's get to the very serious business of determining which deserves garage privileges when your ship comes in.
View Price on Amazon2026 Maserati MCPura Cielo: It doesn't get any more straightforward than this when it comes to roofless Italian supercars in 2026. Maserati fits its power-dense Nettuno 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 right behind the cabin. An eight-speed, paddle-shifted dual-clutch transmission transmits power through either a mechanical limited-slip diff, or as on our test car, an optional $2650 electronically controlled LSD. There's no hybrid system involved, just a whole lot of boost and Maserati's signature twin-spark-plug pre-chamber combustion tech. Peaks of 621 horsepower and 538 lb-ft of torque are enough for a claimed 2.9-second run to 60 mph. The only performance add-on our MCPura lacked was the $11,500 option of carbon-ceramic brakes.
2026 McLaren Artura Spider: McLaren also chooses a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 for the engine powering its junior supercar, but one with an electric motor to give a seriously potent electric boost. The combined power output sits at a Maserati-eclipsing 690 horsepower. Yet, surprisingly, despite the e-motor's contribution, the Artura has less peak torque at 531 lb-ft. Without the electrical side of the powertrain, the McLaren would be well short of Maserati, given that the small axial-flux motor that sits within the housing for the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission makes 94 horsepower and up to 166 lb-ft in its own right. The Artura even has a somewhat pokey EV mode, good for an EPA-rated 11 miles when the 7.4-kWh battery pack is fully charged.
One other surprise is weight. Hybridization normally carries a chunky mass penalty, but when it comes to the quoted dry curb weight for each car, the Artura's 3212 pounds makes it over 300 pounds lighter than the 3565-pound pure-combustion Maserati.
Lockwood Valley Road in Ventura County, California, is officially closed to through traffic. Flooding a couple of years ago washed out about 100 yards of pavement, but it's actually passable in dry conditions should you be adventurous enough to traverse the gap on a temporarily built dirt shoulder. The road itself is well worth the effort, with 26 miles of beautiful pavement to be experienced in peace. A few wide-open straights leave space to enjoy trips to the redline, while climbs up and down big hills and small mountains give the perfect opportunity to experience chassis balance on challenging corners and hairpins. The road logically passes through Lockwood Valley, an old borax mining area with views of Mount Pinos, the highest peak in Ventura County, in the distance.
When the Maserati MC20 launched four years ago it was kind of a big deal. Maserati hadn't made a supercar since the MC12, the Ferrari Enzo–derived homologation special that was limited to just 50 examples. Now renamed, but otherwise barely touched, the MCPura stands alone in the world of Maseratis, as well as in today's hybrid-heavy world of supercars. While the McLaren adopts its typical dead-serious attitude, it's clear that both of these cars are something special.
Source: roadandtrack.com
