Maserati MCPura Cielo v Porsche 911 Targa GTS v Morgan Supersport – plucky Brit takes on Germany and Italy
The variety of convertible cars on sale at the moment is enormous. These three are vastly different but all are some of the best to drive
I arrive at our meeting point somewhere in the depths of the North York Moors and there are two people knelt behind the Morgan Supersport, examining its teardrop-shaped rear end. There’s concern on their faces and the numberplate is on the ground, which is never a good sign. Has someone stuffed into the back of it before the shoot has even begun? Thankfully not, but this might be worse. The boot release on the key isn’t working, and to have the Supersport looking its best for static photography, evo web editor Ethan Jupp has removed the Morgan’s slot-in sidescreens. You can probably guess where he’s stowed them.
Much like a Caterham, the Supersport is pretty much undriveable with no side protection unless you’re wearing a crash helmet, as the wind rush is strong enough to lift your eyelids. And while most cars have a separate boot release button in the cabin, things aren’t quite so simple in Morgan-land. It turns out the only way of retrieving the screens is to dismantle part of the Supersport’s rear end and release the catch manually. Hence why, as I approach, Ethan is on his knees and fishing around inside the bumper with his finger.
We’ve met the Supersport on two previous occasions, and it’s the most useable, cohesive and refined Morgan ever built, no question. I really fell for it at eCoty last year, where it sprang a real surprise and beat the likes of the Maserati GT2 Stradale, Aston Martin Vanquish and Mercedes-AMG GT to a sixth-place finish. On those stunning roads in southern France I even wondered whether this was now a Morgan you could feasibly substitute for something like a Porsche 911 as a weekend sports car, given how much more rounded and polished it is than its predecessors.
Clearly there are still some quality foibles to iron out (and the boot won’t be the only one we encounter). But an hour later, having raided photographer Dean Smith’s toolbox and grazed our knuckles, we manage to retrieve the upper door panels, and the Morgan is ready for its next big test – a date with two supremely capable, charismatic and, dare I say, equally stylish drop-top sports cars. From Porsche there’s the hybrid-powered 911 Targa 4 GTS, and from Italy we have a full-blown open-air supercar in the form of Maserati’s new MCPura Cielo.
It would be a stretch to suggest our trio are direct rivals; the Porsche costs 50 per cent more than the Morgan, the Maserati twice as much. But between them they represent some of the very best forms of open-top motoring. Some of the most varied, too. Modern cars are often accused of being derivative and boring, but these are three completely different shapes and layouts – front-, mid- and rear-engined – all offering endearing experiences in their own way. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a test that’s so discombobulating in terms of the unique characters of the cars and how each one feels like a total reset. There really is something for everyone here.
I’ve tackled the five-hour stint up to Yorkshire in the Porsche, and, as 911s do, it just seems to adapt and deliver in any situation. The huge 315-section rear Goodyears generate a great deal of noise, but it’s a calm and capable motorway car, reassuringly settled when covering big miles. It’s remarkably flexible in terms of its powertrain, too.
The 3.6-litre flat-six is assisted by a gearbox-integrated electric motor and a single eTurbo, which help it reach 534bhp and do wonders for its response. Never does it feel like the engine and hybrid system are operating as two separate entities, with small twitches of throttle eliciting a precise, linear delivery of power to the wheels. There’s more character than you might expect too, with a chuntering, guttural engine note reminiscent of an old G-series car at low revs. It feels special without being rowdy.
Even left in Normal mode, it’s a car with a real sense of purpose, too. The 911 GTS always feels connected in terms of its ride, and while it does smooth out at speed, it reacts to bumps in a firm, decisive hit. There’s little point in stiffening the dampers because it always has control to spare, and that gives you confidence to lean into the massive grip it generates. It feels like a heavy-set car, and while there are marginally more structural vibrations than with the coupe, it still feels fantastically precise and consistent. You need to push extremely hard to find any cracks.
The only annoyance so far is the Targa roof. With the fabric centre section stowed away, you feel less exposed than in a traditional convertible, but the bowl of glass behind you seems to catch the air and cause a nasty resonance above 45mph. It smooths out at higher speeds but the 911 Cabriolet is more refined in this respect – even if it looks nowhere near as good. The 992 is chunkier than its predecessors but the Targa treatment suits it well, and the intricate folding mechanism is impressive to behold. Style and drama are a big part of what cars like these are about, and the Targa attracts plenty of attention from passers-by.
That is until deputy editor James Taylor rumbles towards us in the pearlescent pinkish-blue Maserati and steals the show. The MC20 – now updated and renamed MCPura – is something of a forgotten supercar, having first been revealed way back in 2020 and lacking the headline power figures of newer, more sophisticated hybrid rivals, but it still has absolute star quality, and, in coupe form, an evo Car of the Year win to its name.
With the Cielo’s folding hard-top in place, it could almost be a coupe – only a little more dramatic with flying buttresses in place of the closed car’s rear window. It’s a sensational-looking car, and James seems to have enjoyed it from the inside too. ‘It’s so chilled on the motorway, but wow, so exciting and charismatic up here. There’s so much to love about it. Apart from the brake feel, which is horrendous…’
There’s biting cold wind but the forecast looks clear for the next few hours, so we’re going roof down – and heaters on – in all three cars. In the Porsche this is the work of a moment, a switch on the centre console beginning the stow-away sequence (which can only happen at a complete standstill), while the Maserati is more fiddly, its roof controls being accessed via the infotainment screen and requiring a touch-and-hold press. The Morgan is all manual, but its simple dual-latch mechanism makes it easy to unclip and fold back.
I choose the MCPura for the run to our next location, and it’s hard not to fall under its spell within the first mile or two. Simply being in it is special, with a lower and less upright driving position than the 911’s, and a great view through the steeply raked screen. Even in its milder drive modes it’s a vivid, multi-layered experience, the turbo V6 chuffing and snorting behind you as you stroke it through the gears, delivering effortless propulsion.
The steering is light and quick but not overly so, and the softness of the ride strikes you as soon as you get some speed under the wheels. After the locked-down feel of the Porsche it’s more GT-like, the body moving freely on its springs and absorbing the worst of the surface. It’s a more pleasant roofless experience than the Porsche too, with less buffeting and what feels like closer access to the sound and character of the engine. Easing it through the countryside, life feels pretty good in the MCPura.
Initially, it doesn’t feel quite so at home when you up the pace. In GT mode with the dampers in their softest setting the MCPura is too relaxed at speed, the suspension needing a secondary bounce to settle after bumps, the underside grazing the road through compressions. In this sense it doesn’t hide its mass – a claimed 1560kg dry (although best take that with a pinch of salt, as we’ve previously weighed an MC20 coupe at 1700kg).
I see what James means about the brakes, too. They’re fine for outright power, but in terms of modulation and feel they’re the worst I’ve come across in a modern supercar. The long, indistinct initial travel of the by-wire system was a problem in the MC20, and it’s a shame Maserati hasn’t fixed it for the MCPura. In fact nothing mechanical has changed, the only updates being minor tweaks to the design and interior.
Not as polished as the Porsche then, but in the right mode in the right conditions, the Maserati can take you to a different world. Switch to Corsa to unlock the full anger of the engine, stiffen the dampers right up, and that easy-going nature turns into something much more brutal. The engine has a wild nature, and its delivery is worlds apart from the controlled, almost lag-free surge of the 911. Low-end response is a little soft but the way it bursts into life as the turbos wake up to deliver the full 621bhp is frantic and addictive. It pulls in a frenzy with an industrial snarl towards the red line, while the gearchanges in Corsa are sharper and punctuated by a thump.
Control in the stiffest mode approaches Porsche levels but you’re put in direct touch with lumps and imperfections in the surface, rather than flowing over it. Catch the engine on boost with the car loaded up and the rear can skip wide, particularly if you throw bumps into the equation. But with time the intimidation factor fades and you can indulge in what feels like an honest, old-school and actually quite approachable supercar. Not as deftly controlled and communicative as a McLaren or as polished as a Ferrari, but certainly one with its own character.
I climb out of the Maserati buzzing, while a wind-battered Ethan has been enjoying a completely different thrill in Malvern’s metallic purple creation. ‘Its capability really catches you off guard,’ he says. ‘It has a surefootedness that feels alien in a Morgan, while still having a wonderful sense of connection and occasion. I absolutely love it.’ James, meanwhile, is deeply impressed if not truly moved by the Porsche. ‘It’s really, really good,’ he says almost begrudgingly. ‘But for me the GTS is almost too fast and too noisy. It’s actually quite hardcore in some ways, whereas you might expect a Targa to feel more like a cruiser. Maybe I’m getting old...’
I can’t resist the Morgan any longer. While the others find warmth in Dean’s Land Rover, I strap in and head for a road that should suit it perfectly: less open and more technical than the main road stretching over the moorland, with sequences of second-gear switchbacks to fully explore its handling, which was so friendly and biddable at eCoty. This is the very same car from that test, complete with the optional limited-slip differential and Dynamic Handling Pack, which includes adjustable Nitron dampers. They’re four or five clicks softer here than they were in France, in Morgan’s recommended settings for UK roads.
Before you get moving there’s plenty to take in. The Supersport’s glorious, flowing bodywork for one, and the expertly integrated modern details that make it look quaint and futuristic all at once. The cabin is beautifully finished, with soft leather, metal trims and satin wood inserts – and one or two oddities (it is a Morgan after all). Twist the key around to the stop and the engine doesn’t start; rather the 3-litre turbocharged BMW straight-six fires with a separate button on the dash, which seems a little unnecessary.
You’ll also notice that the speedo and rev-counter are off to your left and away from your line of sight, and there’s an old-gen BMW gear selector for the eight-speed automatic ’box, which just looks wrong. Designing and manufacturing bespoke components is an enormously costly undertaking for a small company like Morgan, but the details count in a car like this.
The straight-six fires up with a rasp, and blipping the throttle gently rocks the car and sends crackles through the exhaust. Morgan has done its best to give the B58 engine a distinct sound signature but it hasn’t been entirely successful. Under load it sounds flat and strained from the cabin, and as the speed picks up it’s barely audible over the buffeting and wind noise, which are stronger than in the other cars.
It’s hugely effective at shifting the Supersport’s modest 1170kg mass and there’s a strong shove of torque in the mid-range, but the Morgan is crying out for a beefier-sounding engine. A manual gearbox would be nice too, or at the very least, better paddles for the eight-speeder – the column-mounted shifters have a horrible, plasticky action.
You very quickly get over the lack of character in the powertrain, however, because there’s so much to love about how the Morgan tackles a road. It takes you back in time without feeling out of date, delivering long-lost performance car sensations that neither the 911 or Maserati can evoke.
It starts with the steering. In the other two the messages are subtle and nuanced, but the Morgan is totally alive with feedback. The rack is weighty but not for the sake of it, building a clear picture of load as you feed the long nose through corners. There’s give in the suspension too, which allows you to control the car through pitch and dive, choosing your trajectory with the pedals as much as the steering wheel. It’s an old-school approach that makes the others seem prescriptive.
The great thing about the Supersport is that there’s genuine ability beyond the novelty factor of driving it. The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tyres cling on hard and give you strong grip to lean against, letting you carry speed while enjoying the deliberate movements of the chassis. And there’s enough torque to excite the rear on nearly any kind of corner. In third-gear sweepers there’s a subtle but tangible change in attitude as the rear takes set under power, while tight hairpins allow you to indulge in wonderfully controllable slides.
On the bumpiest sections the structure feels nowhere near as stiff as the others, and the Nitrons are set a little soft for properly attacking a road like this, but you don’t need to push hard for the Supersport to give its rewards. It feels more like a restomod than a new car.
On my way back to the others, raindrops start to sprinkle on the flat, letterbox windscreen. The Morgan has three small wiper blades, but when I flick the switch, only the outer two spring into action. It’s no big deal, really – fixing it is just a matter of tightening an Allen screw – but more of an issue is the fact that when I brake to pull into our layby, the steering column pushes into the dash, even though the adjustment lever is locked in. Hmm. The quirks of buying a handmade car? Perhaps, but this one still costs in excess of £100k.
There are issues with the Maserati as well. The reverse gear button has been dislodged and has sunk into the carbon centre console, while closer inspection of that gorgeous bodywork reveals quite poor panel fitment in places. The rear bootlid, for instance, rubs against an adjacent panel when opened, which has chipped the paint. This MCPura is definitely better finished than the last MC20 I drove, but it’s still not up to the standards you’d expect at this level.
You couldn’t imagine these things happening with the Porsche, which as James notes, just gets all the boring stuff spot-on. ‘The feeling of quality is impressive. Of the three cars it definitely feels the most solid, not just in how it drives, but in terms of everything you touch inside. And if you hadn’t been in one before, you’d find all the controls and get comfortable pretty quickly.’
The Porsche is also the car you’d most want to be driving in this rapidly worsening weather. If you want to go quickly, anyway. It’s just so consistent and controlled, always on your side. And that’s despite it feeling quite numb after the Morgan. The GTS isn’t lacking feedback in isolation, but the Supersport makes it seem remote. High cornering loads are needed for stronger messages to come through the wheel, at which point you’re going very, very quickly. You need to drive it harder than the others for it to come alive, but when you do, the GTS always seems to have the answers.
It’s brutally quick and efficient, but there’s enough of an edge to keep you engaged, from the crescendo of the engine (which sounds a little synthetic, but much more raucous than the Morgan’s six) to the way the four-wheel-drive system tugs and bites at the road to generate forward drive. There aren’t switchable four-wheel-drive modes like you’ll find in BMW’s M cars, but the GTS predicts what you need beautifully. Be aggressive out of a slow corner and it feels almost completely rear-drive, but in fast sweepers it leans towards stability and neutrality, still allowing subtle four-wheel drifts but not springing any surprises.
Ahead, James seems to be getting a few more surprises than he bargained for in the Maserati. The MCPura looks tentative, edgy as it shimmies and slides over the wet surface, in a way that doesn’t appear to be intentional. ‘I really had to have my wits about me there,’ he says when we stop. ‘With the ESC half-off in Corsa, it’s pretty spiky.’
He’s not wrong. The MCPura demands your utmost attention and respect, feeling less dialled in to the road than the Porsche and much livelier, particularly at the rear. Part of me loves the challenge of it, which keeps you on alert and forces you to think carefully about your inputs. In these conditions it’s the opposite of an easy, point-and-shoot supercar.
There’s huge satisfaction to be had in building up to its limits and trying to tame the fury, and when your confidence builds, there’s enough nuance and precision to let you drive up to and over the edge of grip. Managing the rush of boost with your right foot to keep the rear wheels just overspeeding is just so exciting.
You can do the same in the Morgan, but everything is much calmer and more manageable, the enjoyment coming at much lower speeds. After the vivid sharpness of the Maserati it takes a while to adjust to the slower responses and squidge in the Morgan’s setup, but you soon appreciate the feedback flowing through the car.
On streaming wet roads it’s still fantastically communicative and reassuring, and you can knock it into a higher gear and use the torque from the engine and the lack of inertia from its low mass to make effortless progress, the grip at the wheels telegraphed clearly at all times. You’ve more room to play with than in the others too, which helps you take the path of least resistance through corners rather than being hemmed in by the white lines.
It’s not a car that likes to be rushed. Drive with the kind of commitment you can in the Porsche and the Morgan lags behind your inputs, the front tyres biting a fraction after you’ve turned in, your corrections being ever so slightly delayed. And though it’s certainly more habitable than Morgans of old, the context of the other two highlights that there’s still a huge gap to mainstream sports cars in terms of overall refinement. A 911 customer wouldn’t tolerate rattly windows, for instance, or the odd sprinkle of water coming through with the soft-top in place.
But for the Morgan to even be in the same conversation as such broadly capable, mass-produced sports and supercars is a huge achievement in itself. While it doesn’t match them in objective terms, it teaches them a thing or two in terms of how readily it rewards and reveals its character at road speeds.
The Porsche is the most accomplished and capable car here, the Maserati the most exciting and the one I desire most. The Supersport? It wouldn’t replace either of them in my garage, but as a wonderfully distinctive car that captures the core tenets of driving, it would happily sit alongside either of them. Just leave the sidescreens in place.
Specs
| Morgan Supersport | Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS | Maserati MCPura Cielo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | In-line 6-cyl, 2998cc, turbocharged | Flat-six, 3591cc, turbocharged, plus e-motor | V6, 2992cc, twin-turbo |
| Power | 335bhp @ 6500rpm | 534bhp (combined) | 621bhp @ 7500rpm |
| Torque | 369lb ft @ 1600-4500rpm | 450lb ft | 538lb ft @ 3000-5500 rpm |
| Weight | 1170kg (291bhp/ton) | 1745kg (311bhp/ton) | 1560kg (dry) (404bhp/ton (dry)) |
| 0-62mph | 3.9sec | 3.1sec | 2.9sec |
| Top speed | 166mph | 194mph | 199mph |
| Basic price | £105,160 | £154,400 | £234,890 |
| evo rating | 4.5 stars | 5 stars | 4.5 stars |
