For the 2023 model year, Maserati is introducing a new version of their MC20 supercar with a ceiling that can give the heavenly illusion of riding in an open-top model. The company calls the Spyder variation the MC20 Cielo, but links it as readily to the watery as the ethereal; it can be ordered in a special and mercurial PrimaSerie color called Aquamarina that can’t be had on any other MC20.

But issues of paint color pale in some respect next to the roof design that gives this empyrean wedge its name. A retractable hardtop design, it can be as illuminating closed as open — although, for days when nothing but a convertible will do, it can fold away neatly and unobtrusively into a tonneau in 12 seconds. That’s fast time. And, because the top is inset with PDLC glass, when the top is closed it can be adjusted from ‘matte’ mode to clear.

The interior of the MC20 Cielo is as unique, with seats and door panels upholstered in a variant-specific graphic that suggests fluidity, and a console sheathed in exposed carbon fiber. A new sound system, R1 interface and 10.25-inch screen are infotainment highlights, while a surround-view camera and driver assistance tech are available as options.

Drive modes on board the Cielo include GT, Sport, Wet, Corsa and ESC Off; suspension is adjusted according to mode, Maserati says. The engine is the Maserati Twin Combustion, of course. But that’s a story in and of itself.

Expect to find the heavenly on earth in a Maserati dealership in the first months of the New Year. The starting price has not yet been revealed, but shouldn’t diverge too much from the coupe’s $212,000.