Jeremy Clarkson's Expensive Maserati Nightmare
Television personality and motoring enthusiast Jeremy Clarkson has shared a frustrating tale of mechanical failure involving his luxurious £234,000 Maserati. The former Top Gear presenter was left feeling deflated after the high-end supercar broke down during a late-night drive to his establishment, The Farmer's Dog in Burford.
A Busy Day Ends in Breakdown
Clarkson recounted the incident in his Sunday Times column, describing it as the culmination of a busy day. He had been putting the Maserati MCPura Cielo through its paces, enjoying moments of speed and finding the car jolly despite its low nose scraping the road. Initially, he compared it favorably to its predecessor, the MC20, appreciating its unpretentious style.
However, the mood shifted dramatically when the car conked out on the main road between his farm and the pub. It was late, I'd had a busy day, and on the main road between my farm and my pub it conked out, Clarkson wrote. He was left stranded, pondering how to load the low-nosed vehicle onto a trailer in the middle of the night.
Abandoned and Forlorn
Miraculously, the Maserati started working again after the breakdown, but Clarkson has not dared to drive it since. I haven't dared drive it since and this saddens me because it's just sitting in my yard, looking forlorn, he expressed. He personified the car, stating that as a car person, he believes vehicles can feel emotions, and he would be as sad if Maserati failed as others would be over losing a landmark.
The car's name, MCPura Cielo, translates to pure heaven, but Clarkson admitted bafflement over its Scottish-sounding prefix. Despite the eye-watering price tag of £234,890, he criticized its design, noting that switches seemed salvaged from a Fiat Punto and seats were hard and meagre, leaving him with an underwhelming sensation.
Questioning Value and Market Appeal
Beyond the breakdown, Clarkson questioned who would genuinely purchase such a car at that price. He suggested it was improbable that anyone with that level of wealth would choose a Maserati over alternatives like a Bentley, McLaren, Ferrari, or Lamborghini. This critique highlights broader concerns about the supercar's market positioning and value proposition.
In a separate controversy addressed in his column for The Sun, Clarkson also waded into the scandal surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He recalled meeting him as a dashing prince and war hero, often surrounded by admirers, but questioned why he would befriend a controversial figure involved in shipping girls from America, hinting there might be more to the story.
Overall, Clarkson's experience with the Maserati serves as a cautionary tale about luxury automotive investments, blending personal anecdote with sharp industry criticism.
