Maserati is going back to its Supercar roots with the new MC20 that will be introduced in South Africa early next year – the low-slung sportster housing a 463 kW V6 engine.

The new V6 Nettuno engine delivers 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 2,9 seconds and a top speed over 325 km an hour. A patented, 100% Maserati engine, benefiting from the MTC (Maserati Twin Combustion) technology, the innovative combustion system developed by the Brand, evolved from the pre-chamber technology used on Formula 1 powertrains.

MC20 was designed in Modena and will be built at the site where the marque’s models have been born for 80 years. A new production line has been created at Viale Ciro Menotti, in the area where the GranTurismo and GranCabrio cars used to be assembled, and completed with a completely new painting plant.

The MC20 weighs in under 1 500 kg, and this translates to a weight/power ratio of 0,3 kW/kg and achieved without sacrificing anything in terms of comfort.

Conceptually, the MC20’s aerodynamic design divides the car into two parts: an upper part where stylistic considerations predominate and a more technical lower part, colour-coded in black and carbon fibre respectively. In the car’s upper section, the forms respond primarily to aesthetic priorities and the aerodynamic features are amalgamated into the lines conceived by the designers, to achieve high efficiency without interfering with the sleek, elegant bodywork.

The air vents on the bonnet and those at the side that provide the engine’s air intake and cool the intercooler are thus ‘natural’ features, virtually invisible when the car is viewed from some angles.

Its front incorporates an elaborate system of vortex generators, rendered even more effective by the distinctive hump shape of the floor, which gradually rises in the centre, in the area level with the wheels, to increase the air flow to these devices, before reconnecting to the chassis bed.

The venting channel in the area behind the front wheel starts near the point where the hump reaches its greatest extent and continues right along the side, generating a considerable vertical load in line with the front axle due to the expulsion of the air flowing from the bottom and the wheel arch.

The incorporation of this highly racing-derived feature implied a special conformation for the carbon fibre monocoque, the wheel arch and the doors, as was also the previously case on the MC12.

The monocoque, in composite material, is a concentrate of technology and performance. The design of the carbon fibre monocoque has been achieved through the partnership between Maserati and Dallara, both involved in the design and construction of racing sports cars.

The monocoque has been developed from the outset for all three types of car to be produced in the coming years: the coupé, the convertible and the future electric version. The monocoque’s architecture and geometry are the same for all three versions, but differ in the distribution of the carbon fibres and layers, to provide monocoques with different structural characteristics for the three different types of car: the focus for the coupé will be on light weight and performance; the convertible demands greater torsional rigidity due to the absence of a roof; and the electric version will have more overall strength and enhanced protection for the battery area.

The compact front suspension features a double wishbone with semi-virtual steering, two bottom links and one top link. The same semi-virtual layout is adopted on the rear suspension, one of the very few cases of this application on the market today.

The automatic transmission is an 8-speed oil-immersed Dual Clutch design with 6 power and two overdrive speeds to ensure emissions compliance.

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