The mid-rear engine isn’t exactly the most common configuration for a Maserati. If we exclude the MC12 of the early 2000s – a very close relative of the Ferrari Enzo – the Bora and Merak of the 1970s remain. For this the layout of the new MC20 is even more impressive. In 4.67 meters long, 1.22 in height and 1.96 in width, an unprecedented bi-turbo V6 engine – called Nettuno – was inserted just behind the rear seats, which with 630 HP of power at 7,500 rpm specific power record for a production car and can run up to 8,000 rpm. There are 730 newton meters of torque – available from 3,000 to 5,500 rpm – and are discharged only to the rear wheels through an 8-speed dual clutch gearbox (the last two are particularly long) and a mechanical self-locking differential. It is worth underlining that with this engine Maserati begins to free itself from the Ferrari supply, which in the last twenty years has covered all the production of the Trident, Diesel aside.
Returning to the new MC20, the performance is like a true supercar. If the maximum speed of more than 325 km / h is normal for such a car, acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 2.9 seconds is much more interesting, as well as that from 0 to 200 km / h for which takes 8.8 seconds. The credit for these numbers also goes to the mass, which is contained within a ton and a half. As for the frame, however, the new Maserati uses a carbon monocoque, which has already been designed for future spider and 100% electric variants. The bodywork also uses carbon fiber, while for the suspensions the layout is the same both at the front and at the rear, i.e. the double overlapping triangles. The entire frame part was developed together with Dallara, as was the aerodynamics, for which the design lines required a particularly clean design, without aerodynamic appendages above the wheel surface.
This is why it has been defined as a very advanced flat bottom derived from the world of motorsport, known as a “hump”. In this way, at 240 km / h the MC20 generates 100 kg of downforce, almost perfectly distributed between the front and rear. All this should not make you think of an uncomfortable car, on the contrary. The engineers working in Modena have proudly explained that the ergonomics of the cabin have been designed for 95% of the percentile, which is practically all body sizes. Access is also facilitated by the butterfly doors, which are also spectacular to look at. This, moreover, is a Maserati and the grand touring soul must never overshadow. For this reason, the technology on board is also top notch: there are two 10-inch screens, one for the instrumentation and the other for the infotainment.
In the central tunnel are the dock with wireless charging for smartphones, the driving mode selector (GT, Wet, Sport, Corsa and ESC Off), two buttons for gears, the windows, the infotainment volume control and under the armrest there is a storage compartment. All the other controls are on the steering wheel, with the ignition button on the left and the launch control on the right. Furthermore, the MC20 will always be connected thanks to Maserati Connect which includes services such as live navigation, the Wifi hotspot and the Alexa voice assistant, all manageable from the smartphone or smartwatch. The start of production is scheduled for the end of 2020, in the historic headquarters in Viale Ciro Menotti and pre-orders are already open.
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