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Leaked: 2021 Maserati MC20

10K views 85 replies 49 participants last post by  antilock 
#1 · (Edited)
If anyone remembers, this was originally going to an Alfa Romeo. I think it looks great if not immediately recognizable as a Maserati. I will replace these pictures with the official ones along with specs when they're released.

Updated:

CNET said:
There's a fine line between a brand with strong heritage and one that's maybe getting just a little bit stuffy. Lately, Maserati is slipping dangerously close to that latter category, but today, with this car, that could all change. Making its debut Wednesday, the MC20 is Maserati's first new supercar in 16 years, and an all-important shot of modernity for a company in desperate need of something fresh and new.


Concept
The MC20 is a very different thing from 2004's Ferrari Enzo-based MC12. Much more demure, for one. Designed and engineered in-house, it has an understated, modern supercar look to it that we're quite fond of. The MC20 is a bit plain, especially compared with the MC12, but there's also something vaguely futuristic about it, with really only that gaping nose giving a link to other Maseratis on the road -- well, that and the cheeky trident cut into the rear decklid. (Not our favorite styling cue, if we're honest.)

The MC20 is a marriage of artistic design and aerodynamic sensibilities, and Maserati thoughtfully color-coded those different elements. The parts of the car that are white? That's where the designers made the final call. The darker parts along the bottom? All driven by efficiency and performance. That white, by the way, is called Bianco Audace, or "white boldness," which Maserati says was designed to "evoke the gleam of quarried marble, struck by the light of a Mediterranean sunset."

The body of the car is simple and clean, with neither a giant wing hanging off the back nor a splitter protruding from the front. Vents and intakes are kept to a minimum, with the most aggressive visual component, the rear diffuser, cloaked in raw carbon fiber.

All that wraps a custom carbon monocoque tub developed with race car chassis expert Dallara. Interestingly, the chassis was designed to support three versions. The first is the coupe you see here, while a retractable hardtop Spider flavor is coming next. The third version will be electric, making room for batteries in the same basic layout, with only the layout of the carbon filaments changing. No ETA on that, though.

Power
The initial coupe will get a 90-degree, twin-turbo, 3.0-liter V6 making 621 horsepower. Maserati says this engine, called Nettuno, is fully new, and we can't help but think the engineers were targeting that power figure. That's exactly the same power output as the MC12, though it needed twice the cylinders and displacement to achieve it. While forced induction is the major driver of that increase in relative output, the company also credits what it calls Maserati Twin Combustion. It's a sort of precombustion chamber that helps for more efficient combustion within the engine.

Power gets to the rear wheels through an eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission and a mechanically locking rear differential. The weight of the entire package is 3,306 pounds, which Maserati says gives it a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio. What class is it? Well, with a starting price of $210,000, we're talking things like the epic McLaren 570GT. Strong competition, to say the least.

The suspension is a dual-wishbone setup front and rear, with a semivirtual steering layout designed to reduce scrub angle and increase steering feel and response. The brakes are Brembo carbon ceramic units with six pistons at the front and four at the rear.

Interior
The interior of the MC20, accessed via doors that open the right way, strikes a blend between race-focused minimalism and the needs of day-to-day motoring. This is best seen on the steering wheel, which the marketing release says features "only essential" buttons and controls. Somehow, launch control and cruise control make the cut. The mode dial, however, is relegated to the center console.

Dual, 10-inch displays serve as the gauge cluster and infotainment system, powered by Android Automotive, like on the new Polestar 2. This software will give easy access to all your smart home needs while also providing a clean, simple user interface, here rebranded as Maserati Touch Control Plus MIA. MIA, by the way, is Maserati's Intelligent Assistant. Yes, another smart assistant for your modern world.

Maserati promises almost 5.3 cubic feet of storage in both a trunk and a frunk. That's small, yet a big step up from the MC12, which didn't even have a trunk. It's also yet another sign that the MC20 is a very different car, something intended for daily use, something that'll be as good to drive on the road as it is on the track.

And the track is a very key component here, with the MC20 release promising the car will "take Maserati back to the world of racing." That is excellent news for sure, but it seems we'll have to wait a little longer for the details of where and when. We're similarly in the dark about how much this beauty will cost or when lucky fans of the trident might be able to bring one home. We certainly hope we'll see a few more of these than we did the MC12. Maserati only ever built 50 of those for the road.
















 
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#3 · (Edited)
FCA was feeling bad about how half-assed the rebirth of Maserati has been carried out so they're giving them some high-end metal to sell. In addition, this car is effectively taking the place of the Alfieri, which was cancelled because of the weak GT market. Classic GTs aren't selling so a more sport-focused model got the green light.
 
#22 · (Edited)
A few more pics.

Looks rather small, is it based on the 4C at all? Does anyone know the expected engine(s)?

Is the real problem not that Lancia, Alfa, Maserati and Ferrari would have been competitors in many spheres originally but now they are being neutered so as not to trample on Ferrari's and each other's toes? It's sad TBH because all these marques have rather fabled histories.
 
#12 ·
Looks very Un-Italian to me. Somewhere between a Jaguar and an Audi.
 
#17 ·
Cant believe some are saying this doesnt look like a Maserati?




The New one is less of a one off special and more of a liveable Super car than its predecessor. Like the MC12, This Car will go into Racing to kick off Maserati's Racing Program called Maserati Corse,
 
#34 ·
White car on a white background is never a great idea, especially when launching a new Italian sports car.
I'm sure it's a fine car, but the photos are too boring for me to even care.
All Italian sports cars need to launch in vibrant colors, like red or yellow.
I suppose Maserati needs to put distance between itself and Ferrari (its former corporate cousin), so red was definitely out of the question!

Mid-engine ICE sports cars and supercars are kinda hard to get excited about these days.
The mid-engine (or front engine) ICE sports car used to represent the state of the art, in the auto industry and for the respective manufacturers.
Now, however, battery electric cars are the stars.
We will soon have 1000 horsepower Hummer trucks and 500+ horsepower sedans, powered by electricity.
These gas-burners feel like the dying gasp of a bygone era, like a horse-drawn carriage with 12 horses trying to outrace a Ford Model T.
 
#46 ·
Wut?



No, supercars are image icons for brands and baubles to flash for the well funded. The great unwashed pour over the numbers but in the end, "just make sure you get a picture for the magazine and/or the paparazzi of my ass getting out of it" :laugh: It's not just absolute numbers.

Supercars have the look, people want to be seen in them. And something else you're missing, the sound that people want to hear:

 
#39 ·
Ok.
I could have compared it to the upcoming Tesla Roadster EV, which will have 1000 HP and Space-Ex Cold-Thrust technology, which will all add up to sub 2 second 0-60 times.
The point would be the same, however. This engine is powerful AF and probably sounds fantastic, but your average EV truck or large SUV will soon be putting down a minimum of 500 hp.
EV sports cars will have even more blistering power stats.

I think this is a gorgeous car, and don't mean to rain on Maserati's launch day, but gas engined exotic sports cars have kind of lost their shock value.
 
#38 · (Edited)
Mid-engined, 621-horsepower MC20 inaugurates a new era for Maserati

No longer embedded in the gap separating Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, Maserati is preparing to give its range of models an overhaul that's so comprehensive it merits its own chapter in the firm's history. The first car in this installment isn't a volume-generating crossover or a politically correct electric car (though, fear not, both are coming soon). It's a mid-engined, 621-horsepower coupe designed with an unabashed focus on performance. Called MC20, it will join a segment dominated by Lamborghini, McLaren, and former sister company Ferrari.

Maserati explained developing the MC20 took about two years thanks in part to software-based simulation testing that saves the firm a significant amount of time and money. 97% of dynamic tests were performed using simulator designed in-house, and engineers then fine-tuned the car by testing it in real-world road and track conditions around the world. Lap times were extremely important, because the MC20 was built to race.

We'll need to wait to find out where it will compete, and what it will look like in full racing regalia. Maserati has only unveiled the street-legal variant, which wears a low-mounted oval grille, swept-back headlights, and triangle-shaped rear lights. All of the brand's defining characteristics are accounted for, and stylists intentionally weaved a handful of subtle references to the MC12 built in 2004 and 2005 into the design. Viewed from the side, it wears the typical proportions we expect from a mid-engined supercar. It upholds Italy's well-earned reputation for creating poster-worthy supercars that blur the line between transportation and art Da Vinci would be proud of.

Slightly bigger in person than in photos, the 3,306-pound MC20 stretches 184 inches from end to end, 77 inches wide and 48 inches tall. Its cargo capacity checks in at 1.8 cubic feet in the frunk and 3.5 cubes in the trunk. For context, the 3,423-pound Lamborghini Huracán measures 176, 76 and 46, respectively. And, for another mid-engined point of reference, the 2,943-pound Porsche 718 Cayman measures 172, 71 and 51, respectively.

Maserati chose not to give the MC20 active aerodynamic components, though the coupe depends on a small, neatly integrated rear spoiler for downforce, and it relied extensively on carbon fiber to keep weight in check. It also installed butterfly doors, but they're more functional than their made-for-Instagram flair suggests. They help the occupants enter the cabin in a relatively graceful manner, even if they don't regularly do yoga.

Eyebrow-raising horsepower is no longer enough to sell a car in 2020; even mid-engined coupe buyers want tech. Maserati took that into account, and it ensured the MC20 is permanently connected via a suite it calls Maserati Connect. It includes internet-connected navigation, on-board Wi-Fi, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and smartphone connectivity. Inside, the driver faces a pair of 10.0-inch screens; one replaces the instrument cluster, and the other displays a new infotainment software named Maserati Multimedia System, which is somewhat unfortunately abbreviated to MIA in the company's official communication. It allows users to select a driving mode, set the temperature, turn on the heated seat, and change the radio station, among numerous other functions, ensuring the cluster of buttons normally found on the center stack are MIA.

While the MC20 is certainly not a stripped-out, track rat of a car, it conceals its technology remarkably well. Its interior is refreshingly simple and driver-oriented, and every component has a purpose. It wears leather, Alcantara and bare carbon fiber in Maserati's press images, but other configurations will be available.

As we've previously reported, power for the MC20 comes from a mid-mounted, 3.0-liter V6 engine that relies on a pair of turbochargers to develop 621 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 538 pound-feet of torque between 3,000 and 5,500 rpm. Engineered in-house, and called Nettuno in Maserati-speak, the six-cylinder is a 90-degree unit with two spark plugs per cylinder, a dry sump, plus both direct and indirect fuel injection systems. It spins the rear wheels via an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission and a mechanical limited-slip differential.

Maserati quotes a 2.9-second sprint from zero to 62 mph. Keep the pedal down, and you'll reach 120 mph in 8.8 seconds before topping out at approximately 202 mph. Alternatively, mashing the brake pedal brings the MC20 to a full stop from 96 mph in 108 feet, a time achieved thanks in part to six-piston Brembo front calipers.

Enthusiasts who want to put one of the first MC20s built in their garage can already place an order, though pricing information has not been revealed yet. Production will start in the same Modena, Italy, plant that built the GranTurismo and the GranCabrio before the end of 2020. Autoblog learned from a Maserati representative that the MC20 will arrive in time for the 2022 model year, meaning deliveries will likely start in the first half of 2021.

What's next?
Maserati has big plans for the MC20, but don't take our word for it.

"We designed it to enable coupe and convertible versions, and for full electric power," the company wrote.

Speculation about future variants rarely gets as clear and official as this. Looking ahead, the coupe will be joined by a convertible, and the V6-powered model will be sold alongside an electric car. Maserati has repeatedly hinted it plans to enter the MC20 in motorsport events in the not-too-distant future, so we'd say it's safe to bet a quicker, lighter version that's either strongly inspired by or directly derived from the race car will appear, too.
https://www.autoblog.com/2020/09/09/maserati-mc20-revealed-photos-performance-specs-features/


























 
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