Prices for the car will start at about $ 210,000.
Unlike Maserati’s latest supercar, the MC12, which cost nearly $ 800,000 and was discontinued in 2005, the new MC20 was fully developed by Maserati, including its unusual 630-horsepower turbocharged V6 engine.
In the MC20 engine, the spark plug ignites gasoline in a small, separate chamber attached to each of the six cylinders, rather than simply igniting the fuel inside the cylinder itself, as in most gasoline engines. This creates a flame that enters the cylinder through a series of small holes and heats up the remaining fuel and air. There is another spark plug inside the cylinder that ignites the fuel normally. Depending on the power requirements of the vehicle, the preignition chamber may or may not be used at any given time. The result is an engine that Maserati says is extremely powerful for its size, yet can run smoothly and quietly. during everyday driving. A similar system is used in Formula 1 racing engines.
The company also plans to introduce an all-electric version of the MC20 in 2022. Ultimately, Maserati plans to offer petrol and electric versions of all of its models, said Maserati CEO David Grasso.
For a long time, all Maserati car engines were produced by Ferrari, a brand that until 2015 was also part of Fiat Chrysler, just like Maserati. (Ferrari is now a separate company, but the holding company for Exor, controlled by the descendants of Fiat founder Giovanni Agnelli, and still owns large stakes in both Ferrari and Fiat Chrysler.) Ferrari still produces engines for most modern Maserati cars and SUVs. However, as new and completely redesigned models emerge, they are expected to have Maserati-made engines similar to those used in the MC20, a Maserati spokesman said:
Maserati’s latest supercar shared much of its engineering, including the engine, with the Enzo Ferrari supercar. The 12-cylinder engine of this car produced slightly less horsepower than the V6 engine of the new MC20. The MC12, with a much higher price tag and strictly limited edition – only 50 were produced – could only be bought by a few. In 2018, one MC12 was sold at RM Sotheby’s for $ 2.5 million. The MC20, although faster, will be relatively affordable compared to this vehicle.
The Maserati MC20 is part of Fiat Chrysler’s long-term plan to rebuild Maserati’s once-strong reputation for performance.
“It was critical for our strategy to start a new era with a sports car,” Grasso said, “a sports car that will take us back to where we started.”
Maserati was founded in Bologna, Italy in 1914 as a manufacturer of aircraft and auto parts. Then, soon after, it spread to racing cars.
In addition to the MC20 supercar, Maserati also recently introduced high-performance versions of its Trofeo, Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans. With 580 horsepower engines, they are considered the fastest Maserati sedans ever.
The MC20 will go into production later this year, but the vehicle won’t be available in the US until fall 2021.