Maserati is back – and it’s arrived a few days early.
The mid-engined MC20 supercar has been leaked by Italian Wheel on Facebook, revealing its slinky design, butterfly doors, and pared-back interior. “Fantastica“, to quote one of the commenters.
Although it’s in the process of overhauling its more practical sedans and the Levante SUV, the MC20 represents the start of a new era for Maserati.
It’s powered by the first engine to be developed in-house by the brand in 20 years, a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 with 463kW of power and 730Nm of torque. According to the Italian Wheel leak, it follows in the footsteps of the Ghibli Hybrid by featuring a 48V mild-hybrid system.
Although it has half the cylinders, the new engine – dubbed Nettuno, or Neptune – has the same amount of power and more torque than the naturally-aspirated V12 used in the Ferrari Enzo-based Maserati MC12.
As is always the case in proper Italian supercars, the engine is mounted in the middle. And as is usually the case with proper Italian supercars, the bodywork wrapped around it is very, very pretty.
There’s no mistaking it for anything but a Maserati up front, thanks to the classic grille and prominent badge. The headlights call to mind the MC12 and Maserati Coupe of the early 2000s, while the low-set air intake below the grille has strong ties to the design of the Alfieri concept.
Unlike Ferrari, which has moved towards complex, motorsports-inspired shapes on the flanks of its mid-engined supercars, the MC20 has cleaner bodywork and a more classical silhouette. It looks like there’s still plenty of aerodynamic cleverness going on, but we’ll have to wait for the official reveal to learn more about how it all works.
Slim LED taillights and a tall, blacked-out diffuser dominate the rear end, and there are two exhaust pipes neatly integrated into the bumper. Let’s hope they pump out a suitably angry V6 engine noise.
Inside, the cabin features what looks like a digital driver display and a new touchscreen infotainment system, housed in a simple dashboard. The transmission tunnel is low and clean, and the driver and passenger are housed in bespoke Maserati buckets.
A rotary drive mode controller sits at the front of the transmission tunnel, along with a dedicated suspension button that appears similar to the Bumpy Road mode on Ferrari steering wheels.
Metal paddle shifters are present and correct, naturally. The Maserati MC20 will be officially revealed at 8:30 pm on September 9, Italian time.
What do you think of Maserati’s new supercar?
