The MC20 is Maserati’s first supercar since their iconic MC12 went out of production 15 years ago. The MC20, MC stands for Maserati Corse, Core being Italian for Racing, and 20 for the year 2020, is 100% ‘Made in Modena’ and 100% ‘Made in Italy’ according to Maserati. The MC20 is designed to enable both coupe and convertible versions. The production launch is scheduled for the end of 2020.

It features the new Nettuno (Neptune) engine with Maserati Twin Combustion (MTC) technology, a ground-breaking combustion system developed in-house which has been awarded an international patent. The twin-turbo twin-combustion 3.0 litre V6 engine develops 630 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque. Weighing in at just 1,500 kg, 3,300 lbs, it can sprint from 0-100 km/h in under 2.9 seconds and hit a top speed of more than 325 km/h. This is the first in house engine for Maserati in 20 years.

The MC20 was designed in Modena and will be built at the Viale Ciro Menotti plant, where Maserati’s have been built for more than 80 years. The new production line, created where the GranTurismo and GranCabrio models were assembled until November 2019, is now ready for production. The site also features a new paint shop incorporating innovative, environment-friendly technologies. Nettuno will also be built in Modena, at the newly established Maserati Engine Lab.

There are visual and conceptual references to the MC12, the car that marked Maserati’s racing comeback in 2004. MC20 signifies Maseratis’ intention to return to the world of motor racing in coming years.

The Virtual Vehicle Dynamics Development system, which includes the use of one of the world’s most advanced dynamic simulators, was developed in-house by the Maserati Innovation Lab and is based on a complex mathematical model called Virtual Car. This method allowed performance of 97% of dynamic tests, optimizing development times. The car was then fine-tuned with exhaustive race track and road test-driving.

The butterfly doors are beautiful and functional, as they improve the car’s ergonomics and enable optimal access to and from the cabin. The aerodynamics were designed through over two thousand man-hours in the Dallara Wind Tunnel and more than a thousand CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations.

Interior functions are driver-centric. There are two 10 inch screens, one for the cockpit and the other for the Maserati Multimedia System (MIA). Simplicity is also the keynote of the carbon fibre-clad central console, with just a few features: the wireless smartphone charger, the driving mode selector (GT, Wet, Sport, Corsa and a fifth, ESC Off, which deactivates the control functions), two speed selection buttons, the power window controls, the Multimedia System controls, and a storage compartment underneath the armrest. All the other controls are on the steering wheel, with the ignition button on the left and the launch control on the right.