Maserati MC20

In late 2019, a series of spy shots were published showing a highly modified Alfa Romeo 4C-based test mule of an upcoming, new Maserati sports car. Apart for the typical camouflage, the car featured a much larger rear portion and wider track.[12][9]

The following statements from the manufacturer confirmed that the cars were used as prototypes of a new powertrain developed by Maserati, but it was not confirmed whether the new sports car will be based on the outgoing 4C platform.[13]

As of March 2020, Maserati has completed their first prototype, ready for road and track testing.[14]

On 13 May 2020 a Maserati MC20 paid homage to Sir Stirling Moss, who died on 12 April 2020 at the age of 90. A prototype of the MC20 was covered with the graphics commemorating Stirling Moss and the Maserati 420M/58 "Eldorado", an iconic single-seater brought to its debut in 1958 on the occasion of the Race of Two Worlds on Monza circuit.[15]

Rear view

On 1 July 2020, Maserati announced a six-cylinder engine for the MC20. The engine was described as a 90-degree, 2,992 cc (3.0 L; 182.6 cu in) V6 with a dry sump, twin-spark and pre-chamber ignition system. It also has dual turbochargers and fuel injectors. The 220 kg (485 lb) Nettuno engine can produce 630 PS (463 kW; 621 hp) at 7,500 rpm and 730 N⋅m (538 lbf⋅ft) of torque from 3,000 to 5,500 rpm. It redlines at 8,000 rpm.[16]

The Nettuno engine's use of a passive pre-chamber is a unique quirk. Inspired by Formula 1 and combined with the use of twin-spark ignition, one inside the small cylindrical pre-chamber, placed at the center of combustion chamber, and another placed in the traditional combustion chamber, designed to help combustion in low-load scenarios. The air-fuel mixture, provided by a hybrid port and direct injection system is compressed during the compression stroke of the engine into the pre-chamber, where it is then ignited by the chamber's spark plug. The resulting explosion spreads throughout the traditional chamber, creating a faster fuel burn. The system is mainly designed with the reduction of emissions in mind, but also promises increased fuel economy.[17]

Nettuno engine at the Maserati Modena showroom

MC20 Cielo

On 2 July 2020, Road & Track criticized a press release from Maserati that claimed the engine is "100% Maserati". The magazine countered that "it's not hard to see the connection to the Ferrari F154 engine and the Alfa Romeo 690T engine". Similarities include the 90-degree V angle, firing order of 1-6-3-4-2-5 (identical to the F154-based V6 engine found in the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio), arrangement of cooling passages, cylinders, and liners, oil filter mounting, bore and stroke, and rev limit of 8,000 rpm (the same as the Ferrari SF90 Stradale). However, the 11:1 compression ratio is unique, indicating the heads are new and Maserati-developed.[18]

In 2022, the trident-branded marque unveiled the MC20 Cielo, a drop-top variant of the MC20 halo sports car. It features the same 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 and styling, but adds on the two-piece foldable hard-top that has an electrochromic glass roof. The roof system weighs an additional 65 kg, and the folding & unfolding of the roof sequence takes only 12 seconds.