TODAY Kansas City - Summer 2022

AUTOMOTIVE words and photos by TOM STRONGMAN

THE MID-ENGINED SUPER CAR IS AN EXPRESSION OF TECHNOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE.

Posed under a huge domed ceiling in the showroom at Aristocrat Motors, Maserati’s MC20 super car glistened like a jeweled crown on display in a museum. The setting was perfect for an Italian car with classic lines and DNA to match. Even the Bianco Audace (Bold White) matte pearl paint had bluish mica that subtly evoked the vein patterns of marble.

“We conceive the car almost as a dynamic sculpture,” the people at the Centro Stile Maserati explain. “Its clothing, the bodywork, represent beauty and purity, and the chassis, the carbon fiber lower section, expresses technology and extreme performance.” The car begins as sketches and drawings that are eventually translated into a handcrafted model, the company’s press materials explain, and once the model is approved, then engineering turns it into a vehicle.

“The aim of the Centro Stile Maserati was to integrate everything aerodynamics demanded organically, as if the car had evolved naturally. Everything has a purpose, such as the deflector on the door, which also completes the line of the wheel arch, while keeping the airflow glued to the car.”

This two-seat, mid-engined stunner is Maserati’s halo car. The coupe will be joined by convertible and electric versions in the future. The Italian company has long been known for powerful, exotic sports cars dating back to its founding in 1914 when the Maserati brothers opened a “car workshop” in Bologna. The Trident logo is inspired by Bologna’s fountain of Neptune, and the MC20’s twin-turbo engine is named Nettuno, after the Roman god Neptune.

Developing the MC20 is a strategic decision by Maserati to launch a car that is 100-percent “Made in Modena,” home of its headquarters. It is an ambitious project that represents a historic moment for the company, according to press materials. The Nettuno power unit is a 3.0-liter 90-degree V-6 that delivers 621 horsepower and 538 foot-pounds of torque. It utilizes a pre-chamber combustion system derived from Formula One. Twin spark plugs and both direct and indirect fuel injection are key to making the technology work. The engine has a specific power output of 207 horsepower per liter, a figure that was rarely achieved by pure racing engines a few decades ago. The transmission is an eightspeed dual-clutch automatic that can also be shifted manually by paddles on the steering wheel. Maserati says the MC20 can accelerate to 60 miles per hour in 2.9 seconds and has a top track speed of 202 mph.

The MC20’s base price of $210,000 is more than competitive when compared to other cars in this class such as McLaren and Lamborghini. The car photographed here had a sticker price of $251,045.

Creating the MC20’s all-new carbon-fiber monocoque chassis was a specialized task that required the help of motorsports giant Dallara, an Italian company that has built race cars for IndyCar and Formula One, among others. The MC20 went through more than 2,000 hours of wind-tunnel testing and more than 1,000 computational fluid dynamics simulations to

fine-tune the aerodynamics and arrive at a chassis that has a curb weight of just over 3,300 pounds.

The carbon-fiber chassis makes use of underbody aerodynamics that help keep the top of the car sleek and sensual with rounded contours that echo classic design. The nose contains a grille that is recognizably Maserati complete with the Trident emblem.

Upward-opening “butterfly” doors pivot forward to so the driver and passenger can get into the cabin with a minimum of interference. The cabin is understated, and driver focused. The interior shapes are simple, with few sharp corners and the upholstery and interior materials are black to prevent reflections on the steep sloping windscreen. Plus, black lends a feeling of understated elegance. There are two LCD screens in the instrument panel, one in front of the driver for gauges and one in the center above the console. Maserati emphasizes that “everything is laid out just like the cockpit of a racing

car, with functionality and visibility paramount.” The central tunnel is clad with carbon fiber and only carries the switches that are necessary.

Maserati and Sabelt collaborated on the design and creation of the MC20 seats. A composite structural shell, equipped with power adjustments and lumbar system, represents the essence of the MC20 project: sportiveness at a high quality and performance level.

The MC20’s Sonus faber audio embodies the translation of its name, “handmade sound” that illustrates how both brands desire to pair innovative technologies and skillful craftsmanship.

Committing the MC20 to production is a bold statement from Maserati about how it sees itself, both today and in the future when an all-electric version will be available. That forward vision is necessary for a company that has such a long and storied history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR / PHOTOGRAPHER Tom Strongman has a degree in photojournalism from the University of Missouri and was formerly the director of photography and then the automotive editor of The Kansas City Star. Tom, a member of the Missouri Press Association Photojournalism Hall of Fame, has written about and photographed cars for more than three decades.