Maserati Unveils the 621-HP V-6 Heart of Its MC20 Supercar

Maserati’s not dead yet, and the Italian automaker hopes its upcoming MC20 supercar proves it’s still got some fight left in it. While Maserati’s yet to reveal its new model, the brand is finally showing off what will power the mid-engined car.

Meet the Nettuno, Maserati’s new twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine. Armed with 621 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque, the engine—which Maserati plans to produce in Modena, Italy—is sure to push the MC20 to triple-digit speeds with relative ease. Thanks to its 90-degree architecture, 11.0:1 compression ratio, and surely rev-happy nature (power peaks at 7,500 rpm), the Nettuno engine will likely sound as good—if not better—as the forthcoming MC20 ought to look. 

Given Maserati’s desire to enter the MC20 in racing competition, the brand predictably added Formula 1-derived tech to its engine. This includes a dry-sump oil lubrication system, as well as a pre-chamber ignition system. Inside this smaller, separate combustion chamber, a small amount of fuel gets ignited and then rushes into the main combustion chamber via small, carefully aimed holes to ignite the remainder of the fuel. A second spark plug in this chamber augments or supplants the pre-chamber plug under certain operating conditions.

The 485-pound Nettuno engine won’t serve as the MC20’s sole powertrain, though, and Maserati plans to offer the model with gasoline-electric hybrid and battery-electric power in the coming years. Hopefully, the brand shares more about those powertrain options when it takes the wraps off of the MC20 in early September.

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