Luxury sports car fans may be fawning over Maserati’s new “super sports car”, the MC20, but don’t peak too early – word is that it will be quickly superseded by an all-electric version.
Unveiled today in a sumptuous online environment, the MC20 is billed as a sports car that “pushes the boundaries of time” and “race audaciously into a brave new future”.
And while its F1-inspired 3-litre V6 engine may be turning the dials for some, we here at The Driven are for more interested in what’s next to come: the all-electric MC20, due in 2022.
The “MC” in MC20 of course stands for “Maserati Corse” (corse meaning racing) and the MC20 is expected to be a successor to MC12, the fastest Maserati road car ever made.
With the MC20 delivering 630hp from its V6 engine with 730Nm torque, acceleration from 0-100km.hr in just 2.9 seconds, and a top speed of more than 325km.hr, its internal combustion engine (ICE) high performance specs are certainly impressive (if not its carbon emissions).
But what will the all-electric MC20 offer?
Maserati are not currently giving away much, other than whispers that it will be even faster than its ICE version.
And with the Tesla Roadster specifications set for a top speed of 402km/hr, acceleration from 0-97km/hr in 1.9 seconds and an expcted 1,000hp, an all-electric Maserati will need to up its game.
Maserati hinted at an electric drivetrain for future models in January, although at the time they actually referred to it as a “100% electric “engine”.
Sharing a teaser video on Youtube the company said that its electric drivetrain technology is being developed in its innovation lab in Modena, Italy.
“Some experimental vehicles have now been built equipped with the new innovative powertrain,” said the company.
Maserati is also fundamentally concerned with what its “electric engine” will sound like.
“During this experimental phase, the sound that will characterise the electric engine will also be developed. The next full electric models will have a distinctive signature sound, already a unique attribute of all Maserati cars equipped with traditional combustion engines,” it said.
“Customers will therefore benefit from 100% electric propulsion vehicles that will combine driving pleasure, comfort and performance with a unique and unmistakable sound.”
The first vehicles to get Maserati’s electric drivetrain will be the Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio which will be built at the Turin production hub and released in 2021, presumably followed by the all-electric MC20 some time shortly after.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.