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The Maserati MC20's new Nettuno V6 is a high-tech showpiece

It's been more than two decades since Maserati was in the business of developing an in-house 90-degree V6 engine, and the last one it had traced its genealogy back 30 years. That story started in 1968, when Citroen took a controlling stake in Maserati, and the French requested that the Italians create an engine for the 1970 Citroen SM. Famed Maserati engineer Giulio Alfieri designed a 2.7-liter V6 producing 170 horsepower that could be built using Maserati's existing V8 tooling, hence the 90-degree angle. Alfieri then revised that V6 and bored it out to three liters, upping output to 187 hp, for use in the 1972 Maserati Merak. A decade later, Maserati – now owned by Alejandro de Tomaso, who had fired Alfieri — started with Alfieri's V6 philosophy when developing a mill for a new sports car. The resulting V6 unit, in 2.0-, 2.5-, and 2.8-liter displacements, was the first twin-turbocharged motor put into a production car. That car? The hot, gorgeous mess known as the 1984 Maserati BiTurbo. Almost 10 years on, the 1992 Maserati Ghibli II would get a 2.0-liter version of this 90-degree V6 making 306 horsepower. The 1995 Ghibli Cup turned that mill up to 330 hp, crowning the 2.0-liter V6 as the most power-dense engine in a production car, surpassing 1990s icons like the Jaguar XJ220 and original Bugatti EB110 (both 155 horsepower per liter). When the Ghibli exited production in 1998, Maserati ceded engine development duties to Ferrari by order of Fiat, which owned both automakers. 2022 Maserati MC20 View 47 Photos Nettuno, the new beating heart of Maserati Now we have the Nettuno, a 90-degree 3.0-liter V6 created to power Maserati's renaissance and making its debut in the chunky, aerodynamic form known as the MC20. At 630 horsepower and 538 lb-ft of torque, the engine almost picks up where the Ghibli Cup left off: with 210 horsepower/liter, the Nettuno is one of the most power-dense in the world. The Bugatti Chiron, Ford GT, and McLaren 756LT don't crack 200 hp/l. The only production cars in the ballpark are Euro specials like the Mercedes-AMG A45 (208.4 hp/l). Beyond it are seven-figure hypercars like the SSC Tuatara (229 hp/l) and Koenigsegg Jesko (256 hp/l on gas, 320 hp/l on E85). The word we're looking for in Italian is bentornato. Welcome back, Maserati.

Why Maserati won't share the Nettuno V6 with its siblings

Maserati spent a great deal of time and resources developing a twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter V6 called Nettuno. It made its debut in 2020 in the MC20, and it will be available in the Grecale Trofeo in 2022, but Autoblog learned that the six won't travel outside of the trident family. "We want to keep the Nettuno engine as a signature for the brand. It was developed with the aim of being uniquely associated with the Maserati brand, so it was designed and engineered specifically for Maserati. It's technically feasible to apply it to other cars [in the Stellantis group], but we want to keep it proprietary. We have it in the MC20 and now in the Grecale; there will be other uses for it in the future, but always in Maserati cars," Federico De Medio, Maserati's head of vehicle validation, told Autoblog on the sidelines of the Grecale launch. While he stopped short of providing details about the other uses, De Medio hinted that Nettuno will gradually replace the Ferrari-derived V8 that Maserati has used for many years. He explained that the project's goal was to design a six-cylinder engine with V8-like power. Does that mean that a V8 with V10-like power is on its way? Nope, it sounds like the eight-cylinder's days are numbered in the Maserati line-up. Asked how long the V8 had left to live, De Medio replied that "it depends on the life of the product itself, so the response will be provided by the market and by regulations." And, how about a new V8 designed in-house? "Never say never, but for now we just launched Nettuno so let's enjoy the V6," he answered. What's certain is that the Levante and the Quattroporte won't need a V8 for much longer: they're going electric in the coming years. We know the Ghibli is on its way out, so that leaves the next-generation Gran Turismo as the only candidate for a V8. Nothing is official, but our crystal ball tells us it's more realistic to expect that the coupe will make its debut with a V6 than with a V8. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Maserati Quattroporte custom-built wagon up for sale

These days, any modern station wagon is a rare machine, with models such as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Volvo V90, Audi RS6 Avant, and Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo selling not much more than a handful each. But combine the rarity of the wagon body style with the relative obscurity of the Maserati Quattroporte, and you have a truly unique longroof. That's exactly what you see here, a Maserati Quattroporte shooting brake, and it's coming up for sale by Historics Auctioneers in the U.K. Maserati never made a wagon version of its Quattroporte — "Cinqueporte"? — but that didn't stop one determined U.K. buyer. Inspired by the Quattroporte-based Bellagio Fastback, four of which were built by the Italian coachbuilder Touring, he had this 2016 Quattroporte converted into a shooting brake. The work was carried out by British high-end car restorer Adam Redding. The result looks like it could have come out of the factory in Modena. It's finished in Gunmetal Grey Metallic with 20-inch Mercurio alloy wheels with a black finish. The interior is Nero leather. There are no jump seats in the cargo hold, just luggage space, which again appears finished to a factory standard and is accessed via a power liftgate. Other features include navigation, parking sensors, heated seats, a backup camera, and a sunroof. As a U.K. car, this Maserati is right-hand drive. The Quattroporte's voluptuous styling lends itself to the wagon form. Too bad Maserati is unlikely ever to pick up the baton and offer such a model itself. Short of commissioning one yourself, this upcoming auction is likely to be the only chance to get one. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.