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Maserati Levante Hybrid gets four-cylinder and 48-volt technology

Maserati is keeping its promise of adding more electrified options to its lineup. Shortly after electrifying the Ghibli, it stuffed the turbo-electric powertrain in the Levante to create its second series-produced hybrid model. Presented at the 2021 Shanghai auto show, the Levante Hybrid is powered by a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that works with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The system's total output checks in at 330 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, figures on par with the Ghibli Hybrid's, and it spins the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission and a limited-slip rear differential. Maserati quotes a six-second sprint from zero to 60 mph, a number that puts the Hybrid about on par with the base model, and a top speed of over 150 mph. While the Levante's hybrid technology does not unlock electric-only driving range, it's much lighter than a comparable plug-in hybrid system, which would require a bigger and heavier battery pack. In turn, this solution gives the Hybrid better weight distribution than the V6-powered model. It's more agile to drive, according to Maserati. It takes a well-trained eye to tell the Levante Hybrid apart from the non-electrified model. Car-spotters should look for light blue accents on the fender-mounted air vents, on the brake calipers, and on the C-pillar emblems. Inside, the same shade of blue is found in the stitching that's on the seats, on the door panels, and on the dashboard. Maserati told Autoblog that, like the Ghibli Hybrid, the Levante Hybrid will not be sold in the United States. Sales in several overseas markets will start before the end of 2021, though pricing and availability haven't been announced yet. While we're not getting Maserati's first electrified SUV, it gives us a valuable look at how the Italian company plans to spread electrification across its range without completely neutering the DNA that characterizes it. That's significant insight, because one of the next electrified Maserati models will be a version of the MC12 supercar. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Maserati MC20 supercar plays in the snow

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.

Maserati MC20 GT2 returns the Trident to GT racing in 2023

Seems we got ahead of Maserati, but now we're on the same page with the Italian carmaker. We wrote about the Maserati Project24 earlier this week, a limited-edition track car not built to race a specific series, instead chasing Maserati's own performance targets. We wondered whether the Project24 was a pivot from the rumored GT3 program planned for the MC20 years ago. Turns out the Project24 is an offshoot of the GT2 program for the MC20, the Italians in Modena announcing they've developed an MC20 GT2 to compete in the Fanatec GT2 European Series Championship next year. The base tech specs listed so far for the MC20 GT2 are the same as the Project24. The twin-turbo Nettuno V6 shifts through a six-speed sequential auto with paddle shifters, sending power to the rear wheels through a mechanical limited slip differential. Brembo CCMR racing brakes hang off a double wishbone suspension with anti-roll bars front and rear and adjustable dampers, just behind custom, forged 18-spoke center lock wheels on racing slicks that can be changed easily thanks to on-board air jacks. A single seat in the cabin is accessorized with an adjustable, multifunction carbon fiber steering wheel, an adjustable pedal box, and air conditioning. Safety features include an FIA fuel tank, rain light, roll cage, six-point harness, and fire extinguisher.  The differences that we know of include output, curb weight, and the aero package. Series organizer SRO says GT2 is "formulated to bring gentlemen drivers back to the front of the stage ... whilst being fast and spectacular enough to secure the values of SRO-promoted championships, should the current GT3 category become too expensive for too many of our teams and drivers." GT2 regulations cap output at around 630 hp, just nine more than the standard MC20 throws down — and 110 hp less than the Project24. The series' Balance of Performance rules will ultimately determine race weight and output. The regulations also draw limits around aero devices that Maserati Stile didn't need to heed on the Project24. The aero bit is especially important here because GT2 cars are more powerful than GT3 entries but designed to be less reliant on aerodynamics than GT3 cars, making GT2 versions easier for amateurs to drive at the limit.  This is Maserati's first dip back into GT racing above the GT4 class since the MC12 GT1 that snagged close to 100 wins between 2004 and 2010. The race division will sell cars to individuals and race teams.