Maserati, dear old Maserati, is going through one of its semi-regular re-inventions right now, and is firmly on the road to trying to become an Italian Tesla, with high-performance electric cars on the way. In the meantime, Maserati is going to remind us all why we love the brand in the first place, with a new mid-engined supercar, due to be revealed in September. At the heart of that car will be a brand new turbo V6 engine, which we now know will be called 'Nettuno'.
Nettuno is a 630hp V6 engine
Nettuno is a small seaside town just south of Rome, if you were wondering. But its name derives from the ancient god of the sea, Neptune, from whom Maserati takes its iconic trident badge. See what they did, there?
Maserati is touting the new engine as being '100% Maserati, 100% Made in Modena' and it will be built at the car maker's famed factory on the Viale Ciro Menotti, in the city of Modena - famed throughout the world for balsamic vinegar and ballistic vehicles.
So, what do we know about the new engine? Well, the Nettuno will be a 90-degree V6, with twin turbos and twin spark-plugs. It uses dry-sump lubrication (which means it's lower and easier to package) and develops a claimed 630hp and 730Nm of torque.
High pressure 'pre-chamber' fuel injection
What makes it a 'technical revolution', as Maserati claims? Well, basically it has a clever combustion and injection system, which uses a 'pre-chamber' system, which Maserati says draws on F1 racing experience (presumably, then, drawn from Ferrari - but Maserati never mentions the 'F' word...).
The pre-chamber means that the Nettuno engine can use either direct, or indirect fuel injection, depending on throttle loads and power demand, and the twin spark-plug setup means that consistent combustion can be maintained, even under hugely demanding conditions. The very high pressure injection system, which works at a pressure of 350-bar, means that the fuel can be delivered into the cylinders very precisely, which helps to reduce emissions and fuel consumption.
The Nettuno engine can rev to a lofty 8,000rpm, and yet the whole unit weighs just 220kg, so it's not going to add massively to the weight of the vehicle.
MC20 supercar to be shown in September
That vehicle will be the MC20 supercar, which we'll get to see for the first time on the 9th of September, at the MMXX event - a special show where Maserati will display some of its upcoming models, as well as the Nettuno V6 and its all-important electric technology. Interestingly, Maserati says that: "The MC20 will take Maserati back to the world of racing." Does that mean a Le Mans campaign is in the offing? Here's hoping...