The Maserati MC20 sports car is undergoing final calibrations ahead of its turn on the assembly line in Italy. The automaker showed off those tests in a series of photos showcasing the model in an environment not usually thought of as supercar-friendly – in snow.
Maserati’s engineers are testing the super sports car on the road and track, and in inclement conditions. The automaker went to the snow-covered roads of the Valtellina and at the Ghiacciodromo Livigno (Sondrio), Italy’s most notable snow and ice circuit, which is shown in the photos.
The extensive cold-weather trials on snow-covered roads are crucial to the vehicle’s development as customers expect to drive their car at all times of the year. The tests also serve as a proving grounds for the vehicle’s engine cold starting, low-temperature performance of its elastic components, and the car’s handling on cold and low-grip asphalt surfaces. The car’s climate control system, battery, suspension, and brakes were also put through their paces.
As part of its development, the Italian automaker’s engineers fine-tuned the car’s dynamics before they headed out in the snow using a Virtual Vehicle Dynamics Development system. It uses a mathematic model to perform 97 percent of the dynamic tests required for a new vehicle to become production-ready, shortening development time.
It took 2,000 man-hours to fine tune the design of the vehicle using Maserati’s Dallara Wind Tunnnel and an additional 1,000 hours of computational fluid dynamics simulations. The car comes in a rear-wheel drive configuration and features a rear limited slip self-locking mechanical differential. An electronic differential is available.
Concealed under the hood is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine that achieves 630 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. The engine was designed and engineered in Italy by Maserati and is paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
In front of the driver and at the center of the dashboard are two 10-inch screens. The driver’s information screen provides a fully digital look at the car’s speedometer, odometer, and tachometer, among other functions. The infotainment touch screen on the dashboard joins a host of convenience and performance technology including a wireless phone charger, drive mode selector (GT, Wet, Sport, Corsa, and ESC Off), two speed selection buttons, and power window controls in the cabin.
Production of the model is schedule to commence at the end of the year. Orders are currently being accepted.
