Maserati unveils new fire-breathing V6

MASERATI has continued to drip-feed details of its upcoming all-new MC20 mid-engined supercar, announcing the details of the all-new 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 set to underpin the flagship model of the Italian brand.

Developed entirely by Maserati, the dry-sump 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 (named Nettuno or ‘Neptune in English) may sound a little underwhelming for a mid-ship supercar, until you see the new engine’s outputs – a whopping 463kW at 7500rpm and 730Nm from 3000-5500rpm.

Currently, the most powerful 3.0-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder engine on sale in Australia today is the 375kW/600Nm inline unit found in the BMW X3 M Competition, while Maserati’s current 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 found in the Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante produces 321kW at most.

To achieve such dizzying outputs, Maserati has pointed to a number of features that have helped the V6 reach such heights, including technology derived from Formula One.

The V6 features a pre-chamber combustion system with twin sparkplugs – a feature Maserati claims is the first for road-going cars – set between the central electrode and combustion chamber and connected by a set of holes.

A lateral sparkplug complements the traditional plug by ensuring constant combustion in operating conditions where the pre-chamber system is not required.

To improve fuel consumption and reduce emissions, the engine uses both direct and indirect fuel injection, which also serves to reduce noise low in the rev range.

No fuel consumption figures have been revealed yet, however the V6 is Euro6D compliant with regards to CO2 emissions.

Redline for the bent-six engine is a screaming 8000rpm, with a compression ratio of 11:1, 88mm bore and 82mm stroke.

Measuring 1000mm x 650mm x 600mm, the engine is compact enough to fit in a mid-engined application.

Maserati said that developing the engine in-house has allowed a significant reduction in development and planning times.

The engine will be revealed in full when Maserati unveils the MC20 on September 9, while the event will also be used to discuss other upcoming models for the brand.

While the Nettuno powerplant has so far only been confirmed for the MC20, it is likely to be deployed in other applications for the brand.

Maserati also said the MC20 would mark Maserati’s reintroduction to the world of motorsport.

More details on the Nettuno V6, including fuel consumption, will be detailed at the reveal of the MC20 on September 9.