The Maserati Nettuno is an all-new engine that has surfaced in the realm of the super sports car. It will power the upcoming MC20.
Sport-luxury marque Maserati have a new 100 per cent Maserati engine that’s 100 per cent made in Modena, a full 20 kilometres away, over the A1 – Autostrada del Sole, from a certain other Italian icon in Maranello. The new Maserati Nettuna engine that adopts Formula 1 technology for a road car. It is a futuristic engine produced by Maserati’s team of technicians and engineers, and is protected by international patents, they say.
The MC20 super sports car will be the first model to pack the Maserati Nettuno motor. It will be revealed during the “MMXX: The time to be audacious” event, set to take place on 9 and 10 September in Modena.
The new Maserati Nettuno V6 power-unit has been designed at their Modena facilities: the Maserati Innovation Lab on Via Emilia Ovest, the workshops on Via Delle Nazioni – Maserati Corse’s historic base, and developed at the Engine Hub, situated at the famous Viale Ciro Menotti site where it will be built. At the moment, the new production line and new paint shop are being prepared for the all-new MC20. After 20 years, Maserati have once again taken on the challenge of returning to their Modena headquarters for the development and production of the highly-technological, high-performance engine.
Now to the interesting details: the new Maserati Nettuno is a 90°, DOHC V6 with a bore of 88 mm and a stroke of 82 mm, for a displacement of 2,992 cc. It fires in a 1-6-3-4-2-5 sequence, has a high 11:1 compression ratio. It uses a combination of high-pressure direct as well as port injection and makes a peak 630 hp at 7,500 rpm and a hefty 730 Nm all the way from 3,000 to 5,500 rpm. The red-line is up at 8,000 rpm. The engine weighs less than 220 kg and is compliant with the latest and most stringent emission norms. It has technological features derived from Formula 1 for improved engine efficiency, increased performance and reduced consumption. It boasts a twin side turbo set-up with electronically-actuated waste gate, a fully variable oil-pump, and dry sump lubrication.
Essential highlights include the innovative pre-chamber combustion system featuring twin-spark plugs. This technology is derived from Formula 1 and is now available, for the first time, on an engine destined for the road. The pre-chamber is a combustion chamber set between the central electrode and the traditional combustion chamber and connected by a series of specially-designed holes. The lateral spark-plug is a traditional plug that acts as a support to ensure constant combustion when the engine is operating at a level that doesn’t need the pre-chamber to kick in. Third, the twin-injection system – high-pressure direct injection and indirect port injection – the former with a supply pressure of 350 bar. This system reduces noise low down the rev range and also lowers emissions and improves consumption.
As a new take on the traditional 90° V6, the Maserati Nettuno has elevated it to unheard of power and torque levels. It will be used for the first time in the MC20 that will take Maserati back to the world of motor racing.
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