Q&A: Maserati’s Mastermind Reveals MCPura Key Design Components
It’s 100 years since Maserati first competed in racing, and to try this, it needed to produce a brand. Designed within the Nineteen Twenties by Mario Maserati himself, the Trident emblem was impressed by the statue of the Roman God Neptune on the very finish of Piazza Maggiore in Bologna.
The primary automobile on which it appeared was the Tipo 26, Maserati’s maiden racer, and quick ahead a century to the 2026 mannequin yr, the brand new MCPura carries that self-same brand. This 200 mph, mid-engined V6 twin-turbo halo automobile is an evolution of its elegant MC20 design, which was itself a modern-day re-imagining of the iconic MC12 of 2004 – which dominated the FIA GT Championship within the heydays of GT1 competitors.
To get extra unique perception into the MCPura, I caught up with Leonardo Rimini, the supercar’s product planner, as we took a break from Maserati’s worldwide first drive program within the sq. at Sestri Levante.
duPont REGISTRY: What was the overriding precept when it got here to the MCPura’s improvement?
Leonardo Rimini: So, the factor is, we knew we had an icon – the MC20 – as a result of it was such a well-received automobile from everybody: the press and particularly the shoppers. We knew we needed to deal with it with care. What we tried to do was refine the product and design with out overhauling it fully.
That’s what we did – we gave it a bit extra character with aggressive bumpers and new finishes inside and outside. The diffuser is extra accentuated, and we borrowed a couple of key components from the GT2 Stradale to provide it a sportier really feel for many who need it.
The brand new Alcantara steering wheel additionally provides to that sense of aggression with a flattened higher part. I consider this actually speaks to our philosophy: staying elegant and true to the essence of Maserati with out revolutionizing it. That’s essential for us.
dR: Inform me concerning the pre-chamber combustion system that includes twin spark plugs within the 3.0-liter Nettuno V6. How tough was it to convey that expertise, which is so racing-oriented, right into a street automobile reliably?
LR: It was a really difficult process for the engineering staff, however they did an awesome job. In fact, it’s a patented expertise, so we’re the one ones to implement it in a road-going automobile. It’s derived immediately from System 1, which makes it a novel a part of the automobile and helps categorical its essence and sportiness.
It was definitely difficult all through improvement of the entire automobile. Simply the aerodynamics alone took greater than 2,000 man-hours within the wind tunnel. That provides you a way of the extent of element we reached when growing this mannequin.
dR: By way of the carbon tub, it was co-developed with Dallara. How does that collaboration work?
LR: The event is finished collectively by Maserati and Dallara – it’s a real collaboration between design and R&D. The manufacturing itself is dealt with by a third-party provider in Italy [TTA Adler], however circuitously by Dallara or Maserati.
Dallara has deep roots in racing and in producing each race and street automobiles, so working with them was essential to reaching this outcome. We’re additionally one of many few manufacturers available in the market implementing a full carbon fiber monocoque. There’s no aluminum bodywork – solely composite supplies – which contributes to the automobile’s lightness, spectacular weight, and robust power-to-weight ratio.
dR: And the Cielo – how precisely does the open-top automobile differ from the coupe?
LR: The Cielo’s construction is barely completely different. It’s stiffer on the decrease half to compensate for the dearth of carbon on the higher part. The engineering is a bit completely different there – it weighs a bit of extra – however each tubs are round 100 kilograms. Very light-weight.
dR: One thing I like about it’s that it doesn’t have an enormous rear wing to spoil its traces; it’s very elegant…
LR: No, however there’s one accessible should you’re into that type of track-oriented setup! However I consider staying true to Maserati’s essence as a luxurious model means avoiding extremes like that.
dR: How would you distinguish this automobile from class rivals just like the Ferrari 296 or McLaren Artura?
LR: I don’t like to talk an excessive amount of about rivals. I choose to emphasise the distinctiveness of our automobile – I consider our powertrain actually differentiates us.
We don’t use a hybrid system; we’ve stayed pure to the inner combustion engine. The dual-turbo V6 Nettuno engine is now a part of Maserati’s DNA and is absolutely the beating coronary heart of the corporate. That’s a really compelling worth proposition.
The engine delivers unbelievable outcomes, and the expertise is really cutting-edge. However should you requested me my favourite facet of the automobile, it could be the carbon fiber tub – it contributes a lot to the stiffness and torsional rigidity of the chassis. You may actually really feel that if you drive it.
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