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Maserati MC20 bringing twin-turbo V6 to September debut

There is a touch more information on the pieces going into the Maserati MC20, starting with intel to Car and Driver that the mid-engined coupe will launch with a "new twin-turbo V6 rumored to make more than 600 horsepower." Last time we heard about the flagship coupe created to return Maserati to the race track — and serve as a halo to burnish the entire lineup and drive more impressive global sales — the rumblings predicted a hybrid V6 making 600 hp or thereabouts. Mystery shrouds the engine's displacement, but the stillborn Alfa Romeo 8C and GTV were predicted to get a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. When Car magazine asked a Fiat Chrysler engineer if the MC20's engine would take that motor and enlarge it to 3.6 liters, the response was, "Displacement costs only pennies, but pays back big bucks in power and torque."  C/D writes that a hybrid version of the twin-turbo V6 comes later. Car predicts the electronics crank output to roughly 700 horsepower, which can't be a random number since Alfa Romeo touted the now-dead 8C as having "700+ combined horsepower." The naturally aspirated mill and its sequential turbochargers send power exclusively to the rear wheels through a Getrag eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The hybrid models, perhaps earning the Trofeo name signifying top-tier grunt, go all-wheel drive with "e-modules" on the front axle. Previous scuttlebutt pegged the most intense trim as having three electric motors, which sounds like the setup found in other super coupes like the Acura NSX, placing one e-motor between the engine and transmission, the others on the front axle. The lineup eventually welcomes a battery-electric model, too, as well as a convertible. Rumor has a massaged version of the carbon tub from the Alfa Romeo 4C sitting between the front axle and engine, although longer and wider and sitting on a longer wheelbase.   With the novel coronavirus still upending everything, the MC20 debut has been moved from May to September. C/D figures a starting price of around $160,000 when the model goes on sale in the U.S. next year, after launching in Europe toward the end of 2020. That theoretical price might sound substantial, but it only adds $9,000 to the MSRP of the current GranTurismo Convertible. Car's figure comes in a little higher, at "less than GBP200,000," around $250,000 U.S. Related Video:      

Ten of the greatest Super Bowl car commercials of all time

With an average of over 100 million viewers each year, the Super Bowl always has advertisers bringing out the big guns. And for those among us who don't know the difference between a safety and a touchback, those commercials can be one of the most compelling aspects of the annual ritual. Car companies, in particular, have a long history of making the most of the huge Super Bowl audience by debuting some of the most memorable advertisements that have ever aired on television. So, in preparation for the new batch we'll be seeing this coming Sunday, here's a collection of our favorites from the past. 10. Audi – The Godfather When Audi created this homage to the quintessential gangster movie to promote its newest sports car, the company managed to make a commercial that was simultaneously funny, a little bit disturbing, and most importantly memorable. 9. Maserati – Strike This one might start out slow, but it delivers not only with the wicked sound of the third-generation Ghibli's engine, but with an interesting message about hubris in the auto industry as well. 8. Nissan 300ZX Twin-Turbo – Dream Directed by none other than Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Alien), this dystopian spot has centers around a narrator who explains that in his dream the bad guys are unable to catch him despite their best efforts by way of street bikes, race cars, and supersonic jets. While the twin-turbocharged 300ZX car was certainly a performance powerhouse to be reckoned with in its day, the concept and execution of this one does come off a little bit campy now – but in a good way. Then again, it is a dream, after all. 7. General Motors – Robot This one is unique in that it's genuinely depressing on a profound level. Who would've thought that the simulated suicide of a lovable, anthropomorphic car-building robot who has fallen on hard times could be such a downer? 6. Nissan – With Dad Although the debut season of its new LMP1 racer didn't exactly turn out how the team hoped it would, there's no denying that Nissan's depiction of a strained father-and-son relationship that eventually leads to redemption (and the introduction of the 2016 Maxima) tugs at the heartstrings. 5. Volkswagen – Big Day A surprisingly poignant advert, this one might be low on dialogue but it certainly gets its message across. And just as the dramatic soundtrack begins to lull the viewer into a sense of security, our expectations are upended. 4.

Why Italians are no longer buying supercars

Italy is the wound that continues to drain blood from the body financial of Italian supercar and sports car makers. The wound was opened by the country's various financial police who decided to get serious about superyacht-owning and supercar-driving tax cheats a few years ago, by noting their registrations and checking their incomes. When it was found that a rather high percentage of exotic toy owners had claimed a rather low annual income - certain business owners were found to be declaring less income than their employees - the owners began dumping their cars and prospective buyers declined to buy.
Car and Driver has a piece on how the initiative is hitting the home market the hardest. Lamborghini sold 1,302 cars worldwide in 2010, 1,602 cars in 2011 and 2,083 cars in 2012 - an excellent surge in just two years. In Italy, however, it's all about the ebb: in 2010, the year that Italian police began scouring harbors, Lamborghini sold 96 cars in Italy, the next year it sold 72, last year it sold just 60. The declines for Maserati and Ferrari are even more pronounced.
Head over to CD for the full story and the numbers. What might be most incredible isn't the cause and effect, but where the blame is being placed. A year ago the chairman of Italy's Federauto accused the government of "terrorizing potential clients," this year Luca di Montezemolo says what's happening has created "a hostile environment for ­luxury goods." Life at the top, it ain't easy.