Tag Archives: Maserati

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Maserati canceled MC20 Folgore

Maserati is going through a very difficult period, perhaps the most difficult in the company’s history, and the latest information that the brand is shutting down the MC20 Folgore shows that the way out of the crisis is still far away.

The brand is currently at a turning point and is trying to find a solution, and one of the first moves they intend to make is a return to combustion engines. “Analysis of the market for the super sports car segment, and in particular the MC20 customers, has shown that they want to drive cars with powerful internal combustion engines. These customers are not ready to switch to electric vehicles in the near future,” said former CEO Davide Grasson.

According to Autocar, Maserati is planning to refresh the MC20 model, and the inspiration should be the MC20 GT2 Stradale. It will be powered by an improved 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo engine with 640 hp and 720 Nm of torque.

The MC20 Folgore is not the first Maserati sports car to become a thing of the past. A similar situation previously occurred with the Alfieri concept presented in 2014, which was supposed to enter production in 2018, but it never happened.

All of this suggests that Maserati’s electric future is uncertain.

Source: Autocar

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Maserati MC20 with AI driver reached 318 km/h

During the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida at Kennedy Space Center, the Maserati MC20 Coupe set a new speed record without a driver in the car. The car was operated by an AI-driver and the Maserati reached a speed of 197.7 mph (318 km/h).

This achievement is the result of a joint project between the Italian scientific and technological university Politecnico di Milano and the Indy Autonomous Challenge racing series. The goal was to set a new speed record, which was achieved on a track that is ideal for this. The track is about 4,572 meters long, which is quite enough for the car to reach high speeds.

Kennedy Space Center is the place from which NASA’s space shuttles took off on missions. The car used software from the PoliMOVE-MSU team, which is part of the performance department AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous of Politecnico di Milano).

The video shows the Maserati MC20 accelerating and perfectly following a straight line on the runway, reaching a speed of 318 km/h, after which the brakes are activated due to the lack of a runway. If the track were longer, the Maserati MC20 would reach even higher speeds, but it might do so on a different, longer track.

Source: Indy Autonomous Challenge via YouTube

Gallery:

Maserati MC20 with AI driver reached 318 km/h
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The future of Maserati is uncertain

Lately, Maserati has been fighting a tough battle to survive, and now comes another bad news that could further complicate the future of the Italian brand. According to the latest information, Stellantis gave up an investment of 1.5 billion dollars, which would have been a large injection and a possible way out of the current crisis.

In an interview with Autocar, Stellantis’ chief financial officer Doug Ostermann said that the company must review its plans, which includes abandoning investments. “We have to recognize the dynamics in this business, especially in the Chinese market, and our expectations in terms of how quickly the luxury market will switch to electrification,” Doug Ostermann said.

This decision will particularly hit Maserati, whose sales are not at the expected level, and sales results for 2024 show that the brand is recording large losses. In 2024, Maserati sold only 11,300 cars (- 57.5%) and made a financial loss of 260 million euros. This situation could put a large number of jobs at risk, so the FIM union has scheduled a meeting with Maserati management for March 11.

“Maserati is in one of the most critical situations. Despite its quality and high-performance models, the brand is suffering from marketing mistakes and negligence. We can no longer waste time,” said FIM Secretary General Ferdinando Uliano.

It remains to be seen whether Maserati will survive the current crisis or become another Italian brand that has become a thing of the past.

Source: Autocar