The Fountain of Neptune, in Bologna's Piazza Maggiore, is a masterpiece of innovation, power and beauty. Completed in 1566, the fountain is dominated by a statue of the god of the sea, which is not only imposing (over 3.2m) and anatomically perfect, but notable for its unprecedented dynamism: by slightly twisting the statue’s limbs and torso, the statue’s sculptor Giambologna conveyed a sense of movement that makes Neptune seem about to leap off the plinth. It is no accident that when Maserati, the iconic Italian sports car maker, was founded in 1914 in Bologna, it chose Neptune’s trident as its logo. From the start, Maserati wanted to establish itself as a brand that wedded aesthetic perfection with dynamism and innovation – finesse with boldness and performance.
Fast forward to over a century later, and Maserati is a globally renowned brand present in more than 70 markets – but that mission is still very much at the core of all it does. That is apparent in Maserati’s latest releases, chief among them the MC20 supercar. The MC20 is a statement car – Maserati Head of Design Klaus Busse calls it “a manifesto” – and as such it encapsulates everything the company stands for. The upper part of the vehicle is essentially a sculpture, a work of art and a sensorial experience: ranging from the scenic butterfly doors to the logo-engraved engine cover, every element contributes to transforming a drive in an MC20 into a special occasion.
But the impeccable design is not just beauty for beauty’s own sake: each detail and design choice is aimed at maximising the car’s aerodynamic performance, and works in concert with the bleeding-edge technology that powers it, starting with the 630 horsepower “Nettuno” engine, able to zoom from 0 to 100 kph in 2.9 seconds. In a sophisticated balancing act – hearkening back to the tenet of gran turismo – the MC20 blends racing-car hijinks with comfort and state-of-the-art high-tech fixtures: thanks to the integrated Connectivity, main systems and features can be updated over the cars’ lifetime. It also boasts an Amazon Alexa assistant, a Wi-Fi hotspot and personalised apps that are a first for a supercar. Everything in the MC20, as Busse puts it, combines “sculpture and high performance”. It's a car one wants to be seen driving, whether on a racetrack in Mexico, or on the waterfront in Cannes.
This is a common thread running through all of Maserati’s other new models: Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante – two of which (Ghibli and Levante), for the first time in the car brand’s history, are available in hybrid versions. Busse, explains that designing the Ghibli Hybrid was an endeavour of architectural and paper-and-pencil creation, as well as a technological feat leaning heavily on virtual simulations.
Again, that magic spot where beauty meets functionality – where “humanity [meets] engineering excellence” Busse explains – is apparent in the colour of Ghibli’s exterior body, enhanced by aluminium flakes that give the car a shimmering, luminescent feel. By the same token, Ghibli’s woven leather interior upholstery – which Maserati created jointly with Italian luxury brand Zegna – is a hymn to both made-in-Italy tradition and bold technological invention.
That commitment to perpetual innovation means that Maserati is staying true to itself, while in the same breath constantly reinventing itself – as underlined by the unveiling, in 2020, of an updated trident logo to make it more “modern, balanced and elegant”.
Electrification is the other big change Maserati is embracing wholeheartedly. It is a shift that might at first appear challenging for a brand famous worldwide for the awe-inducing sound of its engines (YouTube and Instagram are awash with videos of ecstatic reactions to hearing a Maserati’s sound for the first time). In fact, Busse underlines, the real power of Maserati was always about both the acoustic and the visual experience; in a way, the sight of an electrified Maserati plying in silence across a city’s street is a dreamlike event. As Busse himself puts it, it is akin to watching the advent of “a rolling sculpture” – an amazing statue that, like the Neptune in Bologna, suddenly comes alive with movement.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
