EXCLUSIVE: MASERATI MC20: HOW THE DESIGN WAS BORN AND HOW IT WAS DEVELOPED

READ THE ARTICLE OF THE OFFICIAL PRESENTATION (click here)
WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE OFFICIAL PRESENTATION (click here)

INTERVIEW WITH GIOVANNI RIBOTTA, MASERATI CHIEF EXTERIOR DESIGN
By Fabrizio Ferrari

A PROJECT BORN QUICKLY, IN A VERY SHORT TIME.

FABRIZIO FERRARI: I APPEAR TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE MC20 WAS BORN ENOUGH IN A HURRY, ALMOST SUDDENLY: I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TIMELINES AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECT WERE. I KNOW THAT THE BODYWORK WAS BORN IN PRACTICE FROM DALLARA, AT LEAST IN REGARDS TO AERODYNAMICS, WHILE THE TECHNICAL BASE IS OF ABSOLUTE VALUE (CENTRAL CARBON CELL, WITH THE TWO ALUMINUM SUB-FRAMES), THE ” FULL ELECTRIC ”AND A FUTURE SPIDER WITH A RIGID RETRACTABLE ROOF IS PROVIDED. IN THE LIGHT OF ALL THIS PROGRAM, WHEN DID THE STYLE START AND WITH WHAT METHOD IN THIS PROJECT?

GIOVANNI RIBOTTA: THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS VERY FAST, ABOUT 24 MONTHS IN ALL. ALSO BECAUSE THE DIRECTIVES HAVE CHANGED QUICKLY AND ALSO IT WAS CLEARLY A CENTRAL ENGINE VEHICLE; MOREOVER, FOR US IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAD THIS KIND OF PACKAGE. MANY MEETINGS HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED BETWEEN THE STYLE AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS, EVEN JUST TO DEFINE PACKAGE, BECAUSE PERFECT INTEGRATION BETWEEN STYLE AND ENGINEERING IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR MASERATI. A CONTINUOUS FIGHT BETWEEN DIFFERENT NEEDS, WHICH SOMETIMES MAY ALSO BE CONTRASTING, BUT IN THE END THEY MUST ABSOLUTELY GIVE ORIGIN TO A COMMON THOUGHT AND THUS TO A PERFECTLY INTEGRATED AND BALANCED PROJECT. WE HAVE DISCUSSED A LOT ABOUT THE POSITIONING OF THE WINDSCREEN, WHICH WAS VERY BACKWARD IN THE FIRST PHASES OF THE PROJECT, BUT WE WANTED TO OBTAIN BETTER INTEGRATED VOLUMES THAT, EVEN VISUALLY, MAKE THE IDEA OF THE CENTRAL ENGINE VEHICLE. THEN WE DISCUSSED LONG AGAIN ABOUT THE REAR, IN PARTICULAR THE OVERHANG, AS THERE WERE THE NEEDS FOR SPACE, NOT ONLY FOR THE ELECTRIC VERSION, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR A REAR TRUNK. THE STARTING BASE WAS OBVIOUSLY THE DRAWING OF THE SIDE, FROM WHICH TO ASSESS THE GENERAL BALANCE, THE PROPORTIONS FROM THE BEGINNING.

F.F. IN MY OPINION, I BELIEVE THAT THE VOLUMES ARE REALLY BALANCED AND WELL DISTRIBUTED.

G.R. HISTORICALLY, I BELIEVE THAT THE DISTRIBUTION AND BALANCE OF VOLUMES HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF OUR STRONG POINTS, AS IT IS PART OF THE SCHOOL OF ITALIAN CAR BODIES. AFTER SETTING UP THE SIDE OF THE CAR, WE IMMEDIATELY PASSED TO THE FIRST MATHEMATICAL MODELS IN 3D AND THEN TO SCALE MODELS: WE IMMEDIATELY MADE A PAIR.

THE ENTIRE STUDY OF THE “BODY” HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A CONTINUOUS EXCHANGE, BETWEEN STYLE AND ENGINEERING, IN PARTICULAR AERODYNAMICS.

F.F. I HAVE SEEN THE MODELS AND I KNOW THAT THIS VEHICLE IS BORN FROM CONTRASTING NEEDS: ON THE ONE SIDE THE EXCELLENT SPACE AND COMFORT THAT A MASERATI, EVEN IF WITH A CENTRAL ENGINE, MUST ALWAYS GUARANTEE. AND IN FACT I BELIEVE THAT THE CABIN IS RATHER LARGE FOR THE CATEGORY, WITH AN ENTRANCE AND EXIT ALSO FACILITATED BY THE SAME MECHANISM FOR OPENING THE DOOR BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, THE BODY ALSO HAD TO SATISFY STRINGING AERODYNAMIC NEEDS BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALREADY ANNOUNCED IT, THE MC20 WILL RACE ON THE TRACK, EVEN WITH AN OFFICIAL MASERATI TEAM! STYLE AND AERODYNAMICS ARE OFTEN IN APPARENT CONTRADICTION AND SO I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE WHOLE PROCESS HAS EVOLVED.

G.R. OF COURSE! ALL THE PART OF THE “BODY” HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT IN A RATHER “ARTISTIC” WAY, EVEN WORKING BY HAND ON THE MODELS: IF YOU LOOK AT THE CAR LIVE, YOU REALIZE IMMEDIATELY THAT THERE ARE CONNECTION ZONES BETWEEN THE VOLUMES THAT ARE THE RESULT OF A LONG MANUAL MODELING WORK. BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, EVERY NIGHT I HAVE TAKEN THE SCAN OF THE MODELS AND THE DAY AFTER I WENT TO CHECK THE SOLUTIONS FOUND IN DALLARA, ALSO FROM THE AERODYNAMIC POINT OF VIEW. ALL THIS IN A CONTINUOUS EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, SINCE THE FIRST PHASES OF MANUAL MODELING, TO OBTAIN THE IDEAL RESULT OR SOLUTION EVERY TIME. MOREOVER, ALSO IN THIS SAME PHASE OF INITIAL STUDY, WE AT THE MASERATI STYLE CENTER TRADITIONALLY USE EXTERNAL SUPPLIERS. IN FACT, RIGHT AT THIS PHASE WE SEE IN THE PHOTOS OF A MAN WITH GRAY HAIR WHO ASSITED US IN THIS PROCESS, AND IN FACT HE IS DESIO, 74 YEARS OLD AND IS ONE OF THE MEN OF BERTONE, WHO WORKED AT THE TIME ON THE LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH PROJECT! THIS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE INITIAL APPROACH OF DESIGN IS STILL VERY MANUAL AND THEREFORE ALSO ARTISTIC, AS PER THE TRADITION OF ITALIAN CAR DESIGN.

F.F. THEREFORE, IN SUMMARY IF I UNDERSTAND IT WELL, YOU HAVE STUDIED AND EVOLVED VOLUMES WITH MANUAL MODELS, BUT DOING A FUNCTIONAL CHECK IN THE DALLARA WIND TUNNEL EVERY TIME.

G.R. THIS AS REGARDS TO THE WHOLE PART OF “BODY COLORS”, IN PRACTICE THE MOST ORGANIC PART OF THE CAR (THE UPPER PART OF THE BODY) THAT WE HAVE CONCEIVED THE STYLE, WHILE THE BOTTOM PART (BOTTOM, EXTRACTOR, ETC.), AND THE CAR MONOCOQUE, A MUCH MORE TECHNICAL AREA, HAS BEEN 95% DEFINED BY ENGINEERING. IN FACT, IT IS NOTABLE THAT ALL THE BOTTOM OF THE SIDES, AND IN PARTICULAR THE SILL AREA AND ESPECIALLY OF THE REAR EXTRACTOR, PRESENT A MUCH MORE TECHNICAL AND CLEAR DESIGN. IT HAS ALSO BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO GO IN SEARCH OF PURE PERFORMANCE, AS REGARDS TO AERODYNAMICS. OF COURSE, THE CAR WORKS VERY WELL WITH THE UNDERBODY (THE FLAT BOTTOM AND THE EXTRACTOR), SO THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMPLY WITH ANOTHER MASERATI TARGET: THAT IS TO AVOID FLYING AERODYNAMIC APPENDICES, AS FOR EXAMPLE A REAR EXPOSED WING.

ALL THE UPPER PART OF THE BODY HAS BEEN CONCEIVED BY DESIGN, WHILE THE LOWER PART OF THE CAR, MUCH MORE TECHNICAL, HAS BEEN 95% DEFINED BY ENGINEERING (AERODYNAMICS)

F.F. I ALSO NOTICED THE SIDE OUTLETS, IN THE LOW AREA AFTER THE FRONT FENDERS, TO RELEASE A PART OF THE AIR FLOW FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR, THUS CREATING THE NECESSARY DOWNFORCE ALSO ON THE FRONT AXLE AND THEREFORE A GOOD BALANCE WITH THE DOWNFORCE CREATED BY THE REAR DIFFUSER, ON THE REAR AXLE.

G.R. IN FACT, ON THESE ASPECTS THE ENGINEERING PART SURE HAD CLEARLY PREFERRED, BUT WHAT WAS REQUIRED ABOUT “BODY COLORS”, WAS TO OBTAIN A GRAN TURISMO EFFECT IN THE MOST PURE MASERATI TRADITION, ALSO ON AN EXTREME CAR. FOR THIS REASON WE TRIED NOT TO EMPHASIZE ALL THE MOST TECHNICAL PART OF THE BODY, SUCH AS THE AIR VENTS AND THE VARIOUS AERODYNAMIC DEVICES, TO THE ADVANTAGE OF THE CLEANING OF THE LINES AND ESPECIALLY OF THE ELEGANCE. FOR EXAMPLE THE SIDE AIR VENTS FOR TURBO INTERCOOLERS LATERALLY THEY ARE ALMOST NOT VISIBLE.

F.F. IN FACT, THESE AIR VENTS ARE DEVELOPED MAINLY ON THE PLAN VIEW OF THE MC20 AND SO ARE ALMOST VISIBLE FROM ABOVE …

G.R. EXACTLY. AS ALSO THE AIR VENT IN THE FRONT OF THE SIDE, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FENDER, IS ALSO ALMOST HIDDEN IN THE SIDE VIEW, BY A KIND OF AERODYNAMIC SHIELD THAT SHOWS THE NAME OF THE CAR.

F.F. IN THIS CASE I HAVE NOTICED AN INTERESTING GRAPHIC DESIGN, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW, BOTH FUNCTIONAL AND ABOVE ALL AESTHETIC …

G.R. BUT, ALTHOUGH THE CAR IS ELEGANT AND WITH A CLEAN LINE (AS A MASERATI MUST BE), WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED, YOU WILL IMMEDIATELY NOTICE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CARBON MONOCOQUE WHICH IN FACT IMMEDIATELY SHOW THE EXTREME NATURE, RACING, OF THE MC20. THESE TWO CONTRASTING ASPECTS, PURITY AND PERFORMANCE, ARE VERY MASERATI STYLE AND, IN MY OPINION, REVEAL ITS CHARACTER.

F.F. OF COURSE! MASERATI HAS ALWAYS HAD A MORE GRAN TURISMO CHARACTER, WHERE ELEGANCE ALSO SEEMS TO PREFACE FUNCTIONALITY, AT LEAST THE APPEARANCE … ALSO BECAUSE THE BEAUTY OF WORKING IN THE STYLE OF A MASERATI IS JUST THE CHALLENGE OF ABSOLUTELY POWER FUNCTIONAL, BUT WITHOUT THAT THE SAME FUNCTIONALITY IS IN ANY BIG ATTENTION …

G.R. EXACTLY. ONE OF THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF OUR WORK HAS BEEN THE PERFECT BALANCE BETWEEN FORMAL APPEARANCE AND FUNCTIONALITY, WITHOUT EXCESS. EVERY DETAIL HAS BEEN AERODYNAMICALLY TUNED, THANKS TO CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK WITH DALLARA.

BEFORE EVERY AERODYNAMIC CHECK IN THE DALLARA WIND TUNNEL, ALL THE WORK ON THE MODELS WAS TESTED THROUGH CFDS BY THE INNOVATION LAB OF MODENA.

F.F. I KNOW THAT THE CAR HAS BEEN PROCESSED VERY MUCH ALSO IN VIRTUAL, SO I IMAGINE THAT YOU HAVE VERIFY EVERYTHING WITH MANY CFDS (COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS), BEFORE CARRYING OUT THE FINAL CHECKS IN THE DALLARA WIND TUNNEL …
WATCH THE AEREODINAMIC TESTS OF MC20 IN THE DALLARA WIND TUNNEL (click here)
G.R. SURE, WE HAVE DRAWN UP DIFFERENT CONTROL CFDS, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE INNOVATION LAB OF MODENA, WHICH BOASTS A VERY GOOD AERODYNAMICS DEPARTMENT, WITH REALLY GOOD GUYS, WHO HAVE WORKED IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH DALLARA. SO MUCH IS THAT THEN DALLARA HAS BEEN A RESOURCE NOT ONLY IN CHECKS, BUT ALSO IN THE SPORTCAR SETTING GUIDE. I MUST SAY THAT THE AERODYNAMICS PART HAS BEEN HEARD VERY MUCH BY THE TECHNICIANS OF THE INNOVATION LAB OF THE MASERATI TECHNICAL DIRECTION OF MODENA. AS YOU RIGHTLY SAY, BEFORE ARRIVING IN THE GALLERY THE CONCEPT WAS ALREADY VERY REFINED.

F.F. IN FACT, THE CFD IS FUNDAMENTAL IN THE WORK OF TESTING THE GENERAL AERODYNAMIC CONFIGURATION, TO TRY TO ARRIVE IN THE WIND TUNNEL WITH ALREADY A VERY ENOUGH PERCENTAGE OF EFFICIENCY, THEN AIMING AT THE THEORETICAL 100% EFFICIENCY THANKS TO THE FINAL TESTS IN THE TUNNEL, THUS SAVING CONSIDERABLE TIME AND COSTS DURING THE PROCESS.

G.R. ESPECIALLY WITH THE SHORT TIMES OF THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, THE SUPPORT OF ENGINEERING AND ALL THE MOST EFFICIENT CALCULATION DEVICES WAS CERTAINLY FUNDAMENTAL. IT HAS HELPED US A LOT AND ABOVE ALL I LOVED THE EXPERIENCE OF STAYING THE DAY BEFORE IN MODELING FOR HOURS, THEN SPENDING THE DAY AFTER IN DALLARA TO VERIFY DIRECTLY THE WORK DONE. IT WAS A UNIQUE THING AND ALSO VERY STRONG EXPERIENCE. AT THE SAME TIME, WE COULD NOT EVEN ALLOW US TO BE WRONG, BECAUSE THIS IS A CAR THAT NOW HAS ALL EYES ON IT …

THERE COULD CERTAINLY BE ALLOWED TO BE WRONG, AS IT IS CLEAR THAT THE MC20 IS NOW A KIND OF FLAG, BOTH TECHNOLOGICAL AND IMAGE FOR MASERATI. A TRUE RETURN TO THE ORIGINS OF THE BRAND WHICH, AS IS KNOWN, WAS BORN WITH RACES!

F.F. IT IS CERTAINLY AN ICONIC VEHICLE AT THIS MOMENT FOR MASERATI, ALMOST A SPECIES OF “FLAG” BOTH TECHNOLOGICAL AND IMAGE FOR THE BRAND AND THIS IS A FACT, EVEN BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS THE RETURN TO THE ORIGIN IN ALL EFFECTS AND HISTORY OF THE BRAND WHICH, AS MANY PEOPLE REMEMBER, WAS BORN WITH RACES. AND LIKE ALL MASERATI, ALSO THE MC20 WILL HAVE THE NOT EASY TASK OF BEING A TRUE MASERATI ON THE ROAD, THAT IS, COMFORTABLE AND FRIENDLY IN USE, ALTHOUGH VERY PERFORMANCE BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, IT MUST ALSO PROVE THAT IT IS MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE .
BEFORE GOING TO ANALYZING THE VARIOUS STYLE DETAILS, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE WITH YOU THE “BUTTERFLY” DOOR OPENING SOLUTION, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY ON A MASERATI. I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ROLE HAD STYLE AND DESIGN IN THE CHOICE AND ALSO IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PARTICULAR DOOR OPENING.

G.R. THE CHOICE OF THE DOOR WAS IN FACT ORIGINATED BY A SERIES OF CONCURRENTLY: ON THE ONE SIDE WE HAD THE CHALLENGE WHY WE WANTED TO EXPRESS SOMETHING STRONG AND SCENOGRAPHIC, AT LEAST ON AN AESTHETIC APPEARANCE OF THE CAR.

F.F. SO THE “BUTTERFLY” DOOR OPENING IS MORE A SCENOGRAPHIC CHOICE THAN PRACTICAL? ABOVE ALL I HAVE IMAGINED A DIFFERENT MOTIVATION …

G.R. NO. ACTUALLY, THE “BUTTERFLY” DOOR OPENING IS A CHOICE FIRST OF ALL ENGINEERING, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERED THE SHAPE OF THE MONOCOQUE, WITH A VERY TAPERED SILL IN THE AREA NEAR THE FRONT FENDER AND ALSO HAVING THE NEED FOR AN IMPORTANT ACCESS FOR CAR ENTRY / EXIT, BECAUSE THE CAR IS REALLY COMFORTABLE INSIDE.

F.F. THE IMPRESSION I GET AT THE FIRST GLANCE IS THAT OF A VERY SPACIOUS CABIN, IN RELATION TO THE TYPE OF CAR. I IMAGINE THAT IF COMPARED TO A MCLAREN OR EVEN A FERRARI, I HAVE THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS MUCH EASIER TO GET IN AND ESPECIALLY GET OUT OF THIS MC20.

G.R. TRUE. IN FACT, THIS WAS ALSO ANOTHER OF OUR PRIORITIES, SO THE DOOR HAD TO HAVE WHAT WE DEFINE “WOW EFFECT”, BUT ALSO ITS FUNCTIONALITY. THEREFORE AMONG THE PRIORITIES TO FOLLOW DURING THE PROJECT PHASE, THERE WERE ESPECIALLY THE ENTRY / EXIT IN THE CAR AND THE OPTIMIZATION OF AERODYNAMICS THAT, THIS TYPE OF DOOR TENDS TO FACILITATE IN THAT AREA.

F.F. DEFINITELY THE TRADITIONAL DOOR DOES NEVER OPEN EXACTLY AT 90 ° AND THEREFORE, WE CAN SAY THAT A PART OF THE ENCLOSURE OF THE SAME DOOR, EVEN WHEN IT IS COMPLETELY OPEN, TENDS TO HINDER THE EASY EXIT FROM THE CAR. CERTAINLY, THIS KIND OF DOOR COMPLETELY FREE THE DOOR-ROUND AREA, ONCE IT IS FULLY OPEN. IT IS CLEAR THAT IF, SIDE OF THE CAR, THE SPACE IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO OPEN THE DOOR COMPLETELY, THE SITUATION COULD ALSO BE COMPLICATED …

G.R. CERTAINLY. BUT I WANTED TO ADD ANOTHER INTERESTING ASPECT OF THE “BUTTERFLY”: AS IN THE HISTORIC “BIRDCAGE”, WHERE THE MULTITUBULAR FRAME WAS VISIBLE WHEN THE DOOR OPENED, ALSO IN THIS CASE, THE “BUTTERFLY” HIGHLIGHTS THE CENTRAL CARBON CELL WHEN OPENING AND THIS IS ANOTHER BRAND MASERATI CHARACTER! EVEN IN THE CASE OF THE DOOR IT IS ALWAYS THE USUAL APPROACH TO THE GRAN TURISMO WAY, TYPICAL MASERATI, WHERE EVERYTHING APPEARS WELL BALANCED AND ELEGANT TO THE LOOK, UNLESS THEN RESERVE SOME SURPRISE EFFECTS, LOOKING BETTER, OR DURING OPERATION.

THE “BUTTERFLY” DOOR ADDS THAT SURPRISE EFFECT TYPICAL OF MASERATI: ALWAYS VERY ELEGANT AND CLEAN IN THE LINE, BUT ALSO WITH THAT SOMETHING MORE THAT SURPRISES!

F.F. CERTAINLY, THE MC20 IS VERY MASERATI IN CHARACTER: IT IS NOT EXCESSIVE BUT ELEGANT, WELL PROPORTIONED AND WITH ALL THE ELEMENTS IN THE RIGHT PLACE; THEN, YOU WILL FIND THE WOW EFFECT WHEN YOU DON’T EXPECT IT, IN THIS CASE BY OPENING THE DOOR.

G. R. EXACTLY! MAKING CLEAN AND BALANCED CARS BUT ALWAYS WITH THAT SOMETHING STRONG, CHARACTERISTIC IS PART OF THE MASERATI HISTORY.

F.F. BUT I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND BETTER: BEFORE YOU TALKED TO ME ABOUT BIRDCAGE, BUT I REALLY SEE MUCH MORE REFERENCES TO BIRDCAGE 75 OF PININFARINA (2005) IN THE MC20 …

G.R. CERTAINLY, FOR US THE PININFARINA CONCEPT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.

F.F. IT IS FANTASTIC!

G.B. CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CONCEPTS OF THE LAST 20 YEARS …

F.F. THERE ARE NO DOUBTS!

G.R. IF ONLY LOOKING AT THE GRILLE, THE SQUARE-SHAPED ONE OF THE GHIBLI WAS ALREADY INSPIRED BY THE SAME AS THE BIRDCAGE 75 CONCEPT. AT THE REAR (THE EXTRACTOR AREA) AND THEN STILL AT THE FRONT WITH THE AIR INTAKES OF THE SIDE BRAKES, IT IS ALL INSPIRATION FROM THE BIRDCAGE 75. ALL THIS CONSTRUCTION ALSO HELPS THE MUDGUARDS TO “CLOSE” TO THE “FUSELINE” … THEN, CLEARLY THERE ARE ALSO DIFFERENT INFLUENCES OF THE MC12, ESPECIALLY IN THE FRONT: THE VERTICAL HEADLIGHTS AND ALSO THE WHOLE MODELING OF THE HOOD, WITH THE AIR VENTS EXPOSED.

THE DESIGN OF THE MC20 IS INSPIRED BY THE PININFARINA CONCEPT BIRDCAGE 75, BUT ALSO IN PART OF THE MC12.

F.F. I FIND ALSO THE FRONT AIR INTAKE THAT PROTRUDES, WITH THE LOWER EDGE IN THE SHAPE OF A SPOILER, MORE INTERESTING, WE ALSO STUDIED SOMETHING OF THE KIND IN UNIMORE, YEARS AGO …

G.R. ANOTHER INTERESTING PARTICULAR ARE THE AIR VENTS ABOVE THE REAR HOOD, ALSO WITH THE UNMISTAKABLE MASERATI DESIGN. AND THIS IDEA CAME FROM AN ENGINEER: IT WAS ME AND THE DESIGNER WHO WERE MODELING THE USUAL HORIZONTAL AIR VENTS, NECESSARY FOR THE STATIC VENT (NOT ONLY OF THE HEAT BUT ALSO OF THE VAPORS), WHICH DID NOT CONVINCE US TOO MUCH THOSE USED ON FERRARI. IN THE END, THIS BOY FROM THE ENGINEERING TEAM GIVEN US THE ILLUMINATION: WHY NOT TRY TO SYMBOLIZE THE TRIDENT? WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO SKETCH BOTH, ME AND THE DESIGNER, UNTIL WE GET THE RESULT THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE NOW. IN FACT, WE ARE TRULY CONVINCED THAT THE COMBINATION BETWEEN ENGINEERING AND STYLE IS FUNDAMENTAL. AND IT IS EXACTLY THIS THAT THEREFORE STRENGTHS THE DRAWING.

F.F. CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL BALANCE OF VOLUMES AND SHAPES THAT YOU HAVE FOUND AND ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO WHAT I ASSUME TO BE AN EXCEPTIONAL SPACIOUS IN THE INTERIOR. I CAN’T WAIT TO GET DOWN IN THAT CABIN FOR THE TRADITIONAL TEST DRIVE OF THE CAR, BECAUSE I IMAGINE THAT I WILL SEEM TO ENTER INTO A GRAN TURISMO, INSTEAD THAT IN A SO EXTREME “MID-ENGINE”

G.R. THE EFFECT WANTED IS EXACTLY THAT AND IT IS PERFECTLY IN LINE WITH THE MASERATI TRADITION! EVERYTHING WITHIN A PROJECT BORN IN A VERY SHORT TIME, ONLY 24 MONTHS IN ALL, I REPEAT, WITH CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK BETWEEN STYLE AND ENGINEERING.

F.F. SO IN THIS CASE, THE STYLE DID NOT STOP MANY MONTHS BEFORE, LIKE IN THE NORMAL DESIGN PROCESSES, BUT I APPEAR TO UNDERSTAND IT HAS ARRIVED ALMOST TO THE END, BEFORE THE DESIGN WAS “FROZEN” …

G.R. I CAN CONFIRM THAT WE HAVE DELIVERED OUR DEFINITIVE MATHEMATICS IN 3D, CLASS A, MORE OR LESS AROUND NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019 … IN ADDITION, I ALSO WANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE MC20, WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS AND A TARGETED TUNING, IS CERTAINLY A CAR THAT CAN BE RESPECTED EVEN ON THE TRACK.

F.F. AS I REMEMBERED AT THE BEGINNING, MASERATI FINALLY RETURNS TO ITS ORIGINS, WITH A CAR WITH A DYNAMIC RACING, AS IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN FOR THE CARS OF THE MASERATI BROTHERS!