Maserati leans on racing heritage for new sports car

MILAN -- Maserati will call its upcoming supercar the MC20.

The MC20 will have an advanced electric powertrain, Maserati said in a news release without giving further details.

The MC20 is expected to go on sale in 2021 as a rival to the Ferrari F8 Tributo and Lamborghini Huracan models.

The MC20 name underlines the sporting credentials of the new model, Maserati said.

With the MC20, Maserati will return to racing, the automaker said. MC is the acronym of Maserati Corse (Maserati Racing) and 20 refers to 2020.

Maserati's first racing car was the Tipo 26, where the number indicated the year of its manufacture.

The MC20 is a "natural evolution" of the MC12, the car that in 2004 marked Maserati’s return to racing after 37 years, the automaker said.

The MC12 won 22 races from 2004 to 2010 including 3 victories in the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps endurance event in Belgium and 14 championship titles in the FIA GT from 2004 to 2010.

The MC20 will be unveiled at an event in May at Maserati's headquarters in Modena, Italy. It will be built at Maserati's plant there.

Maserati is launching 10 new or updated models between 2020 and 2023, according to its latest business plan.

The Quattroporte large sedan and Levante large SUV will get facelifts this year. A midsize SUV positioned below the Levante will be launched next year.

The new Granturismo coupe and GranCabrio convertible models, due in 2021 and 2022 respectively, will be offered only as battery-powered cars. Production of the two cars ended in November 2019.

Maserati’s first electrified car will be a hybrid version of the Ghibli sedan. The Ghibli hybrid was due to be unveiled at the Beijing auto show on April 21. The show has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak and Maserati has yet to decide where and when to unveil the car.