We were thrilled by the V12 of the Maserati MC12, and then we got to know the beating heart of the MC20, the Nettuno twin-turbo V6 engine, in the heart-stopping first episode of our series chronicling the development of the Italian brand's new supercar (if you missed it, you can see it here).

Now, Motor1.com finally takes you behind the wheel of the MC20. We'll also get to the track later, and you'll understand why in our video!

MR. DIM

There's too much of a risk for guessing when developing a new car. Unfortunately, time always seems to be running out when engineering a fresh machine. This is precisely where technology comes to the rescue.

Maserati MC20, dal virtuale al reale

About 1,500 technicians work in the various departments of the Maserati Product Development centre. In this video, we go into the Innovation Lab in Via Emilia Ovest. The site holds the latest generation of drive-in-motion (DIM) dynamic simulator. The nine actuators allow lateral and longitudinal movement of 2.5 metres (8 feet 2 inches). This makes it possible to physically reproduce acceleration in all directions. Plus, the active intervention of seats and belts make the driving experience feel even more realistic.

DIM allows Maserati to perform 90 percent of the vehicle's entire development within the simulator. The result is that the time-to-market for creating a new car is cut in half. Plus, there are simplified logistics because so much is happening digitally, rather than needing to move physical goods, which is especially helpful when trying to engineer a product with a pandemic in progress.

Maserati MC20, dal virtuale al reale

Engine-start

In this episode, we bring the Nettuno to life on the curbs of the Modena Autodrome. We do so with one of the vehicle's "dads" present so that he can illustrate the qualities of his newborn, the MC20.

Maserati MC20, dal virtuale al reale

Federico Landini has driven many kilometres at the wheel of prototypes and pre-series examples of the MC20. These evaluations have covered 3 million kilometres (1.864 million miles) between the simulation world and the real one. In the next episode of this series, look forward to seeing the extreme weather conditions and temperatures from the MC20's development.

In addition, Maserati ran the Nettuno V6 on the dyno for the total expected life cycle of the MC20 over 200 times. The sporty curb-eater with a grand-touring soul should be able to let owners use it as an everyday car if desired.

Maserati MC20, dal virtuale al reale

The different driving modes allow the MC20 to satisfy many needs, and in this phase of development, the attention is on the calibration of the maps. In addition, Landini is working on the feedback from the steering and braking systems.

On the track, the "Corsa" driving mode impressed us with its feeling. The set-up can be adjusted independently thanks to the special button on the manettino. Even though the MC20 you see in the pictures is a pre-production model for development, the potential of this new Trident is amazingly exciting.

Enjoy and see you next week with Episode 3!

Gallery: Maserati MC20, from virtual to real