Maserati has scooped itself with these photos which the company has released of a disguised 'mule' prototype car circulating the streets of Modena.
Mid-engined prototype testing new engine
The prototype, shown driving out of the Maserati HQ's Viale Ciro Menotti gates, is said to be testing a new 'powertrain' for a future new lineup of Maserati models. The Italian luxury car maker has not released an all-new model since it launched the first Levante in 2015.
Now, you can't read too much into the design of the mule. While it's clearly mid-engined (which would suggest that it's going to become the production version of the Alfieri sports car concept) it appears to be based on the chassis of an Alfa Romeo 4C, and is therefore probably nothing like the final, finished product.
Engine will be entirely Maserati-made
Maserati says that the powertrain being tested in the mule is the first in an entirely new engine family which will eventually be used across its entire range.
Significantly, the engine is said to be designed and built by Maserati itself - currently, its V6 and V8 engines are made by Ferrari, under contract, while the diesel engines in the Levante, Quattroporte, and Ghibli come from VM Motori. Maserati has previously said that it's working to become an all-electric brand, so it seems likely that the engine in the mule incorporates some level of hybrid power.
"The data acquired through the kilometres covered by the mules will be integrated with the experience gathered in the Maserati Innovation Lab driving simulators, the most advanced in the world. This working methodology will then be used to fine-tune and develop the prototypes with final bodywork and mechanics" said a Maserati spokesperson.
Electric sports car planned for the future
Maserati's sales have fallen significantly in the past year, as its model range ages, and now the brand must contend with new corporate masters, under the umbrella of the combined PSA-Fiat-Chrysler group. Many had suspected that Maserati might be sold off, but that seems unlikely for now. The current plan is for this new 2020 sports car to kick off a major regeneration of the brand, with a new GranCoupe following in 2021, a medium-sized crossover (related to the Alfa Romeo Stelvio) the same year, a new Quattroporte in 2022, and an all-new Levante and Ghibli by 2023, with electric versions of all.