Listen to the new Maserati MC20 supercar

Announcing a Big New Shiny Plan with an old-school, twin-turbo, petrol-engined V6 supercar seems antithetical to Maserati's proud trumpeting of its future electrification strategy. But here we are. And in any case, when we're there, the world won't look kindly upon old-school, petrol-engined doodahs, so might as well enjoy them while we can.

Here then, for your listening pleasure, is a first taste of what the Maserati MC20 sounds like. Admittedly this is a prototype MC20, here shot on location in Italy at last week's Big Shiny Unveil, sitting pretty in the middle of a Piazza. A mid-engined, V6 Italian supercar, surrounded by quite wonderful Italian architecture. Sometimes, everything just fits.

Of course, the MC20 fits a lot of ambition and indeed, varying architecture inside its svelte new bodyshape. It's the standard-bearer for Maserati's new 'era' that'll spearhead a raft of new models and actual, proper investment, and in a couple of years - after this V6 MC20 has launched - be available as a proper fully-electric variant. That car, TG.com was informed, will produce something north of 700bhp and be capable of 0-62mph in two seconds.

For now, we've got many lovely-sounding explosions contained within a brand new engine. Maserati told TG that while this 621bhp V6 MC20 won't be offered in any more powerful variants, there is the possibility of introducing lightweight packages - say, more aluminium or carbon fibre - to better the power-to-weight ratio. That, ahem, sounds fine by us. Have a listen and let us know what you think.