This modern supercar is inspired by the Maserati Biturbo-Shamal ‘muscle car’

This is a modern supercar, or restomod if you like, inspired by the iconic Maserati Biturbo-Shamal from the 1990s.

Even though it does look like it came from the 1990s, it incorporates modern-day technology, mixed with some old school details.

It’s built in Italy by a small-batch manufacturer called Modena Automobili.

Everything about it is beautiful, perhaps apart from the name which is a bit unimaginative.

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A modern-day hero inspired by the iconic Maserati Biturbo-Shamal

Modena Automobili calls it the Project MA-01.

The name may not be exciting, but the car is.

Inspired by the Maserati Biturbo-Shamal, an Italian sportscar that almost looks like a muscle car, the MA-01 uses a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 borrowed from a Maserati Ghibli S.

It puts out 500 horsepower, good enough for a 0-60mph time of 4.7 seconds, and a top speed of 177mph (284km/h).

The only bit of bad news, in a way, is the fact it uses an eight-speed transmissions rather than an old-school manual like for example the Porsche 911 Carrera T or the Nilu27.

Further proof that perhaps BMW execs are on to something when they say it’ll be impossible to keep the manual gearbox alive.

Project MA-01 is a restomod

The Project MA-01 would definitely qualify as what people call a ‘restomod’.

No one knows where or when the word comes from exactly, but restomod is portmanteau between the words ‘restoration’ and ‘modifications/modified’.

So this means that restomod is a car that’s been restored, but also modified in the process.

Opinions on restomods tend to be quite binary, in that people either loathe them or love them.

As for this one, we’re confident most car fans will agree with the latter point of view.