Maserati has hinted at a new sports car to fill the void of the Gransport sold a decade ago ever since the unveiling of the stunning Alfieri concept at the 2014 Geneva International Motor Show.

The good news is that the sports car is still coming. It's due to be revealed in May 2020 and the first test mules hit the streets around Maserati's headquarters in Modena, Italy, on Wednesday.

The bad news is that the design has evolved considerably since the unveiling of the Alfieri. In fact, it appears Maserati has switched to a two-seat, mid-engine layout instead of the 2+2, front-engine layout of the concept. The move makes sense considering Maserati plans to redesign the Granturismo which is a 2+2, front-engine car. Maserati's decision to go down the mid-engine route for the sports car may also explain why fellow Fiat Chrysler brand Alfa Romeo canceled plans for its own mid-engine model to replace the 4C.

Maserati Alfieri concept, 2014 Geneva Motor Show

Maserati Alfieri concept, 2014 Geneva Motor Show

Maserati supplied these teaser shots of one of the test mules. It's clearly a mid-engine car, though the body panels are makeshift units mostly cribbed from a 4C. Maserati said the test mules are for powertrain evaluation only, with the data gathered to be used for simulations before the first prototypes with the final bodywork surface sometime in the near future.

Maserati said the powertrains are being developed entirely in-house and will be used across its lineup. Maserati's new powertrains will include mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric options, and most of the brand's future cars will offer all three. The first with battery-electric power will be a redesigned GranTurismo due in 2021.

Production of the sports car will be handled at Maserati's historic Modena plant, where production of the Granturismo came to an end earlier in November. Production of the redesigned Granturismo will be handled at Maserati's main plant in Turin, Italy.