2004 Maserati Coupe Cambiocorsa Coupe 2-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Top horsepower-per-dollar cars in 2017

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively. But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, albeit hilariously flawed. There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moment's notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom negotiation. For this list we're running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as we can get it. All the vehicles on this list are 2017 models, and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference and some for sanity, avoiding things like all 48 trim levels of the Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower). If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in. Less Than 100 Horsepower Okay, okay, this is hardly a category we'll grant you. But we've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave us an excuse. It also illustrates that none of these smallish vehicles bring cheap horsepower to the table - for that you'll need a motorcycle. The segment-leading Chevy Spark (above) asks just over $139 for each hp, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... we know you want to).

Stellantis ready to kill brands and fix U.S. problems, CEO Tavares says

  MILAN — Stellantis is taking steps to fix weak margins and high inventory at its U.S. operations and will not hesitate to axe underperforming brands in its sprawling portfolio, its chief executive Carlos Tavares said on Thursday. The warning for lossmaking brands is a turnaround for Tavares, who has maintained since Stellantis was created in 2021 from the merger of Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA that all of its 14 brands including Maserati, Fiat, Peugeot and Jeep have a future. "If they don't make money, we'll shut them down," Carlos Tavares told reporters after the world's No. 4 automaker delivered worse-than-expected first-half results, sending its shares down as much as 10%. "We cannot afford to have brands that do not make money." The automaker now also considers China's Leapmotor as its 15th brand, after it agreed to a broad cooperation with the group. Stellantis does not release figures for individual brands, except for Maserati which reported an 82 million euro adjusted operating loss in the first half. Some analysts say Maserati could possibly be a target for a sale by Stellantis, while other brands such as Lancia or DS might be at risk of being scrapped given their marginal contribution to the group's overall sales. Stellantis' Milan-listed shares were down as much as 12.5% on Thursday, hitting their lowest since August 2023. That brings the loss for the year so far to 22%, making them the worst performer among the major European automakers. Few automotive brands have been killed off since General Motors ditched the unprofitable Saturn and Pontiac during a U.S. government-led bankruptcy in the global financial crisis in 2008. Tavares is under pressure to revive flagging margins and sales and cut inventory in the United States as Stellantis bets on the launch of 20 new models this year which it hopes will boost profitability. Recent poor results from global carmakers have heightened worries about a weakening outlook for sales across major markets such as the U.S., whilst they also juggle an expensive transition to electric vehicles and growing competition from cheaper Chinese rivals. Japan's Nissan Motor saw first-quarter profit almost completely wiped out on Thursday and slashed its annual outlook, as deep discounting in the United States shredded its margins. Tavares said he would be working through the summer with his U.S. team on how to improve performance and cut inventory.

2022 Maserati Grecale SUV begins prowling the streets of Modena

Maserati has started testing the Grecale, its second SUV, on the streets of Modena, Italy. Aimed directly at the Porsche Macan, the Levante's smaller sibling will take the 107-year old Italian firm into a lucrative new segment. Klaus Busse, the head of Maserati's design department, told Autoblog that the new MC20 coupe points to the direction stylists will take the rest of the range in, and official spy shots give us a better idea of what he meant. It looks like the Grecale's front end is dominated by an oval grille shaped a lot like the MC20's. An image we took at the company's headquarters in the fall of 2020 provides an even clearer view of what the model will look like. Its overall proportions remind us of the Levante's, meaning it's far more sporty than utilitarian — you didn't think Maserati would try to rain on the Ford Bronco's parade, did you? Even several layers of psychedelic camouflage can't mask the shapely quarter panels and the sloping roof line accented by a spoiler.  It's too early to tell what's under the camouflage, let alone what's lurking beneath the sheet metal, but unverified rumors claim the Grecale shares its basic underpinnings with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, which is widely praised as one of the best-driving SUVs on the market. If the report is accurate, Maserati's next SUV could land with four- and six-cylinders on its palette of available engines. One might be the 3.0-liter Nettuno developed for the MC20. Maserati will take the Grecale on a world tour to put it through its paces in the freezing cold, in triple-digit heat, on challenging race tracks, and even on a few off-road trails. Its official unveiling is scheduled for later in 2021, and series production will start in Cassino, Italy, shortly after. We expect to see it in America as a 2022 model. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2022 Maserati Grecale, official spy shots Maserati SUV Luxury Performance