2013 Maserati Gran Turismo Mc Stradle on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Maserati Quattroporte revealed in patent drawings

Curious about what the 2014 Maserati Quattroporte will look like? Recent spy shots of the big Maserati sedan haven't been much help, but now we have this: Three alleged patent drawings found by AutoWeek.nl. Better fire up your imagination, however, as like all European Patent Office images, these sketches have the unique ability to suck the beauty out of even Italian cars. Truth be told, if AutoWeek.nl had told us this was a new Buick, we might have believed them.
That said, we can certainly see the resemblance in the rear to the Maserati GranTurismo, with a similar C-pillar and that little flipped-up spoiler. In the front, too, we imagine the new Quattroporte will resemble its sportier sibling, with the crude lines from these drawings turned into more voluptuous curves through the magic of modern manufacturing.
Rumors say the next-gen sedan will be available with a choice of two engines assembled by Ferrari, either a turbocharged V8 or a supercharged V6. We're likely to see the new Quattroporte in the flesh for the first time at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.

Lazareth LM847 packs a Maserati V8 into a leaning quad frame

You want to know what insanity looks like? This is it. It's called the Lazareth LM847, and to boil it down to its essence, it's basically a sport bike built around a Maserati V8. Now this isn't the first motorcycle we've seen packing a giant car engine. There've been more custom jobs than we could list here, and of course there's the Boss Hoss – an American cruiser with a 5.7-liter Chevy V8 at its heart. And we'd be loathe to leave out the V10-powered Tomahawk concept from this discussion. But this is another matter entirely. The LM847 is made by a French outfit called Lazareth. It's the same company responsible for the Wazuma quad bike, the Wazuma GT roadster, and that bonkers Renault Twingo with the Range Rover V8 in the back. In other words, Lazareth knows crazy, and hasn't skimped on it this time. For its latest project, Lazareth started with a 4.7-liter V8 – the kind you used to find the Quattroporte or Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione before Maserati started downsizing and bolting on turbos. It produces 470 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque, channeled through a single-speed hydraulic coupling in place of a multi-gear transmission. Strictly speaking, it's not a motorcycle, but a quad – owing to the tandem wheels at each end. But it has a saddle and handlebars, and looks like it would lean in a fair bit in the turns. We're not about to find out though, because we don't have a death wish. Related Video:

Bizarre Levante mule proves SUV will ride on Maserati platform

When Chrysler was developing the current Jeep Cherokee, matte black, lifted Alfa Romeo Giuliettas weren't an unusual site around the company's Auburn Hills, MI headquarters. That's because the Jeep rides on a modified version of the Alfa's platform.
Judging by these images, Maserati is following a similar path for the upcoming Levante. The presence of the modified and lifted Ghibli basically confirms that the company will look in-house for the new CUV's platform rather than outsource it to Jeep (otherwise, we'd be seeing modified Grand Cherokees running about).
The mule's Ghibli body has been fitted with a number of tweaks. Most notable are the higher roof and stretched wheel arches, which we're guessing are an attempt at increasing the sedan's center of gravity and width, respectively, in a bid to match the eventual production model.