2014 Maserati Gran Turismo Sport on 2040-cars

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Maserati ends GranTurismo production with one-off Zeda model

MODENA, Italy — Maserati celebrated the end of the GranTurismo's 12-year production run by building a one-off example called Zeda, which is the name of the letter Z in the Modenese dialect. The Italian firm unveiled the milestone car in the historic Modena, Italy, factory it's preparing to re-tool for a new addition to its range due out in early 2020. The Zeda is not the last GranTurismo off the production line; Autoblog visited the Modena factory minutes before the car's unveiling and spotted the last dozen or so cars behind it, but a company spokesperson explained all of the unfinished models have already been spoken for. The commemorative coupe is the last GranTurismo that hasn't been sold yet. It stands out from the roughly 40,000 examples made since the model broke cover during the 2007 Geneva Motor Show with an eye-catching paint job that starts with a deep blue applied to the front part of the car and ends with a light satin finish. The rear almost looks like bare metal in person. Edition-specific emblems on the front fenders add a finishing touch to the look.  rg-maserati-granturismo-zeda-2 View 12 Photos There are no changes under the hood. The Zeda is powered by a 4.7-liter V8 engine developed with input from former sister company Ferrari and tuned to deliver 460 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 383 pound-feet of torque at 4,740 rpm. The eight-cylinder spins the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission that can be left in drive or shifted manually using paddles. Maserati hasn't decided what it will do with the GranTurismo Zeda yet. It might keep the car in its private collection, or it could sell it to a collector. Either way, the coupe will remain a one-of-a-kind example, one that marks the start of a new era for the 105-year old Italian automaker. The plant that currently builds the GranTurismo (and the Alfa Romeo 4C, which is also being phased out) will begin manufacturing a sports car that Maserati will unveil during the 2020 Geneva auto show. It's expected to arrive as a two-seater that will draw inspiration from the Alfieri concept introduced during the 2014 edition of the event. It will be a sharper, more driver-focused model than the GranTurismo, which is a grand tourer by definition. Its rivals will include the Porsche 911 and the Jaguar F-Type.

1967 Maserati Ghibli puts the grand in grand tourer

Motor Tend technical director Frank Markus owns a 1967 Maserati Ghibli, bought back in the early 2000s when "they could be had for Camry money" - now Hagerty values them anywhere from $63,000 to $107,000. The grand tourer designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro outsold the more powerful and less expensive Ferrari 365 Daytona, and the more powerful and more expensive Lamborghini Miura.
Carlos Lago, host of the magazine's Ignition video series, figures it's because of the Ghibli's long-haul comfort and the tractability of its 4.7-liter V8 with 330-horsepower and 330 pound-feet accessed with a five-speed manual, even though he cites the powertrain and suspension as being behind the times.
There's no arguing about the Ghibli's sound, though. You can get several ears-full of it, as well as Lagos' and Markus' thoughts on the car, in the video above.

2014 Maserati Quattroporte [w/video]

Vastly Upgraded Italian Speed Sedan Kicks Off Brand Renaissance
The sixth-generation Maserati Quattroporte is big - and not just because it's 6.5 inches longer than before with a wheelbase that stretches 4.3 inches beyond its predecessor. The new Quattroporte is big also because it's a huge deal both for its segment and for Maserati. Just as FoMoCo is finally chucking $1 billion at Lincoln MoCo, so too is Fiat investing 1.2 billion euros ($1.55 billion at the time this writing) in Maser's future hopes of achieving the larger success we all have wished for it. And after a thorough drive over the intensely challenging mountain roads of France's Mediterranean coast, we can't deny that there's finally reason to put some faith in this long overdue investment.
The much-applauded outgoing Quattroporte enjoyed a reputation of being among the very fastest executive sedans of its day, all while delivering the sportiest overall ride and handling, even in base trims. Yet there was constant corporate-level dysfunction that kept all Maseratis from getting important upgrades or receiving much-needed investment support. So, the outgoing Quattroporte has up until now sort of languished nobly, largely resting on the laurels it earned when it launched way back in 2003.