2006 Maserati Quattroporte 32k Miles on 2040-cars

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Lightning strikes behind the grille of Maserati's first hybrid model

Maserati's first production-bound hybrid powertrain will be inaugurated by the Ghibli, its entry-level model. The Italian firm released a short preview video to announce the model's imminent global debut. Posted on its official Facebook page, the 10-second-long video shows the front end of a Ghibli with blue lightning crashing across its grille, a feature that will presumably not be available on the production car. Although it doesn't reveal the hybrid's final design, let alone what's behind the grille, the flick confirms the gasoline-electric Ghibli will not look drastically different than the gasoline-only model. Minor trim differences will set the two sedans apart. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. As we've previously reported, we expect the Ghibli will receive a plug-in hybrid drivetrain (rather than mild or standard hybrid technology) capable of powering it on electricity alone for short distances. It will stand proud as the first in a long line of electrified Maserati models, because every car the brand releases in the coming years will incorporate some degree of electrification. Additional hybrid models are in the pipeline, and the replacements for the GranTurismo and GranCabrio due out in 2021 and 2022, respectively, will be Maserati's first electric cars. Maserati will introduce the hybrid Ghibli online on July 16 at 1 p.m. in Modena, Italy, which is 7 a.m. in New York City and 4 a.m. in Los Angeles. Additional information (including details about American availability) will be published right after the car breaks cover, and deliveries are tentatively scheduled to start before the end of 2020. What's next? The on-going COVID-19 pandemic side-tracked Maserati's plans, but 2020 remains on track to become one of the most significant years in the company's 106-year long history. It's putting the final touches on a mid-engined coupe tentatively called MC20 that will receive a new, 630-horsepower V6 engine developed in-house. The two-seater's unveiling is now scheduled for September 2020, and it will hit the track shortly after its introduction.

Best car infotainment systems: From UConnect to MBUX, these are our favorites

Declaring one infotainment system the best over any other is an inherently subjective matter. You can look at quantitative testing for things like input response time and various screen load times, but ask a room full of people that have tried all car infotainment systems what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. For the most part, the various infotainment systems available all share a similar purpose. They aim to help the driver get where they're going with navigation, play their favorite tunes via all sorts of media playback options and allow folks to stay connected with others via phone connectivity. Of course, most go way beyond the basics these days and offer features like streaming services, in-car performance data and much more. Unique features are aplenty when you start diving through menus, but how they go about their most important tasks vary widely. Some of our editors prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based and chock full of boundary-pushing features. Others may prefer a back-to-basics non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some prefer Android phones over iPhones, we all have our own opinions for what makes up the best infotainment interface. All that said, our combined experience tells us that a number of infotainment systems are at least better than the rest. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down to five total systems in their own subcategories that stand out to us. Read on below to see our picks, and feel free to make your own arguments in the comments. Best infotainment overall: UConnect 5, various Stellantis products Ram 1500 Uconnect Infotainment System Review If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. It has numerous qualities that make it great, but above all else, UConnect is simple and straightforward to use. Ease of operation is one of the most (if not the single most) vital parts of any infotainment system interface. If youÂ’re expected to be able to tap away on a touchscreen while driving and still pay attention to the road, a complex infotainment system is going to remove your attention from the number one task at hand: driving. UConnect uses a simple interface that puts all of your key functions in a clearly-represented row on the bottom of the screen. Tap any of them, and it instantly pulls up that menu.

2023 Maserati MC20 Cielo offers unlimited headroom and 621 hp

Maserati is returning to the convertible segment after a brief hiatus with a topless version of the MC20 named Cielo. The roadster offers the same twin-turbocharged V6 engine and carbon fiber chassis as its coupe counterpart but it gains a power-retractable glass roof panel. "Cielo" means "sky" in Italian — it's a fitting name. Visually, the MC20 Cielo is nearly identical to the MC20 coupe from the rocker panels to the belt line. It's what's above that counts: Maserati fitted the roadster with a glass roof panel that opens or closes at the push of a button in about 12 seconds. The space that it occupies is located behind the passenger compartment so engineers had to redesign the decklid, and the engine is no longer visible through a glass cover. We're told that the transformation adds only about 143 pounds to the MC20 for a curb weight of roughly 3,400 pounds. Maserati planned the convertible model from the get-go so few compromises were made during the development process. The Cielo keeps the cool butterfly-style doors, and it offers the same amount of cabin and trunk space as the coupe. Folding away in a couple of seconds isn't the roof's only trick: it can go from clear to opaque in a matter of seconds thanks to Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) technology. Like the coupe, the MC20 Cielo is powered by Maserati's excellent 3.0-liter Nettuno V6 engine. The mid-mounted six is twin-turbocharged to 621 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque, and it spins the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Maserati quotes a zero-to-62-mph time of approximately 3 seconds and a top speed of around 200 mph, which sounds like a quick and fun way to dry your hair. Brembo-built six-piston front and four-piston rear brake calipers keep the engine's power in check. Built in Italy, the 2023 Maserati MC20 Cielo will reach showrooms in the coming months. Pricing will be announced closer to the model's on-sale date. At launch, buyers will be able to order a limited-edition version called PrimaSerie Launch Edition that stands out from the standard model with a specific, three-layer paint color called Acquamarina that was initially developed for Maserati's customization program.