2007 Maserati Quattroporte Qp / Sport Gt / 32,098 Miles / Msrp Of $138,325 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2017 Maserati Levante First Drive

You can argue all you want about whether or not certain companies should build crossovers. That's what the comments section is for. We'd argue that Maserati should have done it a long time ago, having shown its first crossover concept back in 2011 and only delivering on it now. Porsche blazed that trail with the Cayenne and others have followed suit since, racking up big sales. It's a little odd, then, that after waiting so long to get in the game, the Levante came together in just 22 months. Blame nationalism. The original plan was for the Levante to be based on and built in Detroit alongside the Jeep Grand Cherokee. That changed when Sergio Marchionne decided, in his dictatorial way, that all Maseratis and Alfa Romeos would be designed, engineered, and manufactured in Italy. So the team hit reset, borrowed the Ghibli platform, and went about creating a not-quite-a-crossover, taller-than-a-wagon hatchback with air suspension. Just shy of two years later, we're driving the Levante. In Italy, naturally. The dimensions and stance are what set the Levante apart from the abundance of luxury performance crossovers and emphasize its Italianness. It's longer, wider, and lower than a Porsche Cayenne or the Grand Cherokee it was nearly spawned from. The hood looks impossibly long in person because it is really long. The front end takes inspiration from the Alfieri concept, and there's a refreshing lack of mesh or filler between the grille's thin vertical slats. It can stand to be so open because there is a set of active grille shutters just behind to manage airflow. What would be usable cargo space on a blockier crossover is sacrificed by a rakish hatch, which looks pretty and we're told routes air in a particularly aerodynamic-friendly fashion. Instead of building the boxy version first, Maserati took the gamble and went straight to the fashionable coupe-ish shape. That foresight paid off, as it seems the coupe-like SUV trend is here to stay. For all the scrambling that must have gone on to produce this new model so quickly, it doesn't present like a rush job. Sure, most of the engineering was already done for the Ghibli and Quattroporte, but the Levante actually feels like a more complete effort than those cars. The attention to detail is most felt in the cabin, where the latest corporate infotainment system has been neatly integrated into familiar surroundings.

Maserati GranTurismo Folgore EV shows its shapely sheetmetal

The electric version of the next-generation Maserati GranTurismo is racing towards production. After releasing preliminary specifications, the Italian brand published a batch of photos that show the elegant-looking coupe prowling the streets of Rome, Italy, with very little camouflage. Maserati will lump its upcoming electric models under the Folgore name, a word which means "lightning" in Italian. Its photos suggest that the next GranTurismo will continue to feature the proportions that characterized the original model; the hood is long, the roof line is almost fastback-like, and the trunk is relatively short. These are the styling cues that we expect from a luxury car pelted in the GT segment. Up front, the coupe falls in line with the design language inaugurated by the MC20 and recently seen on the Grecale. The grille is wide and positioned low on the fascia, while the swept-back headlights are mounted higher. We haven't seen the GranTurismo's rear end yet. As we previously reported, Maserati announced that the GranTurismo Folgore will offer over 1,200 horsepower from three electric motors. Figures like the coupe's zero-to-60-mph time and top speed haven't been revealed, but that's a number that should unlock seriously quick acceleration. And, Maserati is committed to letting customers choose whether to go electric. Buyers not interested in getting an EV will have at least one V6-powered version of the GranTurismo to choose from, though here again official details aren't available yet. More details about the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore should emerge in the coming months, and the coupe's unveiling is scheduled for 2023. Looking ahead, the Folgore range will grow with an electric version of the Grecale and replacements for the Quattroporte and the Levante, among other models. On the V6-powered side of the line-up, the mid-engined MC20 will spawn a convertible in the near future. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

The BMW M8 leads this month's list of discounts

Back in June of this year, the BMW 8 Series was the most heavily discounted vehicle in America. This month, it's the 617-horsepower M8. Midsummer buyers of the 2020 BMW M8, which is offered in hardtop, convertible and four-door Gran Coupe bodystyles, were seeing an average of $6,150 cut off the sticker; this month that figure has ballooned all the way to $16,864. That's more than 11% off the car's $150,000-plus retail price, and, according to data provided by TrueCar, it's the largest dollar amount sliced off the retail price of any car for the month of September. Next is the Maserati Quattroporte, buyers of which are saving $15,912 for an average transaction price of $99,763. If that's still too expensive, the smaller Ghibli's $70,030 average transaction price represents a huge 14.5% discount, earning the Italian sedan entry into our monthly top 10 best deals list.  The third largest monetary discount in September comes off the $131,066 sticker price of the lovely 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT. Take $15,473 off that sum for an average transaction price of $115,593. For a look at the best new car deals in America based on the percentage discount off their suggested asking prices, check out our monthly recap here. And when you're ready to buy, click here for the Autoblog Smart Buy program, which brings you a hassle-free buying experience with over 9,000 Certified Dealers nationwide. BMW Maserati Mercedes-Benz Car Buying Coupe Luxury Performance Sedan consumer best deals biggest discount