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Maserati Boomerang concept could fetch millions at auction

It's not every day that a truly head-turning, show-stopping, one-of-a-kind concept car goes up for auction, but that day is coming soon. Bonhams consigned the one and only Maserati Boomerang concept for its upcoming auction in Chantilly, France. The concept, designed by the inimitable Giorgetto Giugiaro at his Italdesign studio, debuted at the Turin Motor Show in 1971, and resurfaced at the Geneva Motor Show the following year in fully functional form. It was based on the Maserati Bora (by the same designer), packing a V8 engine good for 300 horsepower and 300 kilometers per hour (186 mph). What really set it apart, however, was its dramatic wedge shape that could only have been penned by Giugiaro. Of course it was never put into production, but its design was said to have influenced the original Golf that Giugiaro designed for Volkswagen shortly thereafter – to say nothing of the BMW M1, DeLorean DMC-12, Lotus Esprit, and so many others. In correspondence with Autoblog, Bonhams specialist Philip Kantor quoted its pre-sale estimate range at ˆ3-4 million (about $4 million, give or take half a million, at current exchange rates). That might seem like a big chunk of change, but as Kantor points out, "It's a unique, road registered concept car by the best car designer of the 20th century, so in comparative terms it's very realistic." We'll look forward to seeing bidding reach that range when the gavel drops on Sept. 5. For now, you can check out its sharp lines in the high-resolution image gallery above. THE ONE-OF-A-KIND MASERATI BOOMERANG OFFERED AT BONHAMS 5 Sep 2015, The Chantilly Sale A signature concept car of the 1970s, the Maserati Boomerang was a one-off prototype unlike anything seen before. Using geometric shapes and ruler straight lines, its angular style made a strong statement at the 1971 Turin Motor Show. Now the Boomerang is set to cause a stir once again as a highlight lot of Bonhams 5 September Chantilly Sale. Philip Kantor, Bonhams European Head of Motoring, said: "The Boomerang was the first car of its time to create such a strong, angular style statement. It's considered by many to be one of the most remarkable designs of the 20th century and the 'grandfather' to the Volkswagen Golf Mk 1.

Maserati ditches hydraulic steering to add semi-autonomous driver aids

Related: We obsessively covered the Frankfurt Motor Show — here's our complete coverage FRANKFURT, Germany — One of the distinctive aspects of modern Maseratis has been the continued use of hydraulic-assisted power steering. The company used it on the entire lineup from the Ghibli sedan to the GranTurismo sports coupe, touting in press releases that in comparison to now-common electric power steering, it "prevents unpleasantly artificial assistance when the driver turns the wheel quickly." Priorities appear to have changed, though, as the 2018 Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante are all going with electric steering. Those priorities would be adding a gaggle of semi-autonomous driving assists, which as Maserati CEO Reid Bigland confirmed, require electric power steering to fully implement. Specifically, the highway lane-centering, lane-keeping assist and blind-spot assist functions that can steer for you if necessary. Other new semi-autonomous functions include sign recognition, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. This may come as a disappointment to die-hard Maserati fans, but at the very least, the GranTurismo and GranCabrio sports cars still retain the classic hydraulic steering system. They also don't get the semi-autonomous features, but let's face it, those cars are ones you want to always be driving. As for the rest of the lineup, Bigland insisted the steering is still good. Of course you wouldn't expect anything less from the company's CEO. We'll reserve judgement until driving a 2018 Maserati ( that isn't a GranTurismo) to see if the new steering avoids being "unpleasantly artificial." Related Video:

2021 Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo First Drive Review | For the Ferrari faithful

Maserati is fighting hard for relevance right now. Its car lineup is severely dated with both the Quattroporte and Ghibli. The Levante faces more accomplished competition. At least there is hope on the horizon in the form of the Alfa — ahem, Maserati — MC20 mid-engine supercar and high-tech Nettuno engine. Plus, with the Grecale crossover soon to come, there could be brighter days ahead. ThatÂ’s tomorrow, but today we still have the vanguards of the early 2010s. The current flagship, more or less by default, is the big Quattroporte, and Maserati is giving it the Trofeo treatment for 2021 in an effort to bring it back onto our radar. Previous to now, the Trofeo trim was limited to the Levante. In the Quattroporte, the Trofeo formula is similar. It plops in the unbridled version of the Ferrari-sourced 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine — red wrinkle paint and all — making 580 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. It is, without a doubt, the brightest and best part of this car. The most potent version previous to now was the Quattroporte GTS with its 530-horse version of the same Ferrari V8. Very little is done to the exterior to let you know this Quattroporte is the Trofeo apart from the script on the front fenders that are accentuated with red-painted side air ducts. Beyond this, the C-pillarÂ’s Maserati logo gets a red lightning bolt, and more carbon fiber trim is used throughout. It also comes with 21-inch forged aluminum wheels, a glossy black grille finish and the same restyled taillights applied throughout the 2021 Quattroporte lineup. Unlike “look-at-me” performance offerings from Mercedes-AMG or BMW's Alpina, MaseratiÂ’s Trofeo is notably subtle. This not only goes for the Trofeo extras, but the Quattroporte in general. The big trident in the grille announces its presence, but just as it's been from the beginning, the current-generation Quattroporte simply fades into the background in a parking lot. Our test car's beige paint certainly doesn't help. While most prefer their big luxury sedans to be restrained and tasteful, aren't Italian sedans supposed to have a certain degree of excitement and flare?  At least the Trofeo will be recognizable by the sound it makes. Even with a pair of turbochargers attached, the Ferrari engine and exhaust note are unmistakable. Although the V8 is the same basic engine as the Levante Trofeo's, the Quattroporte version gets new turbochargers, stronger internal components and new camshafts and valves.