2017 Maserati Quattroporte S Q4 3.0l on 2040-cars

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Maserati's next sports car shown in heavy camo

Maserati has started the process of re-tooling its historic Modena, Italy, factory to build a new sports car scheduled to come out in 2020. Full details about the model remain under wraps — even its name is a mystery — but the very first batch of images provided by Maserati and brought to you exclusively by Autoblog reveal several key points about it, including a few that we didn't see coming. The photos douse cold water on the rumors claiming Maserati's next sports car would be essentially a toned-down version of the Alfieri concept introduced in 2014. The test mule depicted in the images is heavily camouflaged, but its proportions, the size of its cabin, and the huge vents behind the doors suggest it's a mid-engined two-seater, not a front-engined model with a 2+2 interior layout. Autoblog learned the test mule is powered by a completely new drivetrain, but your guess is as good as ours when it comes to what it's made up of. Regardless, it was designed and built entirely in-house, and it will spawn a family of drivetrains that will exclusively power the company's vehicles. Starting from scratch is a huge undertaking. Engineers will closely analyze the data gathered during the testing phase, and use it to fine-tune the drivetrain on its research and development department's simulators. The improved components will in turn be road-tested. Maserati's new approach to vehicle design relies heavily on simulators, but head of product Joe Grace told us real-world testing remains hugely important. The company puts about 3 million miles annually on its prototypes. While the photos beg more questions than they answer, they confirm Maserati's renaissance is around the corner. The company will introduce its next new model during the Geneva Motor Show in March 2020, so we expect to learn much more about it in the coming months. It will be followed by the next-generation GranTurismo and GranCabrio, which will be available with the company's first electric powertrain, and by a new SUV positioned below the Levante. Featured Gallery 2020 Maserati sports car test mule spy shots Auto News Spy Photos Geneva Motor Show Maserati Coupe

High school design students sketch out FCA's 'ultimate status vehicle'

Each year since 2013, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) hosts a design contest for high school students called Drive for Design intended to educate and encourage automotive career hopefuls. For 2019, FCA prompted 10th, 11th, and 12th graders to imagine the "ultimate status vehicle." The top three choices include two Alfa Romeos and a Maserati. FCA named first, second, and third places in the contest. Maximillian Cooper (lead image) from Design and Architecture Senior High in Miami won first place. Mason Ross (first inline image) from Kennedy Catholic High School in Burien, Wash., took second. Vincent Piaskowski (Maserati image) from Ernest W. Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Mich., placed third. The three winners of the contest will be awarded with numerous valuable prizes. They will get behind-the-scenes tours at the FCA U.S. Product Design studios, as well as mentoring time with some of FCA's designers. They will also get scholarships to attend the Precollege Summer Experience Transportation Design program at the College for Creative Studies. Lastly, they'll have the honor of serving as junior judges at the EyesOn Design Car Show. Although each sketch has a unique look, all three take the same approach: cab-forward, bubble-top supercar coupes with dramatic lines and curves. Piaskowski's shows direct inspiration from a shark, but we wouldn't be surprised if all three students have special places in their hearts for the Pininfarina Maserati Birdcage Concept.

Maserati Ghibli pricing announced for UK

Maserati's newest car, Ghibli, is a stunningly well-proportioned luxury sedan mixing the styling of the larger Quattroporte sedan and the GranTurismo coupe. We found it plenty good to in our First Drive review, and now we know how much it will cost (in the UK, at least).
Ghibli pricing announced at the Goodwood Festival of Speed is for customers in the UK, but based on current exchange rates and prices of other Maseratis sold here in the US, we can estimate its MSRP for our market. The base Ghibli, with a twin-turbocharged V6 making 325 horsepower, will cost 52,275 pounds for the Bits, making $75,000 a good guess for American buyers. If that number holds true, however, the Ghibli would be in a price category above its main competition from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Take a step up to the Ghibli S, sporting a naturally aspirated V8 producing 404 hp, and you'll have to fork out 63,415 pounds or an estimated $91,000 here.
Just for kicks, the Europe-only Ghibli Diesel, which makes 270 hp and 420 pound-feet of torque with its diesel V6, is the least-expensive Maserati 48,830 pounds. Running an estimated $70k for us, we'd really like to have that one, too. After all, the sparkplug-less engine is the same one found in the Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel.