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Former BMW M boss and Maserati CEO killed in freak motorcycle accident

It's a tragic coincidence that on the same weekend the BMW M4 Coupe Concept was introduced in Monterey, one of the men most integral to BMW's M and Motorsports divisions, Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, was killed in England. Kalbfell, a vintage motorcycle enthusiast, was set to compete in the Lansdowne Classic Series at Brands Hatch and had an accident during a practice session. After going wide at Druids Corner and falling, he was hit by a competitor following close behind and died of his injuries after being transported to hospital.
Kalbfell, an engineer, began his career at BMW in 1977 in the communications department; a decade later he was chairman of BMW M GmbH, overseeing development of some of the cars responsible for the myth of M. In 1994 he was named chairman of BMW Motorsport, and his cap full of feathers includes getting the BMW V12 into the McLaren F1, getting the BMW V8 into two Morgan cars, along with developing BMW's Formula One engine and return to the sport. Not incidentally, he also assumed leadership of Project Rolls-Royce after BMW bought the British marque in 1998, which means he oversaw the Goodwood factory upfit and the creation of the Phantom.
He left Rolls-Royce for a brief stint at Fiat, heading Alfa Romeo and Maserati, then went into consulting for clients like Lotus and Paragon, who built the Artega GT. As Autocar notes, Kalbfell "had an abiding sense that customers needed to be attracted to cars by their aura and reputation, not just their engineering." He will be missed.

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.

2022 Maserati Ghibli price of entry climbs to $77,695

Maserati announced the revamped Ghibli lineup in June, boiling down ten trims to four, but didn't announce pricing. The good have made their way to the Maserati configurator, so now we know how much more a 2022 Maserati will cost in relation to what came before. The big jump happens at the bottom, the previous base Ghibli becoming the 2022 Ghibli GT. The GT holds pat with the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 making 345 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. It also gets 18-inch alloy wheels and chrome accents outside, with leather "comfort" seats and Dark Mirror trim inside, and automaker spokesperson Kas Rigas told CarsDirect the GT gains some standard driver assistance tech, wireless charging and black painted brake calipers.   The price bump for the new name and goodies is $4,010, from $73,685 to $77,695 after the $1,495 destination charge.  Above that, the Ghibli Modena starts at $82,395, putting it $1,210 over the previous GranSport and GranLusso trims that came above the S and all-wheel drive S Q4. The Ghibli Modena features a 424-hp version of the V6 engine with 428 lb-ft., restyled bumpers with black inserts, 20-inch wheels and "wraparound" leather seats. Turning the front axles to get the all-wheel drive Modena Q4 adds $2,600, for a total of $84,995. The price of adding AWD has gone up by $100, and this is the only AWD trim in the range now after having three last year; however, the price of getting into an AWD Ghibli in an upper trim has gone down by $2,990. Last year, the lower-tier S Q4 cost $81,185, but the S Q4 GranLusso and GranSport ran $87,985. Finally, the 2022 Ghibli Trofeo starts at  $112,095, just $710 more than the 2021 Ghibli Trofeo. Just under that, and for a short time, is Ghibli F Tributo honoring Juan Manuel Fangio (pictured) with exclusive colors and a "very limited" production run. Based on a search at the Maserati U.S. web site, a Ghibli F Tributo starts at $100,385 if you shop in a place like Arizona, or $102,885 in a place like New York state. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.