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Ghibli PHEV will launch Maserati's electrification offensive

The hybrid variant of the Maserati Ghibli  announced in 2019 is allegedly scheduled to make its public debut during the 2020 Beijing Motor Show. The yet-unnamed model will launch the Italian brand's electrification offensive. Sources familiar with Maserati's plans told Automotive News Europe the Ghibli hybrid will greet the public for the first time when the Beijing show opens its doors on April 21. Going hybrid in China makes sense on several levels. It's an important market for Maserati, the current-generation Ghibli (pictured above) broke cover at the 2013 Shanghai auto show, yet it's a country it has struggled to gain a secure foothold in. Adding electrified options to its range could give its annual Chinese sales a big boost because officials are promoting cars with a plug to curb pollution. There's no word yet on what kind of hybrid technology the Ghibli will receive, though Automotive News Europe speculated it will be a plug-in setup capable of powering the sedan on electricity alone for short distances. Similarly, it's too early to tell if the Italian firm will drop a hybrid powertrain into the Ghibli as we know it and push it to the market, or if it will also make visual, tech, and other mechanical updates to the seven-year-old model. Maserati hasn't commented on the report, and it hasn't announced when the Ghibli hybrid will make its debut; it only pledged to release the model in 2020. Similarly, we don't know if the sedan will be sold in the United States yet. We've reached out to the company for clarification, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Looking ahead, every model Maserati releases will incorporate a degree of electrification. Some will be hybrids, we expect the existing Quattroporte and Levante models will receive gasoline-electric technology, and we know the replacements for the GranTurismo and the GranCabrio due out in 2021 and 2022, respectively, will be the firm's first battery-electric models. There's a new sports car right around the corner, too, and rumors indicate it will be aimed at the Lamborghini Huracan Evo, but we'll need to be patient to find out what's under the camouflage. Related Video:

Maserati GranTurismo successor to be smaller, fight Porsche 911

The Chevrolet Corvette, Jaguar F-Type and Porsche 911 all belong to a club that shuns the Maserati GranTurismo as an outsider. You see, those three key sports cars all measure within an inch of one another in length - 176 to 177 inches and change - while the Maserati comes in at over 192 inches. Naturally, there's extra length between its wheels, as well.
While those extra inches would seemingly pay dividends in interior roominess and storage space, those are not exactly the most important attributes in the segment, which values proper proportions and proper driving feel over all else. All of this is why it comes as little surprise that Maserati is working on a smaller version of its two-door sports car platform when the next generation is ready in roughly three years.
According to Motor Trend and echoing rumors we've heard in the past, the smaller model will be known as the Gran Sport while a larger model will still be called GranTurismo in coupe form and GranCabrio in convertible guise. We're told, again, to expect Maserati's new 404-horsepower supercharged V6 engine as standard, while the V8 would still be a possible option.

Ten of the greatest Super Bowl car commercials of all time

With an average of over 100 million viewers each year, the Super Bowl always has advertisers bringing out the big guns. And for those among us who don't know the difference between a safety and a touchback, those commercials can be one of the most compelling aspects of the annual ritual. Car companies, in particular, have a long history of making the most of the huge Super Bowl audience by debuting some of the most memorable advertisements that have ever aired on television. So, in preparation for the new batch we'll be seeing this coming Sunday, here's a collection of our favorites from the past. 10. Audi – The Godfather When Audi created this homage to the quintessential gangster movie to promote its newest sports car, the company managed to make a commercial that was simultaneously funny, a little bit disturbing, and most importantly memorable. 9. Maserati – Strike This one might start out slow, but it delivers not only with the wicked sound of the third-generation Ghibli's engine, but with an interesting message about hubris in the auto industry as well. 8. Nissan 300ZX Twin-Turbo – Dream Directed by none other than Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Alien), this dystopian spot has centers around a narrator who explains that in his dream the bad guys are unable to catch him despite their best efforts by way of street bikes, race cars, and supersonic jets. While the twin-turbocharged 300ZX car was certainly a performance powerhouse to be reckoned with in its day, the concept and execution of this one does come off a little bit campy now – but in a good way. Then again, it is a dream, after all. 7. General Motors – Robot This one is unique in that it's genuinely depressing on a profound level. Who would've thought that the simulated suicide of a lovable, anthropomorphic car-building robot who has fallen on hard times could be such a downer? 6. Nissan – With Dad Although the debut season of its new LMP1 racer didn't exactly turn out how the team hoped it would, there's no denying that Nissan's depiction of a strained father-and-son relationship that eventually leads to redemption (and the introduction of the 2016 Maxima) tugs at the heartstrings. 5. Volkswagen – Big Day A surprisingly poignant advert, this one might be low on dialogue but it certainly gets its message across. And just as the dramatic soundtrack begins to lull the viewer into a sense of security, our expectations are upended. 4.