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Maserati Ghibli overtakes Levante, headed for Shanghai?

While earlier reports indicated that the next Maserati product out of the gate would be the Levante SUV, Motor Trend is now reporting that the Audi A7-shaped Ghibli has cut in line. Word is that we may see the new Ghibli as early as the Shanghai Motor Show in April.
Citing unnamed sources, MT predicts that the minds at Maserati now see a more pressing need to fight off the likes of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the BMW 5 Series than to go after luxury utes. However, if our spy shots of Ghibli prototypes are anything to go on, it's also likely that the sub-Quattroporte Maser won't be a traditional sedan. The car above's long nose, low roof and brief, sloping rear deck all bring to mind Audi's lovely A7, Meaning the Ghibli may fall into the always murky four-door-coupe/luxury hatchback genre.
Bi-turbocharged iterations of both a V6 and a V8 should make up the early powertrain choices for the Maserati, meaning the top-spec Ghibli should have loads of shove to match its promised good looks.

2017 Maserati Model Year Preview and Updates

From a storied past, to an almost-forgotten nameplate and to what it offers today – in the guise of two four door sedans, a coupe or convertible GT and its first-ever SUV – Maserati has, over the last several years, quietly exploded into the ranks of desirable brands. And with the introduction of the all-new Levante SUV (pictured above), the Italian marque once again confounds the skeptics. MASERATI LEVANTE: The Levante, Maserati's first-ever SUV, arrives in the US marketplace at exactly the right time, as interest in all-road capability has never been higher, and high-end offerings have never been more numerous. Supplying what Maserati describes as best-in-class on-road handling in 'sport' mode and leading off-road comfort, propulsion is supplied by your choice of two V6 powertrains: a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with 345 horsepower in the Levante, and the same basic V6 with 424 horsepower in the Levante S. GHIBLI: Maserati's most accessible model, with a base price of just over $70K, is unchanged for 2017. GRAN TURISMO COUPE/CABRIOLET: Maserati's 2+2 coupe and convertible are unchanged for 2017. QUATTROPORTE: Maserati's luxury four-door receives an exterior nip here and tuck there, along with updated infotainment inside. Available in both GranLusso and GranSport, you can enjoy sport-oriented luxury or luxury-oriented sport. And unlike its siblings, which offer either V6 powertrains or V8 powertrains, the Quattroporte allows the buyer to select one from each column.

Maserati Ghibli 334 Ultima First (and Final) Drive Review: Arrivederci V8

BORMIO, Italy – Maserati has sold more than 100,000 cars with a V8 engine. Its smallest V8s had 3.2 liters of displacement; its biggest were 4.9-liter units. Its first V8 powered the rare, short-lived V8RI race car released in 1935; its final V8s will be built in December 2023 for the Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante. After that, the curtains come down. Officially, the Italian brand explains its new, 3.0-liter Nettuno V6 (a brilliant engine thatÂ’s twin-turbocharged to 621 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque in the MC20) leaves nothing to be desired in terms of performance. Privately, insiders also cite looming emissions regulations in key markets as a reason for finally hopping on the downsizing train. Will the V8 ever come back? “Never say never,” IÂ’m told, though a return isnÂ’t planned as of this writing. To hell with heritage; the cost of summoning a dark cloud of disapproval from regulators around the world outweighs whatever benefits Maserati would reap by saving the V8 in the name of tradition. ItÂ’s the end of the V8 era, then, and Maserati is commemorating it with two limited-edition models called Ghibli 334 Ultima and Levante V8 Ultima, respectively. The Quattroporte is available with a V8 as well, but a special-edition version of the big sedan isnÂ’t in the pipeline because Maserati wanted to focus on its better-selling models. In both cases, the Italian company has saved the best for last. The Ghibli 334 Ultima stands out with an edition-specific color called Persia Blu, 21-inch Orione wheels, Pirelli P-Zero tires made using a stickier compound, and several carbon fiber bits (such as the door mirror caps) that save about 55 pounds. The Rubino Red “334” logo painted on each fender denotes the new top speed: 334 kilometers per hour, which represents about 207 miles per hour and makes the 334 faster than the Trofeo itÂ’s based on by 5 mph — itÂ’s also the fastest sedan on the market. The previous title holder, BentleyÂ’s Continental Flying Spur, tops out at 333 kph, which also converts to about 207 mph, but Maserati is Italian and uses the metric system to measure its bragging rights. The sedanÂ’s 0-to-62-mph time drops from 4.3 to 3.9 seconds, but the engine remains the same: ItÂ’s the tried-and-true 3.8 rated at 572 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. Inside, the 334 Ultima comes with two-tone Pale Terracotta and black upholstery that echoes some of MaseratiÂ’s classic models without going full-on retro.