Gallardo Spyder Ceramic Brakes Egear Rear Camera Carbon Fiber Interior!! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Maserati Levante Launch Edition debuts with pretty matte blue paint

Maserati has some small fish news today for the Geneva Motor Show: It plans to introduce a Levante Trofeo Launch Edition and ultimately sell 100 across the globe to kick off sales of the high-performance crossover. We're mostly taken by the Blu Emozione matte paint on the one shown here. Carbon fiber inserts on the bumpers, side skirts and hood make up the exterior changes for the Launch Edition. If you don't opt for the purplish blue (but why wouldn't you?), then Giallo Modenese and Rosso Magma are also on the table. For the less Italian inclined, that means yellow and red. Only 22-inch wheels will be fitted to the Launch Edition, with the choice being either a glossy or matte finish. Brake calipers are then painted in blue, yellow, red or silver. We'd have to recommend the blue calipers to go with the blue paint. Unique interior elements include a special, full-grain black leather. The Trofeo logo is embroidered on the headrests, and there's color-contrasting stitching throughout. The stitching's color corresponds to the exterior paint color you chose. The Trofeo is the hottest version in the Levante lineup, fitted with the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 assembled by Ferrari in Maranello — note, the V8 is Ferrari-derived but not identical to the V8 out of the 488. We drove it awhile back and found it to be more than enticing as a performance SUV. Pricing for the Launch Edition is not currently available, but a normal Trofeo starts at $171,475. Related video:

Stellantis to offer electric versions of most of its European lineup by 2025

Newly merged automaker conglomerate Stellantis will offer electric versions of almost all of its European lineup by 2025, it said on Thursday, as the auto industry faces regulatory pushes in Europe and China to accelerate the shift to zero-emission cars. Formed in January by the merger of France's PSA and Italian-American group Fiat Chrysler, Stellantis is the world’s fourth largest carmaker with 14 brands including Opel, Jeep, Ram and Maserati, and like its peers faces an investor community keen for a road map to an electric lineup to rival Tesla . Speaking during Stellantis' first annual shareholders meeting, Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said that in 2021 the carmaker expects sales of electrified vehicles — that is, both plug-in hybrids and fully electric models — to more than triple to over 400,000 units in 2021. By 2025, electrified vehicles should make up 38% of European sales, a huge jump from the 14% of sales it expects in 2021. Tavares said by 2030 electric models should make up 70% of European sales and 35% of U.S. sales. He said Stellantis will use four electric platforms for passenger vehicles across its 14-brand empire — small, medium and large sizes for cars, and "frame" for high-margin SUVs and pickup trucks. Sweden's Volvo said this month its lineup would be fully electric by 2030, and Ford Motor Co said in February its lineup in Europe would be too. BMW has said at least 50% of its car sales should be fully-electric models by 2030. Sales of electric and plug-in hybrid cars in the European Union almost trebled to over 1 million vehicles last year, accounting for more than 10% of overall sales. Green Alfa Romeo Fiat Jeep Maserati Citroen Lancia Opel Peugeot Vauxhall Electric Hybrid Stellantis

Maserati looking to book 13,000 sales of new Quattroporte in 2013

Europe's continuing financial woe is forcing automakers to get creative, and while Fiat may be scaling back its volume vehicles, it's looking to ramp up production of the exclusive Maserati brand. Following the debut of a new Quattroporte sedan, Fiat wants to boost Maserati sales to 50,000 vehicles by 2015. Maserati may lose as much as €7 million ($9.05 million) this year, and Fiat is betting big on Chrysler platforms and dealers to turn that around.
Currently regarded as a low-volume boutique carmaker, Maserati sold just 6,159 units last year, and 4,700 units through three quarters of this year. For 2013, Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne is targeting 13,000 in sales of the redesigned Quattroporte alone. Fiat apparently wants the brand's low volume image to change, hoping to position it closer to BMW and Porsche in the market.
The recent unveiling of the new Quattroporte will be followed by more new vehicle launches, including a crossover utility called Levante, and a long-promised sub-Quattroporte sedan, called Ghibli. The latter will share certain components with the Chrysler 300 sedan in an effort to optimize production costs. The Ghibli will be positioned to take on the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. It's all in an effort to turn the profit tide for Maserati and its parent company Fiat amidst European economic turmoil.