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Autocar compares new Maserati Quattroporte to Jaguar XJ

Autocar's Steve Sutcliffe took the 2014 Maserati Quattroporte on a spin along snowy mountain roads to test it for a specific brief: as a limousine for the chauffeured class. It's sporting credentials are impressive: Twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8, 532 horsepower, 475 pound-feet of torque in casual circumstances that rises to 532 lb-ft in overboost, a 0-to-60 mile-per-hour sprint of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph.
However, citing Maserati's desire to not just increase its sales to 50,000-per-annum by 2015, but to sell many more of its cars in China, Sutcliffe wanted to find out if the livery side of the Quattroporte could match its sport sedan side. So after taking the pilot's seat and trying out the sport settings, Sutcliffe hops in back to test out the CEO's seat.
Then he compares the Quattroporte against the long-wheelbase Jaguar XJ with its supercharged V8, a sedan that's 15,000 pounds less expensive than the Maserati. It doesn't take long for him to find that one of them is a clear winner when it comes to transporting VIPs. To find out which one, enjoy the video below.

2017 Maserati GranTurismo will only come with a hard hat

If you've been waiting for the next generation of the Maserati GranTurismo to come along before you place your order for a four-seat convertible, you'd better change your plans and act fast. Because the latest report coming in from across the pond confirms what we long suspected: that the next GranTurismo will be offered in coupe form only. The news comes from Auto Express, which quotes Peter Denton – Maserati's manager for Northern Europe – as saying that "The GranTurismo will be replaced at the end of 2017, but as a coupe only." That coupe will also be smaller than the current model, but the timeframe means that by the time it's phased out, the current GT will have been on the market for a staggering ten years – based on architecture dating back to 2003, if not earlier. That doesn't mean that Maserati won't offer a convertible altogether, though. By the time the new GranTurismo arrives, the Trident marque will have introduced the Alfieri, which (like the outgoing GranTurismo) will be offered as both a coupe and a convertible. The trend seems to follow a larger industry direction away from four-seat convertibles – particularly under the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles umbrella. Chrysler discontinued the 200 Convertible, and unlike Ford and Chevy that offer convertible versions of the Mustang and Camaro, Dodge does not offer a convertible Challenger. Aside from the fated GranTurismo Convertible (known as the GranCabrio overseas) and the Jeep Wrangler, the only droptop in the entire sprawling group with more than two seats is the Ferrari California – a model whose presence may have factored in to the decision to discontinue the Maser cabriolet as well. The news will undoubtedly come as welcome to competitors like Aston Martin and Bentley, which between them offer several four-seat convertibles including the DB9 Volante, Vanquish Volante and Continental GTC. It remains to be seen, however, whether Jaguar will offer a convertible version of the next XK to stand alongside the smaller F-Type roadster.

Maserati's sub-Quattroporte sedan spotted testing

The spy photogs at CarPix have caught the upcoming small sedan from Maserati to slot under the Quattroporte, rumored to be dubbed Levante, out testing. The spy shots frankly don't tell us much more than that, since the mule is wrapped in an ill-fitting Quattroporte body giving away little more than a shorter wheelbase and smaller brakes.
The Levante, if that's what it's called, will be Maserati's entry into the luxury mid-sized sedan segment to compete with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series. Said to arrive late next year, it will have its luxury ducks in a row, supposedly offering a twin-turbo V6, a V8 and a 300-horsepower diesel with 500 pound-feet of torque.
Questions about engines and their provenance remain; the next Quattroporte is getting a Ferrari-sourced supercharged V6 and turbocharged V8, but it is wondered if the Levante's V6 might come from the other side of the Fiat stable, namely Chrysler. No matter where the motors come from, though, they'll be run through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.