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Maserati ditches hydraulic steering to add semi-autonomous driver aids

Related: We obsessively covered the Frankfurt Motor Show — here's our complete coverage FRANKFURT, Germany — One of the distinctive aspects of modern Maseratis has been the continued use of hydraulic-assisted power steering. The company used it on the entire lineup from the Ghibli sedan to the GranTurismo sports coupe, touting in press releases that in comparison to now-common electric power steering, it "prevents unpleasantly artificial assistance when the driver turns the wheel quickly." Priorities appear to have changed, though, as the 2018 Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante are all going with electric steering. Those priorities would be adding a gaggle of semi-autonomous driving assists, which as Maserati CEO Reid Bigland confirmed, require electric power steering to fully implement. Specifically, the highway lane-centering, lane-keeping assist and blind-spot assist functions that can steer for you if necessary. Other new semi-autonomous functions include sign recognition, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. This may come as a disappointment to die-hard Maserati fans, but at the very least, the GranTurismo and GranCabrio sports cars still retain the classic hydraulic steering system. They also don't get the semi-autonomous features, but let's face it, those cars are ones you want to always be driving. As for the rest of the lineup, Bigland insisted the steering is still good. Of course you wouldn't expect anything less from the company's CEO. We'll reserve judgement until driving a 2018 Maserati ( that isn't a GranTurismo) to see if the new steering avoids being "unpleasantly artificial." Related Video:

Maserati GT2 turns the MC20 into a real race car

Maserati previewed a racing version of the MC20 super car last year, and now it's finally showing the real thing. The car has dropped the MC20 name altogether, becoming just the Maserati GT2. That's a bit odd, considering it's still an MC20 at its core, but regardless, the race car is still pretty sweet. Significant exterior changes have been made to become a GT2 race car. Vents, louvres and intakes are all over and much larger. It's all in service of increased downforce, as well as increased cooling. And besides adding more holes, the GT2 features a flat undercarriage, bigger diffuser and a giant adjustable rear wing. The carbon fiber chassis is the same as the MC20, and it continues to use double-wishbone suspension front and rear. But geometry has been updated, and it uses unique shocks, springs and anti-roll bars. And of course, they're all adjustable. Stopping power is provided by six-piston front calipers, four-piston rears, and ventilated steel rotors. The engine is also pretty much what you would expect in a regular MC20, and Maserati even quotes the same 621 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. But the output of the twin-turbo Nettuno V6 can be adjusted based on balance of performance needs for races. It also is capable of greater overall boost pressure and reduced back pressure in the opened-up exhaust. It does ditch the eight-speed automatic in favor of a six-speed sequential manual transmission, plus a competition-ready limited-slip differential. The interior is expectedly gutted. In place of the more luxurious MC20 cockpit, the GT2 gets race-spec seats, a multifunction steering wheel and control stack and a screen for instruments. It also has a roll cage and six-point racing harness. While many niceties are gone, the GT2 does still have air conditioning. Maserati will be offering the GT2 to professional racing teams for regular competition and private owners for track and occasional racing use. The company expects the car to start appearing in the Fanatec GT2 European Series this year, with full-year competition starting next year. Related Video:

100th Anniversary Maserati Ghibli stars in the 2014 Neiman Marcus catalog

Each year, retailer Neiman Marcus releases a Christmas catalog detailing some truly absurd gifts. Chief among them is a Neiman Marcus edition car. Usually from a luxury or exotic manufacturer, the Neiman Marcus models are a limited edition and generally sell out very quickly. Past participants have included the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, McLaren MP4-12C Spider, Ferrari FF and, the most plebian car in recent memory, the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. For this year's catalog, the Maserati Ghibli is up for purchase.
Not only will it make a great Christmas gift for the ultra wealthy, but this $95,000 Maser also pays tribute to the Italian automaker's 100th anniversary. Based on the top-of-the-line S Q4 model, this Ghibli adds a few unique features, including bespoke 20-inch wheels with centennial center caps and a black border for the grille.
The cabin features premium leather in Cuoiu, which is basically tan. Black contrast stitching can be found throughout the cabin and on the Tridents stitched into the headrests, while bespoke piano black trim rounds out the interior. Finally, the center console bears a badge denoting the Ghibli's unique edition number.