2008 Maserati Quattroporte on 2040-cars

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Maserati preparing electric Quattroporte for 2028

Maserati's range will look a lot different in 2030 than it did in 2020. The brand has already confirmed that the Quattroporte and the Levante will both be replaced by electric models, and it told us when we'll see both models while shedding light on the other cars in the pipeline. The final Quattroporte rolled off the Turin, Italy, assembly line in December 2023. The smaller Ghibli and Maserati's V8 engine died at that time as well, and they're not coming back. Instead, the brand will remain without a sedan in its lineup until 2028, when it plans to release an electric follow-up to the Quattroporte. It's too early to provide concrete details about the model, but Maserati released one interesting tidbit of information: While the EV will carry the historic Quattroporte nameplate into the 2030s, it will be closer to the Ghibli in terms of size. When it lands, the next Quattroporte will join a battery-powered SUV described as an E-segment model that sounds a lot like the Levante's electric replacement. Production of the Levante continues, even without a V8 option, and we don't know when the big SUV will retire yet. As of writing, it sounds like both models will be only offered with an electric drivetrain. Until then, Maserati will continue to offer gasoline- and battery-powered versions of the cars in its range. We've seen and driven the GranTurismo Folgore, and the coupe will spawn a convertible called GranCabrio later in 2024 that will also be available with either a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 or three electric motors. Even the MC20 supercar will be offered with electric power: The Folgore model previewed in 2020 will reach production by the end of 2025. Note that these EVs won't replace the gasoline-burning variants: "We're going to let buyers decide [whether they prefer the V6 or the EV]," Maserati told me. Maserati stresses that all of these electric models will be designed, developed, and manufactured in Italy. It notably invested a significant amount of money into modernizing the research and development center it operates deep within its decades-old headquarters in Modena. Related video:

Maserati GranCabrio revealed in high-output Trofeo trim

As has been the tradition with Maserati over the past couple of decades, now that the four-seat GT coupe has launched, it's time for the drop-top version. And this latest convertible adopts the same name as its predecessor: GranCabrio. It is, in almost every respect, the same car as the GranTurismo, but with a fabric roof and a bit more weight. Said roof is available in five colors: a navy blue, dark red, black, grey and "greige." It is indeed fabric in order to fold more compactly and allow for cargo space with the top folded, though it will still take up a bit of trunk space when retracted. It also folds quickly at just 14 seconds, and it will come back up in 16. Operation of the top can be done at speeds up to 31 mph. To keep occupants comfy in all temperatures with the top down, the front seats have air vents in the seat backs to blow air onto the neck. Optionally available is a fold-open wind blocker that fits behind the front seats, though it can't be used with rear occupants. The soft top does bring some extra weight, around 220 pounds compared to the equivalent coupe. Maserati didn't specify exactly what contributes to the gain – whether it's more just top components or if some of it comes from chassis reinforcements (both seem likely). Interestingly, the extra weight actually gives the GranCabrio slightly better balance than the GranCoupe. The drop-top's front and rear weight distribution is 51/49 to the coupe's 52/48. Maserati is only offering the GranCabrio in the top-spec Trofeo internal-combustion trim for now. That includes the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 making 542 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The weight does ever so slightly blunt acceleration, dropping it by 0.1 second to 3.6 compared to the GranTurismo Trofeo. The same staggered 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels and Brembo brakes carry over from the coupe, too. And while the Trofeo is the only version for now, Maserati notes that the chassis remains designed for internal combustion and electric power, so an all-electric Folgore and more entry-level Modena gas-powered models will likely be added later. Maserati did not give a specific time for when the GranCabrio will hit dealers, but it should be sometime this year. Pricing is also a mystery, but should carry a premium over the GranTurismo coupe. Related video:

New Maserati Quattroporte revealed before Detroit debut

Well that didn't take long at all. Although we just saw spy shots of the new Maserati Quattroporte last week, Maserati has now taken the wraps off its redesigned sedan ahead of a confirmed Detroit Auto Show debut. Although no official details for the car were released just yet, we can infer quite a few changes just from the images. Celebrating 50 years of the Quattroporte, Maserati is referring to this new car as a 2013 model, but it will arrive next year for the 2014 model year in the US.
The overall exterior styling of the new Quattroporte hasn't evolved too far away from the current car. There is still the sloping hood, vented fenders and shapely body lines, but it also gets a much sleeker roofline and more steeply raked front glass. It also appears that the rear wheels no longer cut into the rear doors, suggesting a longer wheelbase. The biggest change made to the car's styling is found in the rear of the car where horizontal taillights and exhaust tip design now gives it a strong Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG vibe. Inside, the four-passenger sedan now gets a more stylish two-tier instrument panel, a larger touch-screen display on the center stack and what looks to be equally sized monitors for the rear-seat entertainment system.
Under the hood, we can definitely tell that the Quattroporte still uses a V8, but aside from the press release calling it an "all-new next generation powertrain," we don't have any real details of what powers the car. Or do we? The rear 3/4 image of the new design shows a license plate number of "QP 530 HP" possibly suggesting the engine's output has been raised to 530 horsepower up from the current 425. We are also expecting a supercharged V6 at some point down the line with an output of around 420 hp, and it is likely that both engines will be paired to eight-speed automatic transmissions.