2011 Maserati Quattroporte S~forgiato Wheels~stereo System~spoiler~ on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Maserati likely delays Alfieri, new GranTurismo coming first

The Maserati Alfieri won't be the next vehicle from the Trident-badged brand to hit the market after the Levante crossover. Instead, replacements for the GranTurismo and GranCabrio will arrive first. For now, Maserati CEO Harald Wester won't even speculate about when the production Alfieri will debut. At the Geneva Motor Show, Motoring tried to pin Wester down about the Alfieri's future, but he wasn't in the mood to talk about the 2+2 sports car. The boss said he didn't know if the model was still on schedule and gave a terse "no comment" response about a possible launch next year. He did confirm Maserati's upcoming product slate, though. "The next one will be substitution of GranTursimo, GranCabrio by successors. We already had discussion about Alfieri and I don't want to go into details," Wester told Motoring. A report late last year claimed Maserati had delayed the Alfieri due to the weakening market in China. As opposed to launching the niche sports car there, FCA, parent company of both Maserati and Alfa Romeo, allegedly refocused its plans on updating the Alfa Romeo Mito and Giulietta, which are more popular in Europe. Maserati debuted the Alfieri as a concept at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, and FCA's five-year plan that year slated a production version for 2016 and a convertible variant for 2017. A selection of V6 engines with 410-, 450-, and 520-horsepower outputs would hook up to the rear or all four wheels, depending on the model. The Italian company also scheduled a new GranTurismo with at least 560 hp to launch in 2018. Maserati's desire to reach an annual volume of 75,000 vehicles by 2018 also looks in doubt. The company's original figure assumes launching the Levante on time, Wester told Motoring. Because of the luxury crossover's delay, the company now expects to reach 50,000 units a year by 2017. Related Video:

2014 Maserati Ghibli S Q4 [w/video]

For one reason or another, this is a car people stare at. They might be drawn to its curvaceous shape riding on immense wheels. They could be intrigued by its gaping, blacked-out grille which houses an equally outsized trident logo, or doing quick calculations about the last time they saw a car wearing the name Maserati. It may be its sports-car-like proportions mixed with achingly long, four-door bodywork that draws their eye.
Or, and I urge you to consider this theory carefully, the people taking notice of this Maserati Ghibli S Q4 might simply be newly alert after hearing the sound of its exhaust ricocheting off any solid thing nearby as I drive past grinning like a certified asshat. Did you hear an Italianate engine song careening through your Ann Arbor, MI neighborhood, in the black of the early morning, just a few weeks previous? Sorry, guy, that was probably me.
I spent a week hammering this all-wheel-drive Ghibli as hard as I dared in the last truly miserable stretch of the God Awful Winter of 2014. I can honestly say that I enjoyed myself, shocked at both the frank way this new challenger luxury car went down the road as well as the attention it garnered in the process.

2019 Maserati Levante Trofeo Drivers' Notes Review | A mixed bag

The first thing you need to know about the 2019 Maserati Levante Trofeo is that it's the most powerful vehicle Maserati currently makes, outgunning models like the GranTurismo and Quattroporte GTS by a good margin. In fact, the only production Maserati more powerful than the Levante Trofeo was the V12-powered MC12 Versione Corse. The Trofeo's 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 is built by Ferrari and shares more than a little with that company's current crop of V8 engines. The biggest difference is that this engine uses a cross-plane crankshaft in place of Ferrari's flat-plane crank as well as a wet sump oiling system. The Trofeo hits 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 187 mph. The styling is more aggressive than the already bold Levante GTS thanks to 22-inch wheels, carbon fiber trim and a new hood with vents to help cool the engine. Inside the cabin, nearly every surface is covered with leather and carbon fiber. Now, all this comes at a cost. The Levante Trofeo starts at $169,980, $39,000 more than a Levante GTS and more than twice as much as a base model. You're mostly paying for performance and styling since most of the features on our tester like the upgraded leather upholstery and four-zone climate control can be found on lesser Levantes. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: Ferrari is ending its deal to supply engines to Maserati. That's a shame — for Maserati. The 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 in the Levante Trofeo is a riot, and it gives this golden-retriever-hauling crossover the feel of a true Italian sports car. You might know this engine from the Ferrari Portofino. It's lightly modified and built on the same line in Maranello, Italy. Mash the gas and this thing emits a growl that grows more guttural as the revs build. It sounds pretty good at 3,000 to 4,000 rpm, which is about all you can sensibly summon in the suburbs. I've driven the twin-turbo V6, which is also solid and also supplied by Ferrari, but trust me, you want the V8. The rest of the Levante is attractive, though it's not the most practical thing around. I was able to get a rear-facing car seat in the back, and my toddler certainly enjoyed his first ride in a Maserati. Other thoughts: I like the elevated ride height, toothy grille and curvy fenders. The Levante is a compelling option in this expensive segment designed for Rich Uncle Pennybags. If that's you, don't scrimp with six cylinders. Go with the V8.