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Lazareth LM847 packs a Maserati V8 into a leaning quad frame

You want to know what insanity looks like? This is it. It's called the Lazareth LM847, and to boil it down to its essence, it's basically a sport bike built around a Maserati V8. Now this isn't the first motorcycle we've seen packing a giant car engine. There've been more custom jobs than we could list here, and of course there's the Boss Hoss – an American cruiser with a 5.7-liter Chevy V8 at its heart. And we'd be loathe to leave out the V10-powered Tomahawk concept from this discussion. But this is another matter entirely. The LM847 is made by a French outfit called Lazareth. It's the same company responsible for the Wazuma quad bike, the Wazuma GT roadster, and that bonkers Renault Twingo with the Range Rover V8 in the back. In other words, Lazareth knows crazy, and hasn't skimped on it this time. For its latest project, Lazareth started with a 4.7-liter V8 – the kind you used to find the Quattroporte or Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione before Maserati started downsizing and bolting on turbos. It produces 470 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque, channeled through a single-speed hydraulic coupling in place of a multi-gear transmission. Strictly speaking, it's not a motorcycle, but a quad – owing to the tandem wheels at each end. But it has a saddle and handlebars, and looks like it would lean in a fair bit in the turns. We're not about to find out though, because we don't have a death wish. Related Video:

2017 Maserati Quattroporte gets updated styling, equipment

Maserati revealed a series of updates to the Quattroporte, the most obvious of which is revised styling inspired by the Alfieri coupe concept. The overall shape remains the same, but there's a new grille and front bumper, matte black trim, and an active aero element similar to the air shutter on the Levante crossover that helps cut drag by 10 percent. The Modenese automaker also took the opportunity to update the interior, principally integrating a new 8.4-inch multi-touch dashboard display to replace the old 7-inch unit. Manipulated by a new rotary multimedia controller, the system supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. A new driver assistance package available as an option, encompassing adaptive cruise control, lane-departure and forward-collision warning systems, and automatic emergency braking. There are two new trim packages as well – dubbed GranLusso and GranSport – that can be optioned on the Quattroporte S and S Q4 or chosen between on the GTS model. Under the hood, both engines carry over unchanged. Standard power still comes courtesy of a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 good for 404 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, channeled through an eight-speed automatic transmission to either the rear wheels or all four. The GTS packs a bigger 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, still rated at 523 hp and 524 lb-ft. 0-60 times as a result remain unchanged at 4.9 seconds for the Quattroporte S, 4.8 for the all-wheel-drive Quattroporte S Q4, and 4.6 for the Quattroporte GTS. US pricing will be announced "in the coming weeks," we're told, however Maserati will begin delivering the revised Quattroporte already this month. The relevant question is whether these changes can help Maserati take a bigger slice of the fullsize luxury sedan market away from rivals like the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, and Mercedes S-Class. Maserati sold fewer models across its entire range in the United States last year than Mercedes did of the S-Class family, making the Quattroporte something of a footnote in this elite segment. If what we're looking at here represents a mid-cycle refresh of the model introduced in 2013, it will likely be 2019 before FCA's most upscale brand replaces its flagship sedan altogether. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Maserati Quattroporte View 9 Photos News Source: Maserati Maserati Luxury Performance Sedan

Baby Jeep to join Renegade in FCA's plan for new Italian-built models

FCA is boosting its European production, introducing new models that will be built in currently under-utilized manufacturing facilities. Among the new models is a new small Jeep, smaller than the current Renegade, as Automotive News reports. FCA's Mike Manley mentioned the entry-level Jeep model earlier this year, also saying that the vehicle is targeted to European and possibly Latin American customers; in the summer, Autocar placed the launch date in 2022. The new "baby" Jeep would be made in the same factory in Pomigliano, Italy, as the small Fiat Panda, which is a top seller in Italy. The current generation Panda was introduced in 2011; if it gets a replacement in 2022, it could possibly share a platform with the Jeep model — or, the Jeep could be an eventual outright replacement for the Panda. One of Fiat's earlier core products, the Punto hatchback, was canned in August, and that production capacity will be used to make the Jeep Compass instead, at the Renegade-producing Melfi factory in southern Italy. The Compass has not previously been built in Europe. The Fiat model portfolio would be shrunk to just the 500 model family and the Panda — the 500 would also be FCA's key electric vehicle offered in Europe. It is not yet clear whether the electric 500 would be made in Turin, Italy, or in Poland; Turin might also get a Giardiniera-badged wagon version of the refreshed 500. As for the Alfa Romeo brand, it is set to gain an even bigger SUV model than the Stelvio, based on the Maserati Levante's platform. The Levante's sales have suffered recently in China, but Maserati does have light in the horizon: The Alfieri 2+2 grand tourer is still in the cards, with a launch expected for 2020 and both a convertible and an electrified version planned to follow. The Alfieri would be made in Modena, Italy, according to Automotive News' sources. None of these plans namedrop the storied Lancia brand, which has been shrunk to just the Ypsilon hatchback, based on the same platform as the current 500 and Panda. Despite that, the Ypsilon was again the second-bestselling car in Italy after the Panda in October. It is unlikely that FCA will be able to ignore this, but it is just as unlikely that any development money will be afforded to come up with a replacement for the Ypsilon, which is as similarly old as the Panda. Perhaps official announcements expected on Thursday will also clarify what will happen to Lancia.