2004 Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa Convertible 2-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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Maserati Ghibli 334 Ultima First (and Final) Drive Review: Arrivederci V8

BORMIO, Italy – Maserati has sold more than 100,000 cars with a V8 engine. Its smallest V8s had 3.2 liters of displacement; its biggest were 4.9-liter units. Its first V8 powered the rare, short-lived V8RI race car released in 1935; its final V8s will be built in December 2023 for the Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante. After that, the curtains come down. Officially, the Italian brand explains its new, 3.0-liter Nettuno V6 (a brilliant engine thatÂ’s twin-turbocharged to 621 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque in the MC20) leaves nothing to be desired in terms of performance. Privately, insiders also cite looming emissions regulations in key markets as a reason for finally hopping on the downsizing train. Will the V8 ever come back? “Never say never,” IÂ’m told, though a return isnÂ’t planned as of this writing. To hell with heritage; the cost of summoning a dark cloud of disapproval from regulators around the world outweighs whatever benefits Maserati would reap by saving the V8 in the name of tradition. ItÂ’s the end of the V8 era, then, and Maserati is commemorating it with two limited-edition models called Ghibli 334 Ultima and Levante V8 Ultima, respectively. The Quattroporte is available with a V8 as well, but a special-edition version of the big sedan isnÂ’t in the pipeline because Maserati wanted to focus on its better-selling models. In both cases, the Italian company has saved the best for last. The Ghibli 334 Ultima stands out with an edition-specific color called Persia Blu, 21-inch Orione wheels, Pirelli P-Zero tires made using a stickier compound, and several carbon fiber bits (such as the door mirror caps) that save about 55 pounds. The Rubino Red “334” logo painted on each fender denotes the new top speed: 334 kilometers per hour, which represents about 207 miles per hour and makes the 334 faster than the Trofeo itÂ’s based on by 5 mph — itÂ’s also the fastest sedan on the market. The previous title holder, BentleyÂ’s Continental Flying Spur, tops out at 333 kph, which also converts to about 207 mph, but Maserati is Italian and uses the metric system to measure its bragging rights. The sedanÂ’s 0-to-62-mph time drops from 4.3 to 3.9 seconds, but the engine remains the same: ItÂ’s the tried-and-true 3.8 rated at 572 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. Inside, the 334 Ultima comes with two-tone Pale Terracotta and black upholstery that echoes some of MaseratiÂ’s classic models without going full-on retro.

Driving the 2021 Chevy Tahoe and big news from Hyundai | Autoblog Podcast #640

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by News Editor Joel Stocksdale. They discuss some of the big trucks Joel drove: the 2021 Chevy Tahoe and a Mil-Spec-modified Ford F-150. After that is a look at the latest car news including Trofeo versions of Maserati's sedans, Hyundai's new electric brand called Ioniq, and the BMW M3 Touring station wagon and Hyundai Elantra N-Line. They wrap things up with some musings on anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and how cars played a role in it. Autoblog Podcast #640 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Reviews2021 Chevy Tahoe Mil-Spec Ford F-150 Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte Trofeo models revealed Ioniq becomes EV brand for Hyundai 2021 Hyundai Elantra N Line revealed BMW finally announces an M3 station wagon The 19th Amendment and how cars fit in Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Government/Legal Green Podcasts BMW Chevrolet Ford Hyundai Maserati

Latin music star Ren? P?rez destroys own Maserati to send kids a message

Can destroying a car be art? That question comes a bit too late for the Maserati Quattroporte seen above. The act depicted is from the music video for Adentro by Puerto Rican hip-hop act Calle 13 new single.
While the video is not yet online, the making-of featurette is available below and shows the luxury sedan getting beat with a baseball bat (and more) by the group's frontman René Pérez. According to Latin Gossip, Pérez wants to send his fans a message not to place too high a value in material objects. The Maserati represents a time in his life of too much excess, it seems...
The guy might have an argument, but it still seems pretty wasteful to destroy a perfectly good Italian sports sedan. We will be curious to see how far the destruction goes, but you can get a peak at it in the video below.