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Maserati slashes prices for 2020, adds Edizione Ribelle special editions

Maserati is slashing prices for the Ghibli, Levante and Quattroporte for the 2020 model year. To which we say, huzzah! Cars almost never get cheaper, but when sales are as abysmal as Maserati sales have been, drastic changes must be made. The Italian car company only sold about 11,000 vehicles total in 2019, coming in even lower than 2018 overall sales numbers. In an effort to turn it around, the 2020 Ghibli is now $5,990 cheaper than the 2019 model. The Levante is $3,990 cheaper than before, and the Quattroporte is $8,490 less. With destination included, the new 2020 base prices are as follows: Ghibli: $70,985 Levante: $74,485 Quattroporte: $101,485 Basically, buy a 2020, not a 2019. Or at least start your pricing negotiations with the 2020 price. There’s more than just pricing news from Maserati today, though. We also got to see some new Edizione Ribelle special editions. All of the aforementioned models are available in this spec, but numbers are limited. WeÂ’ll get 100 Levantes, 100 Ghiblis and 25 Quattroportes total. All of them are based off the “S” trim, so theyÂ’re fairly well-equipped models. YouÂ’ll be able to tell them apart by the Nero Ribelle paintwork, black chrome trim throughout the exterior and 20-inch wheels framing red brake calipers. The inside will be covered in black and red leather thatÂ’s only available with this special edition car. There will be extra carbon fiber trim on various surfaces and a Harman Kardon audio system. Pricing for the Edizione Ribelle models is much higher than the base cars. The Ghibli is $93,285; the Levante is $98,485, and the Quattroporte costs $120,985. Those limited-production cars will be hitting dealer lots in March this year. 2020 Maserati GT Sport editions View 3 Photos The last scrap of news coming from Maserati today is the introduction of a GT Sport package. This package consists of a few extras to make the respective Maserati look a bit more aggressive. It applies a GranSport-unique front and rear fascia design, new wheels and your choice between black, red or blue brake calipers. Inside, it features high gloss piano black wood. Just like the Edizione Ribelle, thee GT Sport package will be available come March of this year.

Marchionne says no offers are on the table for Fiat Chrysler

MONZA, Italy (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler (FCA) has not received any offer for the company nor is the world's seventh-largest carmaker working on any "big deal", Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Saturday. Speaking on the sidelines of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix, Marchionne said the focus remained on executing the company's business plan to 2018. Asked whether FCA had been approached by someone or whether there was an offer on the table, he simply said: "No." The company's share price jumped to record highs last month after reports of interest for the group or some of its brands from China. China's Great Wall Motor Co Ltd openly said it was interested in FCA, but had not held talks or signed a deal with executives at the Italian-American automaker. The stock move was also helped by expectations that the company might separate from some of its units. Marchionne reiterated on Saturday that FCA was working on a plan to "purify" its portfolio and that units, such as the components businesses, would be separated from the group. He hopes to complete that process by the end of 2018. "There are activities within the group that do not belong to a car manufacturer, for example the components businesses. The group needs to be cleared of those things," he told journalists. Asked whether an announcement could come this year, Marchionne said it was up to the board to decide and that it would next meet at the end of September. He said the time was not right for a spin-off of luxury brand Maserati and premium Alfa Romeo and the two brands needed to become self-sustainable entities first and "have the muscle to stand on their feet, make sufficient cash". "The way we see it now, it's almost impossible, if not impossible, to see a spin-off of Alfa Romeo/Maserati, these are two entities that are immature and in a development phase," he said. "It's the wrong moment, we are not in a condition to do it." He said the concept of separating the two brands from FCA's mass market business made sense and did not rule out this happening in future, but not under his tenure, which lasts until April 2019. "If there is an opportunity in future, it would certainly happen after I'm gone. It won't happen while Marchionne is around," he said.

Maserati teases us with its MC20 testing in the snow

It may be feeling spring-like here in parts of the United States, but there was still plenty of snowpack in Livigno, Italy, when Maserati took its forthcoming MC20 supercar out for a photo session during some cold-weather testing at Ghiacciodromo Livigno.  "During its cold-weather mission, the super sports car was tested to evaluate engine cold starting, the low-temperature performance of its elastic components and the car’s handling on cold and low-grip asphalt surfaces," said the accompanying release. "The test is also performed to verify correct functioning of the Climate Control System in cold conditions; tests were also conducted on the battery, suspensions and brakes." Just reading that, you'd think their trip was all business. Indeed, this is the latest stop on the MC20's worldwide durability testing tour, but from the playful scenes we see here, it's pretty obvious that the engineers had their share of fun giving the MC20's suspension and powertrain a workout in the low-grip environment.  2022 Maserati MC20 winter testing View 5 Photos The MC20 is a mid-engined, 621-horsepower, mid-engine super-coupe that was built with the race track in mind. Power comes from a new V6 that is the first in the company's new "Nettuno" (Neptune) engine series. The twin-turbocharged mill produces 210 horsepower/liter, making it one of the most power-dense engines in the world. It was designed, developed, and produced in-house by Maserati's engineers despite sharing some of its fundamental design with other performance engines in its corporate family.  Maserati has only unveiled the street-legal variant of the MC20 seen here so far, but we expect it won't be long before we hear more about its competition aspirations.