2012 Maserati Granturismo Coupe Cpo Certified Warranty Black Nav Leather Sport on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Maserati to celebrate 100th anniversary at Monterey Motorsports Reunion

The Pebble Beach weekend is without a doubt one of the preeminent classic car gatherings on the calendar. But while most of the events that make up the weekend are essentially static displays, our favorite may be the Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. That's where you can actually see classic racing cars doing what they were made for in the first place. And every year, organizers of the event select a featured marque.
Last year it was the Chevrolet Corvette. The year before it was Shelby, preceded by Jaguar the year before that. But next year, the classic racing event will feature Maserati, which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary. And to make the occasion extra special for the Modenese marque, next year also marks the 60th anniversary of the most celebrated racing cars ever made by Maserati (or any other constructor, for that matter): the Maserati 250F (No. 4 above) famously piloted by the likes of Fangio and Moss in 1954.
Fittingly, the Trident marque got its start in racing back in 1914 with the debut of the Tipo 26 that put Maserati on the map with a debut victory in the 1926 Targa Florio. Although you don't much see it competing at top levels these days, Maserati went on to win the Indianapolis 500, the Formula One World Championship and, more recently, the FIA GT1 World Championship.

Maserati Levante will borrow Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid's PHEV powertrain

The plug-in hybrid tech from the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan will move seriously upmarket into a future version of the Maserati Levante crossover. The PHEV model should arrive around early 2018 or possibly the end of 2017, division boss Harald Wester told Motor Trend. Wester was blunt about the reason for using the minivan's powertrain. "A standalone program would be suicidal so we have to look at FCA," he said to Motor Trend. However, he expects the PHEV to comprise a tiny portion of the luxury CUV's sales volume – possibly as low as six percent. The Pacifica Hybrid will be the first PHEV minivan in the US when it arrives in the second half of 2016. The powertrain combines a 3.6-liter V6 that runs on the more efficient Atkinson cycle, and two electric motors, which are in the gearbox. A 16-kWh lithium-ion battery under the floor stores the energy for the system. Chrysler estimates the setup can carry the minivan 30 miles purely on electric power and achieve 80 MPGe. The first examples of the Levante should arrive in the US in August, according to Motor Trend. Maserati plans initially to offer its luxury crossover here with two twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6s. Base models use a version with 350 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque. The S trim gets some extra grunt thanks to a tune that makes 430 hp and 427 lb-ft. Both models come with an eight-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, and a limited-slip differential. The Maserati will have a fleet of posh, European crossovers to fight against, and the PHEV will possibly offer an edge to entice a few green-minded, wealthy customers. Related Video:

Sergio rethinks FCA-GM merger idea, dismisses critics

After many public overtures, Fiat Chrysler Automotive CEO Sergio Marchionne has claimed his company won't be making a hostile takeover bid for General Motors. This is despite widespread speculation that FCA's desire to merge was motivated by its allegedly dire situation. As one unnamed GM exec who spoke to Automotive News earlier this year put it, "Why should [GM] bail out FCA?" "We are not choking. We are in relatively decent shape," Marchionne told journalists attending an FCA shareholder meeting in Amsterdam, AN reports. "We have been publicly rebuffed, we have been rejected and you cannot force these things. I don't want to. At the moment, we have no intention to do anything hostile." Instead of focusing on merging with GM, or any other partners for that matter, FCA will refocus on implementing its ambitious five-year investment plan, which would see it dump $52 billion into its various brands, with a particular focus on Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Jeep. So far the attempt has largely been unsuccessful, especially as it relates to the Italian brands. Earlier this week, additional reports emerged that claimed Alfa was pushing back the Giulia and an unnamed CUV while reassigning resources to updated versions of the Giulietta and MiTo hatchbacks. This is not the first time we've heard about trouble for the Giulia, of course. For Masearti, though, it was the first we'd heard of delays for Alfieri sports car, which allegedly won't appear in 2016, as promised. We can expect a proper breakdown of FCA's adjusted plans when Marchionne and Company reveal an updated product slate next month. Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Paul Sancya / AP Alfa Romeo Chrysler Fiat GM Jeep Maserati Sergio Marchionne FCA