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Maserati cutting Ghibli, Quattroporte production on slowing demand

If Maserati is going to meet its ambitious sale targets, it's going to need to grow as fast as its cars can accelerate. But lately, the Trident marque has seen demand for its luxury sedans flattening, if not receding. And now Maserati has had to cut production to avoid overshooting demand. We've been seeing reports of production being trimmed at the company's Grugliasco plant near Turin, Italy, for over a month now. But while earlier reports seemed to indicate the trouble was rooted in supplier issues, the latest suggests that slowing demand is the culprit. According to Automotive News Europe, parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has had to cut the number of shifts at Grugliasco (where the Ghibli and Quattroporte are produced) from 12 per week to 10. "Fiat has told us that workers at the Grugliasco plant will be working for three weeks out of four up until July," union leader Federico Bellono told ANE. "The company is predicting production of about 30,000 to 35,000 cars at Grugliasco this year. I think it will be closer to 30,000." Last year the plant produced 34,000 units, with the sedans accounting for the bulk of Maserati's sales. Of the 36,448 units the Modena-based automaker sold last year, 23,500 were Ghiblis and 9,500 were Quattroportes, with the GranTurismo accounting for just 3,500 units. That's up considerably from the total of 15,400 units it sold in 2013, but is still some ways off from the 50,000 it hopes to reach this year and the 75,000 it aims to achieve by 2018. The arrival of the upcoming Levante crossover, as well as the Alfieri sports car and new GranTurismo, will surely help. But if Maserati is going to reach its ambitious sales targets, it's going to have to find more buyers for its core sedans. Repeated requests made by Autoblog for comment from Maserati have yet to be answered, but we'll be sure to update you if and when relevant new information comes to light. Related Video:

2014 Maserati Quattroporte to get twin-turbo V6

As we wait for the Detroit Auto Show to get our up-close and in-depth look at the redesigned 2014 Maserati Quattroporte, some details are just starting to emerge about the car's powertrain, but nothing is official just yet. Autocar has posted a first drive of the new Quattroporte, finally spilling the beans about what motivates this sporty and luxurious sedan.
We already knew that the 2014 Quattroporte will offer two engines - a V6 and V8 - but what we didn't know is that both engines will get a pair of turbochargers and direct injection. Previously, we speculated that the smaller V6 would be supercharged, but this 3.0-liter V6 will get turbos instead helping it produce an estimated 410 horsepower. As for the larger 3.8-liter V8, this engine is said to produce 530 horsepower (confirming our previous report) to go with 479 pound-feet of torque; performance specs for the V8 include a top speed of 191 miles per hour and a 0-60 mph time of well under five seconds.
All cars will have a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive will be optional allowing for all of the engine power sent to the rear wheel during normal driving and a full 50/50 split between front and rear axles when needed. As we suspected, the 2014 Quattroporte has grown in size to better compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

2024 Maserati GranTurismo PrimaSerie 75th Anniversary edition revealed

Maserati revealed the new GranTurismo’s interior earlier this week — but wait, thereÂ’s more. Just shown is a special launch edition of the GranTurismo that goes by PrimaSerie. If you recall the MC20 CieloÂ’s reveal, that model was also launched with a PrimaSerie special edition model. This GranTurismo follows the trend, but in a slightly different package. To celebrate 75 years of Maserati, this modelÂ’s full, official name is the PrimaSerie 75th Anniversary. In keeping with the “75” theme, Maserati plans on building four sets of 75 matching cars — each of the four sets has its own, unique appearance. That means there will be a total of 300 GranTurismo PrimaSerie models. Pictured here are the two Trofeo models — powered by MaseratiÂ’s Nettuno V6 engine — that will be available. The gray car is technically Grigio Lamiera Matte, and the black car is finished in a paint Maserati calls Nero Scarabeo Matte. If you opt for the Grigio Lamiera PrimaSerie, itÂ’s paired with Corse Red accents on the logos, scripts, air vents, wheels and interior stitching. The 75th anniversary logo can be seen on the wheels, and if you look inside, itÂ’ll be on the headrests, too. Go for the matte black option, and this one is paired with Mint Green accents all over the exterior and interior. Despite the paint color of the cars being rather subtle shades, all the colorful accents on these special editions make them not-so-subtle. Not pictured yet are the Folgore PrimaSerie options. Maserati says the two special editions for the electric GranTurismo will be painted in either Rame (a copper-like color) or Blu Inchiostro (blue). Pricing isnÂ’t out for these PrimaSerie models, but Maserati allows you to express interest for the Trofeo models on its website. Opting for one of the launch editions would make you one of the first owners of the redesigned GranTurismo when it comes out. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2024 Maserati GranTurismo Folgore revealed