First-time for V8 in Ghibli
Pair of sedans become Maserati’s fastest ever
Put a pair of new Trofeos in Maserati’s collection. The Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte get the Trofeo treatment adding a V8 to the Ghibli and turning them into the fastest sedans ever made by the trident brand.
Maserati is launching the 2021 trio in white, red, and green, to show off the company’s Italian identity, but it’s what’s under the hood that really sparks Italian fervour.
It’s the company’s 3.8L twin-turbo V8, built by Ferrari in Maranello to Maserati specs. The 580 hp singing V8 is already in the Levante Trofeo, the most powerful version of that crossover, and it’s already in the Quattroporte GTS (with 50 fewer ponies), but this is the first time for the V8 in the Ghibli at all, and the first time in the QP with this much power.
580 hp is enough to push the Ghibli and Quattroporte Trofeos to 326 km/h, making them the company’s fastest sedans ever. The Levante manages a still-impressive 302 km/h. Under the two new models is Maserati’s Integrated Vehicle Control system that has new settings for enhanced dynamics and driver thrills, including a Corsa race mode and launch control for the rear-drive sedans with mechanical limited-slip diffs.
Maserati says the signature of the cars is the engine sound, but special tweaks to the Trofeo sedans including piano black grille bars and carbon fibre for the front air ducts and rear diffuser. They’ll also have red trim on the side air vents and a lightning bolt on the C-Pillar badge and taillights that are restyled with a 3200 GT-like boomerang profile.
Inside are Trofeo badges in the headrests and a new start-up cluster animation. The sedans have a larger 10.1-inch screen while the Levante’s 8.4-inch screen has new graphics. The new models should arrive later this year, all with an eight-speed automatic.
