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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013 |

When Maserati launched the GranTurismo MC Stradale back in 2010 at the Paris Motor Show, its goal was to create a more performance-orientated version of the Pininfarina-designed coupe, with more power, less weight and a stiffer suspension, which is why the Italians dropped the rear seats.Now, Maserati is getting ready to premiere a new sub-version of the GranTurismo MC Stradale that keeps the regular model's four-seat configurationat next week's Geneva Motor Show.
Other than that (which of course, should bring an weight, though, Maserati hasn't released an official figure yet), the 4-seater GranTurismo MC Stradale is identical to its 2013MY 2-seater sibling wearing the same exterior outfit highlighted by a carbon fibre bonnet that frames a central air intake, a rear diffuser and 20-inch forged alloy rims.
The same applies under the hood with the 4-seater model featuring a 4.7-liter naturally-aspirated V8 pushing out 460PS (454hp) linked to an MC Race Shift 6-speed robotized manual gearbox, which allow for a top speed of 302km/h (188mph) that is identical to the 2-seater MC Stradale.

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MONDAY, APRIL 08, 2013 |

In yet another teaser that doesn’t let us see (almost) anything, Maserati announced that it will release the first pictures of its all-new Ghibli sports sedan on April 10, 2013, ten days before the world premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show. The video teaser shows black and white footage from the photo studio where we can see the silhouette of a car in the background. However, apart from the Maserati grille, there’s no other clue to help us imagine how the car looks like.

However, the safest bet is to combine the new Quattroporte’s looks with the car's proportions from the spy photos we posted last month. If that doesn’t help, just think that there’s only two days left before Maserati reveals the car on the ghibli.maserati.com website.

Maserati bets on the Ghibli to gain market share in the upper levels of the popular executive sedan category, where it has to fight against the top-of-the-range BMW 5-Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Cadillac CTS, and maybe even the BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLS models.

The car will ride on a shortened version of the new Quattroporte’s platform measuring around 4.8 to 4.9 meters long, and will likely be offered with a similar range of turbocharged V6 and V8 gasoline engines, and possibly a diesel unit as well in the near future.

By Dan Mihalascu

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MONDAY, APRIL 08, 2013 |

Only a few hours ago, we shared a teaser videoof the upcoming 2014 Maserati Ghibli in which the Italian carmaker promised to drop the first images of the car later this week, ahead of its world premiere at the Auto China 2013 in Shanghai on April 20.

Apparently, they didn't check for…a leak, as the Czech team over at Autoforum (in case you didn't notice the red logo) are laying claims to the first official shots of the production Ghibli. While we can't be 100 percent certain at this time, our initial impression is that they're the real deal.

We've added photos of the new Quattroporteafter the jump so you can compare the styling of the two cars for yourself, but in our eyes, the Ghibli looks very much like a shorter and more compact in general, version of the larger Maserati with an even lower and more angry looking front end.

The dashboard also looks similar but has more contemporary and aggressive details and trim, which was to be expected since the Ghibli aims at a comparatively younger crowd and will be cross-shopped by buyers of the more powerful versions of the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, as well as the Audi A7 Sportback, BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe and the Mercedes-Benz CLS.

We don't have any official information of the new Ghibli in our hands yet, but from what we know, it should measure somewhere around 4.8 to 4.9 meters long and be offered with turbocharged V6 and V8 gasoline engines.

Shout out to Martin S. for the tip!

2014 MASERATI GHIBLI

2014 MASERATI QUATTROPORTE

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TUESDAY, APRIL 09, 2013 |

As we suspected, the photos of the brand-new 2014 Maserati Ghibli sedan that surfaced online Monday night were indeed real, as the Italian automaker came out with an official announcement containing some initial details and a batch of higher-resolution images that allow us to get a closer look at the luxury sports sedan.

Built on a shortened version of the platform that underpins the also-new Quattroporte, the more compact-sized Ghibli is expected to measure less than 5 meters in length or roughly the same as a BMW 5-Series sedan, with which it will compete. Other rivals will include the high-powered versions of the Audi A6 and A7 Sportback, BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and CLS, Jaguar XF and possibly even the 2014 Cadillac CTS.

The Italian carmaker said the new Ghibli will be available with two turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engines, with the most powerful version to likely have the same output it does on the Quattroporte (404hp / 410PS), an eight-speed automatic transmission and both rear-wheel drive and the new “Q4” all-wheel drive system.

Maserati also confirmed that the Ghibli will become the first production car in the brand's history to be powered by a diesel engine, which in this case will be a 3.0-litter V6 turbo-diesel, though, no other details were released.

"The Ghibli will have a sportier character compared to the larger Quattroporte," said Maserati in a statement. "It is Maserati’s first saloon in this segment and reflects the company’s belief that a growing number of premium executive car buyers are looking to make an individual statement through a car that is distinctive, elegant and luxurious."

The new Maserati sports sedan will make its first public appearance at the Shanghai Auto Show this month and go on sale later this year, possibly as early as late summer in certain markets.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 09, 2013 |

To captivate an enthusiast's heart, an automobile needs to entice a driver's senses on many different levels. For example, some cars are beautiful to the eyes but lack the performance, handling and feel to create that unique bond between man (or woman) and machine.It's far too early to say if Maserati's first attempt to build a car that targets the premium mid-size segment, the all-new Ghibli sports saloon, is one of those vehicles, but it does look and sound promising.
For starters, it possess an interesting, albeit somewhat understated (which isn't always a bad thing), design, which, of course, we will have to see up close and from different angles to have a more realistic opinion.
The fact that it can be had with rear-wheel drive and turbocharged V6 gasoline engines is also extremely positive, though, unfortunately, Maserati has only made word of a traditional 8-speed automatic transmission.
Speaking about the Ghibli's 3.0-liter turbocharged V6, which Maserati says will be offered in two flavors in terms of output, we have a small treat for you in the video that follows below: the sounds of the new Ghibli's V6. Hear it out and tell us what you think about it.

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MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2013 |

The Ghibli, which is “the first mid-size four-door luxury sports saloon in Maserati’s history,” made its world premiere at the 2013 Shanghai motor show boasting two new, three-liter V6 gasoline engines, as well as the brand’s first diesel. The Ghibli, along with the new generationQuattroporte sedan will be the models with which Maserati will try to hit its sales goal of 50,000 units worldwide per year.

The three-liter V6 diesel engine is by far the most economical unit on offer. It has 272 hp (275 PS) and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of torque, which translate into a naught to 100 km/h (62 mph) time of 6.3 seconds, while returning 6.0 L/100km (47 mpg UK/39 mpg US). Maserati is also keen to point out that the engine has actually been tuned to sound like a Maserati should, which is entirely plausible given today’s advanced exhaust tech and electronics.

The new V6 petrol engine features two turbochargers and comes in two states of tune, with either 326 hp (330 PS) or 404 hp (410 PS). The latter, featured in the Ghibli S, pushes the car to 100 km/h from standstill in 5 seconds flat, while the lower-powered model takes 0.6 seconds longer at 5.6 seconds.

All powerplants come mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox from ZF, while Maserati's Q4 all-wheel drive system is available on the top model. It takes just 150 milliseconds to move from delivering all of the power to the back to an even 50/50 split between the axles. However, while it can, it most likely won’t ever send more than 35 percent of the power to the front. Also, worth noting is the fact that Q4 won’t be available on right-hand drive models in the UK.

It will be interesting to see just how well the different-looking Ghibli does in China, where buyers are very conservative when it comes to the look of their car. Jaguar, for instance, is actually going to the trouble of making a different and more restrained body style for their next XJ, in order for it to be appealing in the PRC.

Worldwide sales of the new Ghibli will begin later this year.

By Andrei Nedelea

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