Celebrity Life

When Italian car manufacturer Maserati chose diesel engines to power its Ghibli saloon and Levante SUV, enthusiasts scratched heads in disbelief: could oil ever be an appropriate fuel for one of the most emotive names in automobile history?

For whatever reason, though, the company now appears to be backtracking, with the news that it’s begun replacing diesels with mildly hybridised (MHEV) petrol engines, the first example of this being the roll-out of a facelifted Ghibli with a turbocharged 2-litre, four-cylinder unit – whose 48-volt technology accumulates and then recovers kinetic energy – under its bonnet.

For a manufacturer more commonly associated with V8 (or, at the very least, V6) power, a 2-litre four-pot might sound even less acceptable than the oil-burning six it replaces, but Maserati is eager to point out that the new motor is easily up to the task. The engine, which in its basic form is shared with FCA stablemate Alfa Romeo, has been tweaked to provide 325bhp and a fairly hefty thwack of torque – and as all of the latter is available from just 1,500rpm, and also comes with a further e-boost from the MHEV system, performance is at the very least on par with that of the outgoing power units. Moreover, the company says it offers significantly reduced emissions compared with the diesel, and the new car is considerably lighter than the outgoing one, too – by some 80kg.

Performance figures for the revised Ghibli certainly look impressive: maximum speed is in the region of 260km/h, with a 0-100 acceleration time of 5.7 seconds. Those figures come with appropriately rorty noises from the exhaust system, which the engineers have reworked to provide a properly Maserati-like soundtrack.

The new internals come with a gentle massage of the car’s exterior and interior, with the adoption of the colour blue both outside (on the three side ducts, brake calipers and c-pillar trident badge) and in (seat stitching) denoting its MHEV credentials. Also new are a front grille with revised vertical bars resembling tuning forks, and restyled rear lights.

This, however, represents merely a first step in the Modena company’s EV programme, an eventual objective being the full electrification of its entire fleet. Next year should see the launch of new, all-electric GranTurismo and GranCabrio models – so enjoy those fruity Maserati sounds while you can. They’ll soon be a thing of the past.

The post Singing the Body Electric with Maserati’s New Ghibli appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Before Ferrari went public, they shared a majority of engineering with their cousins at Maserati. Projects like the Enzo and the MC12 shared chassis and engines to accomplish different goals, but now both brands are free to develop their own individual hypercars. Back in May, Maserati celebrated their 80th Anniversary of the Targa Florio win […]

The post Maserati MC20 Engine Unveiled With F1 Technology appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

Maserati is honoring their home country with five Levantes – three Levante Trofeo and two Levante GTS – that feature a special tricolore band of green, white and red stripes. This special feature is found on running along the top of the hood and roof of the vehicles, and it’s been applied by the Paint […]

The post Maserati Honoring Italy With New Tricolore Livery appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

Maserati is honoring their home country with five Levantes – three Levante Trofeo and two Levante GTS – that feature a special tricolore band of green, white and red stripes. This special feature is found on running along the top of the hood and roof of the vehicles, and it’s been applied by the Paint […]

The post Maserati Honoring Italy With New Tricolore Livery appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

From Toledo to Turin, Fiat-Chrysler is going headlong into an electric future. Leading the way for the world’s most presigious brands, Maserati has teased the upcoming Ghibli Hybrid. In a film uploaded to their social media accounts, we see a bolt of lightning invigorating their headquarters. The accompanying press release states:  “A single spark evolves […]

The post Maserati Teases Ghibli Hybrid appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

It was on May 23, 1940 that Maserati captured four wins in a row at the Targa Florio, a prestigious endurance race in the mountains of Sicily.To celebrate the 80th anniversary of their victory, Maserati has brought an MC20 prototype to Sicily and onto the roads where the Targa Florio occurred. This is just the […]

The post Maserati Celebrates 80th Anniversary of Victory With MC20 Prototype appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

It was on May 23, 1940 that Maserati captured four wins in a row at the Targa Florio, a prestigious endurance race in the mountains of Sicily.To celebrate the 80th anniversary of their victory, Maserati has brought an MC20 prototype to Sicily and onto the roads where the Targa Florio occurred. This is just the […]

The post Maserati Celebrates 80th Anniversary of Victory With MC20 Prototype appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

We lost a legend of motor racing on April 12th. After entering his first race in 1951, Maserati realized the potential of Sir Stirling moss. Putting him behind the wheel of their Eldorado race car, he put it to the test in 1958. To honor his legacy, Maserati has unveileled the latest MC20 prototype dedicated […]

The post Maserati Unveils MC20 Prototype Dedicated to Sir Stirling Moss appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.