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2014 Maserati Ghibli snarls in Shanghai

Big things are happening at Maserati, where the automaker is looking to increase its sales to 50,000 units annually. In addition to the revised Quattroporte that we saw at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, Maserati has launched the all-new Ghibli here in Shanghai - a smaller, more driver-focused model that will take on the likes of the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
At launch, the Ghibli will be offered with three six-cylinder engines, two gas and one diesel. The base engine is a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 with 330 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, good for a 0-62 time of 5.6 seconds. The more powerful Ghibli S, however, comes with a twin-turbocharged version of this engine, good for 410 hp and 406 lb-ft, reducing that 0-62 time to just five seconds flat. On the diesel end, the Ghibli will offer a 3.0-liter diesel V6 with 275 hp and 443 lb-ft of twist, able to do that same 62-mile-per-hour run in a still impressive 6.3 seconds. The more powerful Ghibli S will also be available with Maserati's new Q4 all-wheel-drive system, though we're told that this feature cannot be had on right-hand-drive versions.
As for what we can see here in Shanghai, the Ghibli looks pretty darn good, though that front fascia reminds us an awful lot of the BMW 3 Series. (Seriously, just picture the Bimmer with a more gaping grille opening.) Maserati will offer the Ghibli with standard 18-inch wheels, though 19s, 20s, and even 21s will be available as optional extras.

This is our clearest look yet at the next Maserati Quattroporte

The best look we've had at the next Maserati Quattroporte so far was found in patent drawings that could have substituted for a whole lot of other cars. But seen here is a more useful glimpse, courtesy of someone on the lookout in Italy who caught a prototype in a skin-hugging wrap.
Maserati has apparently gone with the Charles Eames philosophy on the redesign: "The details are not details. They make the design." The overall line is familiar - not such a bad thing even on this 10-year-old sedan - but the detailing appears to have been refined and made sleeker. The taillights themselves should make for an especially interesting feature if the camo'ed car can be trusted.
The next Quattroporte is predicted to be roughly 450 pounds lighter than the current car, and underhood grunt is expected to come from a 520-horsepower, 5.2-liter turbocharged V8 at launch, followed by a 420-hp, supercharged V6 supplied by Ferrari, both working through an eight-speed ZF transmission.

Share price falls on skepticism of Chrysler-Fiat five-year plan

Following this week's Fiat Chrysler extravaganza, where the Italian-American manufacturer announced its plans for the next five years, the Autoblog staff was cautiously optimistic of the company's future. Investors? Not so much.
Fiat saw its shares tumble 12 percent in Wednesday's trading, falling from 8.67 euros ($12.06 at today's rates) to 7.44 euros ($10.35) as of this writing, with blame partly going to the Italian half of the FCA marriage, which recorded a pretty significant drop in profits during the first quarter of this year.
The plan, which will cost around $77 billion over the next several years, is facing criticism from investors thanks in part to a 1.4-percent drop in Fiat's first-quarter profits, to 622 million euros ($862 million). That figure is also short of Bloomberg analysts' projections, which predicted $1.18 billion in profits before taxes, interest and one-time items.