2010 Maserati Gran Turismo Convertible Bose Navigation 2dr on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Maserati announces the official end of its V8s

We all knew this was coming. Maserati announced it was going all-electric by 2030, so the end was definitely in sight for the V8. But now it's crystal clear. Maserati will end production of its V8s at the end of this year. The company says that there will still be some V8-powered models on sale into 2024. We're assuming that's based on inventory that may not have yet sold or been delivered by the end of 2023. Maserati will have a little something, though, to celebrate its road-going V8 history, which dates back to 1959 and its 5000 GT coupe. It will launch two special editions, the Ghibli 334 Ultima and the Levante V8 Ultima. These will be revealed in July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Those models will join the existing Trofeo versions of the Levante, Ghibli and Quattroporte that are on sale now, all with V8s. Maserati didn't say anything about upgrades to the V8 itself. So presumably, it will remain the familiar twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 making 572 horsepower that is available in other trims now. Any additional changes to the special edition cars will probably be colors, trimmings and maybe handling tweaks. Even if Maserati wasn't going all-electric, the V8's days were probably numbered. The new top-dog engine is the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 used in the Grecale Trofeo and the MC20 supercar. In the MC20, it makes 620 horsepower; more than the V8. But of course, even that new V6's days are numbered. All of Maserati is going electric, and while the internal combustion models aren't being phased out just yet, every model has electric versions on the way under the Folgore name. That includes the mainstream models such as the new Grecale SUV as well as the sports cars including the new GranTurismo and the MC20. Those electric models aren't far away, either. Maserati's goal is to have electric versions of all its models by the end of 2025, and hybridization isn't part of the plan. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

NHTSA, IIHS, and 20 automakers to make auto braking standard by 2022

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and virtually every automaker in the US domestic market have announced a pact to make automatic emergency braking standard by 2022. Here's the full rundown of companies involved: BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo (not to mention the brands that fall under each automaker's respective umbrella). Like we reported yesterday, AEB will be as ubiquitous in the future as traction and stability control are today. But the thing to note here is that this is not a governmental mandate. It's truly an agreement between automakers and the government, a fact that NHTSA claims will lead to widespread adoption three years sooner than a formal rule. That fact in itself should prevent up to 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries. The agreement will come into effect in two waves. For the majority of vehicles on the road – those with gross vehicle weights below 8,500 pounds – AEB will need to be standard equipment by September 1, 2022. Vehicles between 8,501 and 10,000 pounds will have an extra three years to offer AEB. "It's an exciting time for vehicle safety. By proactively making emergency braking systems standard equipment on their vehicles, these 20 automakers will help prevent thousands of crashes and save lives," said Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said in an official statement. "It's a win for safety and a win for consumers." Read on for the official press release from NHTSA. Related Video: U.S. DOT and IIHS announce historic commitment of 20 automakers to make automatic emergency braking standard on new vehicles McLEAN, Va. – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced today a historic commitment by 20 automakers representing more than 99 percent of the U.S. auto market to make automatic emergency braking a standard feature on virtually all new cars no later than NHTSA's 2022 reporting year, which begins Sept 1, 2022. Automakers making the commitment are Audi, BMW, FCA US LLC, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla Motors Inc., Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo Car USA.

Autocar compares new Maserati Quattroporte to Jaguar XJ

Autocar's Steve Sutcliffe took the 2014 Maserati Quattroporte on a spin along snowy mountain roads to test it for a specific brief: as a limousine for the chauffeured class. It's sporting credentials are impressive: Twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8, 532 horsepower, 475 pound-feet of torque in casual circumstances that rises to 532 lb-ft in overboost, a 0-to-60 mile-per-hour sprint of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph.
However, citing Maserati's desire to not just increase its sales to 50,000-per-annum by 2015, but to sell many more of its cars in China, Sutcliffe wanted to find out if the livery side of the Quattroporte could match its sport sedan side. So after taking the pilot's seat and trying out the sport settings, Sutcliffe hops in back to test out the CEO's seat.
Then he compares the Quattroporte against the long-wheelbase Jaguar XJ with its supercharged V8, a sedan that's 15,000 pounds less expensive than the Maserati. It doesn't take long for him to find that one of them is a clear winner when it comes to transporting VIPs. To find out which one, enjoy the video below.