2012 Maserati Granturismo S Coupe 2-door 4.7l on 2040-cars

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2020 Maserati Quattroporte S Q4 Driveway Test | Are you louder than a Dodge Challenger?

The 2020 Maserati Quattroporte is an Italian luxury sedan that comes in several flavors. Recently, we've had a couple pass through the Autoblog short-term loaner fleet, and I decided to take the opportunity to record an exhaust clip and see whether it's louder than my 2013 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392.  You thought we were done with this, didn't you? Hah.  The Maserati is a bit of an odd duck. Like the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, which kicked off this series, it's an Italian sedan powered by a turbocharged V6 producing a respectable 430 horsepower. Unlike the four-cheese, the Quattroporte in our garage was not its high-performance variant. In fact, if it were, it would have a V8, as all things should. I'm kidding. Or am I? Sadly, the V6 probably holds the S Q4 back in this particular "test," which resulted in a reading of 78.2 decibels. That's far short of my Challenger, which checked in at 85.7 dB and remains our reining champion ... for now.  The Quattroporte is in reasonably decent company, though, thanks to the Porsche Cayenne S Coupe, which produced a similar result. Yeah, that's an SUV, but this is a luxury car, right? So the missions are similar. Heck, they even make about the same power.  These tests are only vaguely scientific, and I conduct them using a free Android OS sound-measuring app and the mostly enclosed space of my personal garage. For those who are unfamiliar with my methodology (and again, I use that term somewhat loosely), you can refer back to my previous tests with the Alfa or the Cayenne S Coupe for more details.  Or, just click the pretty links to hear engines go burble-burble; it's entirely up to you.  Disclaimer: Autoblog accepts vehicle loans from auto manufacturers with a tank of gas and sometimes insurance for the purpose of evaluation and editorial content. Like most of the auto news industry, we also sometimes accept travel, lodging and event access for vehicle drive and news coverage opportunities. Our opinions and criticism remain our own — we do not accept sponsored editorial.

Maserati hand-painted tricolor stripe shows Italian pride — for a price

Italy has gone through a rough time with the coronavirus, but now the country is emerging from the worst of it and is experiencing a renewed sense of national pride. Rome's famous Colosseum is illuminated in the green, white and red of the Italian flag, and Maserati is getting into the spirit as well. The company is offering a narrow tri-color stripe in the same green-white-red on the hood and roof of new Maseratis. Waving the proverbial Italian flag with your Maserati doesn't come cheap, however. The option is $5,000, although we should point out that it is hand-painted. The stripe is available on a small number of 2020 model year Levantes and Ghiblis exclusively in conjunction with the Nero Ribelle (metallic black) body color. We're told the special stripe will be offered more widely as a special-order option for 2021, where it can also be paired with other body colors. Pricing for the 2021 model year has not been released. Related video:    

Maserati MC20 GT2 returns the Trident to GT racing in 2023

Seems we got ahead of Maserati, but now we're on the same page with the Italian carmaker. We wrote about the Maserati Project24 earlier this week, a limited-edition track car not built to race a specific series, instead chasing Maserati's own performance targets. We wondered whether the Project24 was a pivot from the rumored GT3 program planned for the MC20 years ago. Turns out the Project24 is an offshoot of the GT2 program for the MC20, the Italians in Modena announcing they've developed an MC20 GT2 to compete in the Fanatec GT2 European Series Championship next year. The base tech specs listed so far for the MC20 GT2 are the same as the Project24. The twin-turbo Nettuno V6 shifts through a six-speed sequential auto with paddle shifters, sending power to the rear wheels through a mechanical limited slip differential. Brembo CCMR racing brakes hang off a double wishbone suspension with anti-roll bars front and rear and adjustable dampers, just behind custom, forged 18-spoke center lock wheels on racing slicks that can be changed easily thanks to on-board air jacks. A single seat in the cabin is accessorized with an adjustable, multifunction carbon fiber steering wheel, an adjustable pedal box, and air conditioning. Safety features include an FIA fuel tank, rain light, roll cage, six-point harness, and fire extinguisher.  The differences that we know of include output, curb weight, and the aero package. Series organizer SRO says GT2 is "formulated to bring gentlemen drivers back to the front of the stage ... whilst being fast and spectacular enough to secure the values of SRO-promoted championships, should the current GT3 category become too expensive for too many of our teams and drivers." GT2 regulations cap output at around 630 hp, just nine more than the standard MC20 throws down — and 110 hp less than the Project24. The series' Balance of Performance rules will ultimately determine race weight and output. The regulations also draw limits around aero devices that Maserati Stile didn't need to heed on the Project24. The aero bit is especially important here because GT2 cars are more powerful than GT3 entries but designed to be less reliant on aerodynamics than GT3 cars, making GT2 versions easier for amateurs to drive at the limit.  This is Maserati's first dip back into GT racing above the GT4 class since the MC12 GT1 that snagged close to 100 wins between 2004 and 2010. The race division will sell cars to individuals and race teams.