2023 Maserati Levante Modena on 2040-cars

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Swedish toymaker offers a wooden Maserati collection

In some ways, Maserati had it easier in the 1980s. We don't necessarily mean in a financial sense, or that the cars were especially reliable, but it has to be said both the Biturbo and the third generation Quattroporte are both simple, three-box shapes that are easy to re-create from blocks of solid wood. The Swedish toy company Playsam offers the Alfieri concept, the Levante SUV and open-wheel Maserati race cars in wooden toy car form, and the production portfolio is planned to be enlarged later. Maserati has plenty of classic designs for Playsam to re-create, but our tip is to look into the Biturbo style cars if they want to take a break from all those swoopy shapes you can see in the slideshow above. Maybe they could even offer the Chrysler TC by Maserati with a detachable hardtop: Those round opera windows must be really easy to drill in place. Browsing the online store, the prices for the Playsam's Maserati products are far higher than the toymaker's conventional $70 wooden toy car range, at over $370 apiece. But like the real counterparts, they should not just sit untouched: We would rather see them being used. Related Video:

Baby Jeep to join Renegade in FCA's plan for new Italian-built models

FCA is boosting its European production, introducing new models that will be built in currently under-utilized manufacturing facilities. Among the new models is a new small Jeep, smaller than the current Renegade, as Automotive News reports. FCA's Mike Manley mentioned the entry-level Jeep model earlier this year, also saying that the vehicle is targeted to European and possibly Latin American customers; in the summer, Autocar placed the launch date in 2022. The new "baby" Jeep would be made in the same factory in Pomigliano, Italy, as the small Fiat Panda, which is a top seller in Italy. The current generation Panda was introduced in 2011; if it gets a replacement in 2022, it could possibly share a platform with the Jeep model — or, the Jeep could be an eventual outright replacement for the Panda. One of Fiat's earlier core products, the Punto hatchback, was canned in August, and that production capacity will be used to make the Jeep Compass instead, at the Renegade-producing Melfi factory in southern Italy. The Compass has not previously been built in Europe. The Fiat model portfolio would be shrunk to just the 500 model family and the Panda — the 500 would also be FCA's key electric vehicle offered in Europe. It is not yet clear whether the electric 500 would be made in Turin, Italy, or in Poland; Turin might also get a Giardiniera-badged wagon version of the refreshed 500. As for the Alfa Romeo brand, it is set to gain an even bigger SUV model than the Stelvio, based on the Maserati Levante's platform. The Levante's sales have suffered recently in China, but Maserati does have light in the horizon: The Alfieri 2+2 grand tourer is still in the cards, with a launch expected for 2020 and both a convertible and an electrified version planned to follow. The Alfieri would be made in Modena, Italy, according to Automotive News' sources. None of these plans namedrop the storied Lancia brand, which has been shrunk to just the Ypsilon hatchback, based on the same platform as the current 500 and Panda. Despite that, the Ypsilon was again the second-bestselling car in Italy after the Panda in October. It is unlikely that FCA will be able to ignore this, but it is just as unlikely that any development money will be afforded to come up with a replacement for the Ypsilon, which is as similarly old as the Panda. Perhaps official announcements expected on Thursday will also clarify what will happen to Lancia.

Maserati Ghibli gets blacked-out Nerissimo special edition

Following in the footsteps of the Nissan Midnight package and the Chevrolet Midnight Edition trucks, Maserati is jumping on the bandwagon, and its smallest sedan, the Ghibli, is now available with a limited-edition black trim package called "Nerissimo." In English, that translates simply to "extremely black." The package is available on the base Ghibli, Ghibli S, and Ghibli S Q4 models, and only 450 cars will come equipped with it. On the outside, it adds the following black-painted items: 20-inch wheels, door handles, window trim, and grille. Inside, the car gets black leather with red stitching, and a badge indicating that the Ghibli is one of 450. A few other features sweeten the deal beyond appearances. All Nerissimo models include blind spot monitoring, rear parking sensors, and remote start. The S and S Q4 models also get a Harmon Kardon sound system. The powertrain remains the same 404-horsepower twin-turbo V6 and eight-speed automatic found in the normal Ghibli. With that in mind, you pay quite a bit for what boils down to an appearance package. Turning a standard Ghibli into a Nerissimo model will add $5,650 to the $72,850 base price. Doing the same for a Ghibli S or S Q4 will add $6,800. So you had better really like the look and the exclusivity to spring for a Nerissimo. Others should probably spec out a more common version. Related Video: