2007 Maserati Quattroporte, Proper Automatic Transmission Not Duo-select on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Maserati gives us our best look yet at its Grecale small crossover

Maserati's second SUV, the Grecale, is nearly ready to make its debut. The company took advantage of a visit by Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares to release some of the most revealing photos of the model we've seen to date. While the Porsche Macan-fighting soft-roader remains fully draped in camouflage, we see enough of its front end to tell there's a wide, low-mounted grille with vertical slats and almond-shaped headlights located higher on the fascia. We'll hold our judgment until the Grecale is unveiled, but we're starting to see what Klaus Busse, the head of Maserati's design department, meant when he told Autoblog the MC20 would have big influence on future models. Viewed from the side, even with Tavares standing in the frame, it's clear that the Grecale's proportions were drawn with more of an emphasis on sport than on utility. Its front end is relatively long, its dash-to-axle ratio hints at the rear-wheel-drive platform underneath, and its roofline has more slope than the average kid-and-dog-hauling Ikea warrior. Earlier spy shots taken near Maserati's headquarters suggest the rear end wears horizontal LED lights. Unverified rumors claim the Grecale rides on an evolution of the Giorgio platform that Alfa Romeo's Stelvio (one of the better-handling crossovers on the market) and Giulia models are built on. Some reports warned the architecture would be phased out, but Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato suggested they're not accurate. If the Grecale is indeed Giorgio-based, it will likely come standard with rear-wheel-drive, and it will be offered with all-wheel-drive at an extra cost. Engine options remain unconfirmed; four- and six-cylinders can easily fit in Giorgio-based cars. Maserati will finish fine-tuning the Grecale in the summer of 2021, and it will present the model before the end of the year. When it lands, the Grecale will slot beneath the Levante as a taller alternative to the Ghibli. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Maserati MC20 bringing twin-turbo V6 to September debut

There is a touch more information on the pieces going into the Maserati MC20, starting with intel to Car and Driver that the mid-engined coupe will launch with a "new twin-turbo V6 rumored to make more than 600 horsepower." Last time we heard about the flagship coupe created to return Maserati to the race track — and serve as a halo to burnish the entire lineup and drive more impressive global sales — the rumblings predicted a hybrid V6 making 600 hp or thereabouts. Mystery shrouds the engine's displacement, but the stillborn Alfa Romeo 8C and GTV were predicted to get a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. When Car magazine asked a Fiat Chrysler engineer if the MC20's engine would take that motor and enlarge it to 3.6 liters, the response was, "Displacement costs only pennies, but pays back big bucks in power and torque."  C/D writes that a hybrid version of the twin-turbo V6 comes later. Car predicts the electronics crank output to roughly 700 horsepower, which can't be a random number since Alfa Romeo touted the now-dead 8C as having "700+ combined horsepower." The naturally aspirated mill and its sequential turbochargers send power exclusively to the rear wheels through a Getrag eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The hybrid models, perhaps earning the Trofeo name signifying top-tier grunt, go all-wheel drive with "e-modules" on the front axle. Previous scuttlebutt pegged the most intense trim as having three electric motors, which sounds like the setup found in other super coupes like the Acura NSX, placing one e-motor between the engine and transmission, the others on the front axle. The lineup eventually welcomes a battery-electric model, too, as well as a convertible. Rumor has a massaged version of the carbon tub from the Alfa Romeo 4C sitting between the front axle and engine, although longer and wider and sitting on a longer wheelbase.   With the novel coronavirus still upending everything, the MC20 debut has been moved from May to September. C/D figures a starting price of around $160,000 when the model goes on sale in the U.S. next year, after launching in Europe toward the end of 2020. That theoretical price might sound substantial, but it only adds $9,000 to the MSRP of the current GranTurismo Convertible. Car's figure comes in a little higher, at "less than GBP200,000," around $250,000 U.S. Related Video:      

Cars with the worst resale value in 2022

Car values are all over the map right now. Used vehicles that were worth a small fortune earlier this year are now coming back to Earth, but the new vehicle supply remains tight. Prices are still elevated overall, but some models have seen more severe price drops. Depreciation strikes almost every model, supply constraint or not, though a few vehicles are leading the way. New research from analytics iSeeCars found that a handful of cars depreciated more than 50 percent over five years, with the BMW 7 Series dropping 56.9 percent and an average price cut of $61,923 over that time. The vehicles with the highest depreciation — or worst resale value — over five years: BMW 7 Series: -56.9% Maserati Ghibli: -56.3% Jaguar XF: -54% Infiniti QX80: -52.6% Cadillac Escalade ESV: 52.3% Mercedes-Benz S-Class: 51.9% Lincoln Navigator: -51.9% Audi A6: -51.5% Volvo S90: -51.4% Ford Expedition: -50.7% iSeeCarsÂ’ research showed that midsize trucks, sports cars, and fuel-efficient vehicles were slowest to depreciate over five years, while itÂ’s clear that luxury brands tend to lose value much faster. As iSeeCarsÂ’ Executive Analyst Karl Brauer explained, used buyers donÂ’t value high-end vehiclesÂ’ features as much as the first owners, so resale values tend to be softer. The tech and options that made the cars so expensive and appealing new donÂ’t add the same value on the used market. Read more: Cars with the best resale value Interestingly, electric vehicles also depreciated quite heavily, though they were just short of the abysmal numbers in luxury segments. The Nissan Leaf depreciated most among EVs, dropping by 49.1 percent. The average EV depreciation is 44.2 percent, with the Tesla Model S and Model X sliding in right under the bar at 43.7 and 38.8 percent, respectively. As iSeeCars notes, itÂ’s important to be vigilant when car shopping and not let your emotions win over reason. Shiny new luxury cars look great in the showroom, but you could end up taking a bath when you try selling them a few years later on. Related video: Audi BMW Cadillac Ford Infiniti Jaguar Lincoln Maserati Mercedes-Benz Volvo Car Buying Used Car Buying Ownership Resale Value depreciation