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Maserati Project24 is a custom, limited-edition, track-day special

Maserati joins the parade of limited-run, track-only cars designed to a set of specs instead of a set of established racing regulations. The entry is known by the codename Project24 at the moment, and Maserati says it will build just 62 examples. We don't know the significance of 24 nor of the production run. When the automaker launched the MC20, it said it planned to get return to heritage values founded at Formula 1 and sports car tracks around the world. While we wait on an MC20 developed for FIA GT racing, Project24 will be automaker's second outlet for racing aspirations, the Italians planning on entering Formula E next season. It's possible the Project24 is an offshoot of Maserati's reportedly dead GT3 program for the MC20. In December 2020, Daily Sports Car reported that a GT3 challenger "was said to be under development" when Maserati debuted the MC20, but perhaps due to ramifications of Covid, the circuit version was "shelved for the time being." The automaker hasn't divulged performance targets for the Project24, only a weight target: Below 1,250 kilograms, or 2,756 pounds. If achieved, the racer would be 552 pounds less than Maserati's claimed weight for the MC20. Part of the weight loss comes courtesy of carbon fiber bodywork that's two inches wider than on the MC20, Lexan windows, and making the passenger's seat optional. The gains should be felt everywhere around a track, especially because Project24's 3.0-liter V6 engine sports a larger pair of turbos that boost output by 119 horsepower, to 740 hp. The road car's eight-speed automatic is replaced by a six-speed sequential auto with paddle shifters, from there sending power to the rear wheels through a mechanical limited slip differential instead of the electric LSD in the MC20. 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. An adjustable front splitter and rear wing fine tune aero performance, on-board air jacks help pit crews put in the best performance.   The cabin offers an adjustable, multifunction carbon fiber steering wheel and pedal box. The wheel contains a digital display working alongside a dash and data acquisition system, but a driving performance optimization display is extra.

Ferrari-Maserati dealer folds in Las Vegas casino

The ten-year-old Penske Ferrari Maserati dealership located inside the Wynn resort in Las Vegas, where non-Ferrari owners had to pay $10 to walk among the cars, is closed. Word is that the Ferrari franchise is moving to Towbin Motorcars, which you'll know for being the home of the former "King of Cars," and more recently where Floyd "Money" Mayweather has bought 100 cars, including three Bugatti Veyrons. According to Ferrari Chat almost the entire Penske-Wynn staff will make the move, including the highly regarded service department. This being Las Vegas there are, naturally, various theories about why the only Ferrari franchise in the state of Nevada is leaving one of the state's marquee locations. We got a tip a month ago from reader Johnny Autos that Ferrari pulled the franchise, and if there is any truth to that, rumors at Ferrari Chat suggest it part of the reason could have been Steve Wynn flipping his LaFerrari before the 18-month no-sale period had elapsed. Wynn supposedly sold his $1.5 million supercar to Naples Motorsports in Florida for $3.5 million, Naples is asking $5 million for it and using it for the elementary school run in the meantime. On the other hand, Vegas Tripping says Wynn is letting the dealership go in order to get ready for the Alon – another casino – to open across the street in three years. That story believes Wynn will build a pedestrian bridge and rearrange shops on the Wynn side so that customers enjoy the kind of grand entry he would want. And then there's the theory that Penske is getting out of the Ferrari dealership business to focus on commercial trucks. No matter where the truth is in all of this, what matters to you is that you won't be able to spend $10 to check out Ferraris on the strip anymore. Which means more money for the penny slots.

Maserati GranCabrio revealed in high-output Trofeo trim

As has been the tradition with Maserati over the past couple of decades, now that the four-seat GT coupe has launched, it's time for the drop-top version. And this latest convertible adopts the same name as its predecessor: GranCabrio. It is, in almost every respect, the same car as the GranTurismo, but with a fabric roof and a bit more weight. Said roof is available in five colors: a navy blue, dark red, black, grey and "greige." It is indeed fabric in order to fold more compactly and allow for cargo space with the top folded, though it will still take up a bit of trunk space when retracted. It also folds quickly at just 14 seconds, and it will come back up in 16. Operation of the top can be done at speeds up to 31 mph. To keep occupants comfy in all temperatures with the top down, the front seats have air vents in the seat backs to blow air onto the neck. Optionally available is a fold-open wind blocker that fits behind the front seats, though it can't be used with rear occupants. The soft top does bring some extra weight, around 220 pounds compared to the equivalent coupe. Maserati didn't specify exactly what contributes to the gain – whether it's more just top components or if some of it comes from chassis reinforcements (both seem likely). Interestingly, the extra weight actually gives the GranCabrio slightly better balance than the GranCoupe. The drop-top's front and rear weight distribution is 51/49 to the coupe's 52/48. Maserati is only offering the GranCabrio in the top-spec Trofeo internal-combustion trim for now. That includes the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 making 542 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The weight does ever so slightly blunt acceleration, dropping it by 0.1 second to 3.6 compared to the GranTurismo Trofeo. The same staggered 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels and Brembo brakes carry over from the coupe, too. And while the Trofeo is the only version for now, Maserati notes that the chassis remains designed for internal combustion and electric power, so an all-electric Folgore and more entry-level Modena gas-powered models will likely be added later. Maserati did not give a specific time for when the GranCabrio will hit dealers, but it should be sometime this year. Pricing is also a mystery, but should carry a premium over the GranTurismo coupe. Related video: