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Maserati pulls the plug on Trofeo spec racing series [w/video]

For the past twelve years, customers looking to push their Maserati to the limit have been taking part in the Trofeo series. But the Italian automaker is pulling the plug and stepping into to GT4 competition. The Trofeo World Series kicked off back in 2003 when the field was made up of spec racers based on the old Maserati 4200. The newer GranTurismo MC took its place in 2010, and with it the series expanded from Europe into other locations. This year's calendar saw it race at Paul Ricard in France and the Red Bull Ring in Austria, at Road America, VIR, and Laguna Seca here in America, at Suzuka in Japan and Abu Dhabi in the Middle East.This will be the last season for the championship, but that doesn't mean client racers won't have a chance to turn the wheel of a Maserati in anger again. Instead of competing exclusively against identical machinery, Maserati will now support customer teams in two racing series under GT4 regulations: the Pirelli World Challenge here in the US and the European GT4 Championship across the pond. To that end, it's adapting the GranTurismo MC from Trofeo spec to GT4 by reducing the output from the 4.7-liter V8 from 488 horsepower to 430 and tweaking the aero package. Following the Balance of Performance tests to be undertaken under the auspices of the SRO (which runs the Euro GT4 series as well as the Blancpain championships), a good 10 teams will field 20 cars between the two series on both sides of the Atlantic. Those still interested in competing in spec racing series with identical machinery still have plenty of places to turn, including the Ferrari Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo, and the Porsche Supercup. Check out the modified Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4 in the gallery above and video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. MASERATI TO COMPETE IN THE 2016 GT4 CHAMPIONSHIPS 17 December 2015 - The final round of the 2015 Trofeo World Series took place at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina circuit last weekend, bringing the sixth and final season in Maserati's single-make series to a close. This, however, will not be the end of Maserati's sporting activities: the GranTurismo MCs will be back on track in 2016 competing in the international GT4 series run by private teams.

Car designer Frank Stephenson wants to show you something ... smaller

Influential car designer Frank Stephenson has often thought small. Now he’s thinking smaller. Throughout the past three decades, he has shaped — literally — some of the most indelible designs in automotive history: the modern Mini, the Ferrari FXX track star, the Maserati Gran Sport, a range of stunning McLarens and down to the funky 21st-century version of the Fiat 500. Now heÂ’s turned his pen to fashioning watches. His Cosmos analog piece, made to mirror “a black hole in space” and detailed “with an orange pinstripe which simulates the supernova glow of a neutron star,” features a Japan-built quartz movement and was created in concert with the Time Concepts company. “ItÂ’s the age-old adage ‘car people are watch people,Â’ so it was a natural step for me to get creative with timepieces too,” Stephenson said in a statement. “The collection showcases the love I have for exceptional and emotionally charged design, just like what is required in designing world class cars.” While Stephenson, who is 64, may be best known publicly for his vision of “affordable style” with the Mini and the Fiat, his ethos also translated to the utilitarian. In the case of BMW in the mid-1990s, the company was hustling to market an SUV, and turned to him for inspiration. His team had six months to complete the project. The result was the high-end X5, which Stephenson sketched during a two-hour flight. In 2018, Stephenson established the independent design company, Frank Stephenson Design, based in London. Related video: Design/Style BMW Ferrari Fiat Maserati McLaren MINI Gadgets watch frank stephenson

Maserati's Super Bowl spot may have cost more than $700 per car [w/video]

It's no secret that Super Bowl ad time is very, very expensive, with a 30-second spot for this year's game costing around $4 million. For Maserati, which aired a 90-second spot showing off its new Ghibli sedan during this year's game, the price was considerably above $4 million, though.
Automotive News estimates that the spot cost Maserati the equivalent of over $700 for each of the 15,400 vehicles sold last year. That works out to nearly $11 million. It may have paid off, though, as search traffic for Maserati and the Ghibli in particular saw a significant spike following the airing of the stylish commercial, and the brand's total sales were already on target for record levels before the ad aired.
The Ghibli "deserved a wide audience platform such as the Super Bowl," according to Maserati's chief marketing officer, Saad Chehab. The sports sedan is Maserati's most affordable entry, with prices starting around $67,000, moving the brand further downmarket than it's ever ventured before.