1984 Maserati Biturbo Coupe 5 Speed Spearco Intercooler Twin Turbo on 2040-cars

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Second 'No Time To Die' trailer drops with lots of crunching metal

The second trailer for the new James Bond film, "No Time To Die," was posted to social media Thursday morning, getting us thoroughly hyped for the forthcoming installment thanks to some spicy car content and lots of other ridiculous, big-budget action sequences.  Fair warning for the purists: This might contain plot- and character-related information from the trailer itself. Also, it appears that many Land Rover Defenders died in the making of this film, so the footage may not be for the faint of heart; don't say we didn't give you advance notice.  As is typical of Bond films, most of the automotive eye candy is of the European variety. The classic Aston Martin DB5 gadget car (which we saw doing some crazy machine-gun donuts in the first trailer) makes yet another appearance, as does what appears to be fourth-generation Maserati Quattroporte. There's even something which might be a car, but also appears to be both some sort of airplane and submersible. Never change, Bond. We love it.  And then there are the Defenders. We've got Defenders speeding down hillsides, Defenders crashing through forests, Defenders flying over Land Cruisers. Yeah, do you like Land Cruisers? There's a Land Cruiser. It even (spoiler alert!) survives relatively unscathed; the same cannot be said for most of the automotive shenanigans we get to see here.  "No Time To Die" was originally slated to debut back in April, but its original release date roughly coincided with the projected peak of early coronavirus infections. Given how important the Bond film franchise's continued success is to MGM (it's virtually the only thing the studio has had going for it for 30 years) and the producers (who only make Bond films), meager box office returns were not an option. The last film, Spectre, pulled in the worldwide gross of $880 million, including $200 million in the United States and $83.5 million in China. The wait is almost over. "No Time to Die" will hit theaters Nov. 25 in the United States.  Related Video:

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:

Maserati Levante SUV previewed in patent drawings

Maserati is set to become the next high-end automaker to get into the crossover game with the impending launch of the Levante, and this could be our best look at it yet. Revealed in drawings reportedly filed with the patent and trademark office in Australia, these line drawings give us an idea of what to expect from the design of the Trident marque's upcoming crossover. The styling looks fairly consistent with what we've come to expect from the Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans, only in a higher-roofed, liftback form. Evident in the design are the Modenese automaker's grille and lighting forms, its signature portal vents along the front fender, powerful rear haunches and a steeply raked tailgate. Previewed by the Kubang concepts of 2003 and 2011, the Levante will be a vital product for Maserati's expansion – just as the Bentayga will be for Bentley, the F-Pace for Jaguar, the DBX for Aston Martin and the Urus (if ever approved) for Lamborghini. Expect it to pack the same V6, V8 and diesel engines as the aforementioned existing sedans when it debuts sometime soon into the new year ahead. Related Video: