Maserati cars

Maserati Says There Won’t be a LaFerrari-Based Supercar

Shortly after Ferrari unveiled the LaFerrari supercar, it was rumored that Maserati would unveil a supercar based on the LaFerrari. The model was supposed to be a successor for the 2004 MC12 supercar and we assumed it would arrive in 2015.

An announcement by company Maserati Harald J Wester in a recent interview with AutoExpress confirmed that the company isn’t planning to build a hypercar based on the Ferrari LaFerrari.

Instead, Maserati will focus on developing the new-generation GranCabrio and GranTurismo. After these two are finished, there will also be a new smaller sports car. However, contrary to previous rumors, the new sports car won’t be based on the Alfa Romeo 4C because this will require "to create a more sporty, all-new body for Maserati."

The new sports car will be a two-seat model and will be smaller in size when compared to the next GranTurismo.

Click past the jump to read more about Maserati’s future sports car.

Maserati Wants to Build its Own 4C Sports Car

The Alfa Romeo 4C sports car is drawing attention from all corners of the auto industry. According to AutoExpress, it’s even piqued the interest of its sister company, Maserati.

Following on its plans to sell 50,000 vehicles a year by 2015, the Italian automaker, or at least its boss Harald Wester, also said that a variant to the 4C sports car could very well be in the cards too.

"It’s a nice idea," Wester said when asked by AutoExpress about Maserati’s plans.

With the new Ghibli joining the ranks of the Quattroporte, the GranTurismo and the GranCabrio in Maserati’s ranks, questions on whether the automaker spreading itself a little too thin aren’t unjustified. And don’t forget the Levante SUV, which is scheduled to be unveiled next year.

But if there’s an entry level in Maserati’s future, it couldn’t have picked a better one than the Alfa Romeo 4C.

Click past the jump to read more about the Alfa Romeo 4C

2014 Maserati Ghibli

The first rumors about a new Maserati sedan placed under the current Quattroporte appeared at the beginning of 2010, but after a couple of months of heating up the air waves, the new car fell by the wayside while everyone made room for the new Audis, Ferraris, and such. Now, with just two weeks before the car’s official debut in Shanghai, Maserati has dropped the first details on its latest addition to the lineup.

Based on the same platform as the new generation Quattroporte, the new Ghibli sedan features a sportier character when compared to its big brother. Also, unlike previous rumors, for the new Ghibli, Maserati will only use two V-6 engines, while the V-8 engine used in the Quattroporte won’t be used.

Maserati revealed nothing on the car’s price just yet, but considering the new Ghibli will play a significant role in Maserati’s growth plan to sell 50,000 cars per year, we expect the price to be kept somewhere in the $70k area.

UPDATE 04/21/2013: Maserati has unveiled more official details on the new Ghibli sedan at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show. Unfortunately, no additional images were released yet.

Hit the jump to read more about the future Maserati Ghibili.

2014 Maserati Quattroporte by Ermenegildo Zegna

Maserati is an Italian automaker with a long tradition on the market, as it was established on December 1, 1914. Now, the trident-wielding company is preparing to celebrate its centennial with a limited edition Quattroporte developed in cooperation with Ermenegildo Zegna.

This limited edition will feature new colors, materials and trims inspired by Zenga - a leading men’s’ fashion group. This is the first model to be developed under a new three-year agreement signed between the two companies, but Maserati announced that a whole range of new optional trims by Zegna will be available for all models by 2015.

The Maserati Quattroporte Limited Edition by Ermenegildo Zegna will be limited to only 100 units. Each customer will also receive a unique collection of accessories by Zegna.

This special edition will be unveiled during one of the upcoming international auto shows, but unfortunately Maserati did not revealed exactly which one.

Click past the jump to read more about the Quattroporte

Note: Standard Maserati Quattroporte pictured here.

1967 - 1973 Maserati Ghibli

Prestige car auctions offer a rare glimpse at classic exotics too old, rare or obscure to be on the regular radar. This is partly because the cars that change hands at these sales are the best of the best. They’re the ultra-low-mileage, heated-garage type of meticulously maintained classics that are as gorgeous now as they day they were born.

Two such examples surfaced recently for the first time in nearly 35 years at [RM Auctions: a flawless 1969 Maserati Ghibli Spyder and a stunning red 1971 Maserati Ghlibi 4.9 SS. Celebrated at the time of its debut, the Ghibli faded from center stage with the introduction of the next big style step-change: the 1970s wedge supercar.

Does the Ghibli deserve to be a side note in car history, or was it actually a masterful 1967 execution of an ultra-fast, sleek and luxurious Italian pony car?

Please follow the jump for a deep dive into two true Maserati classics with a full image gallery, original brochures and some highlights in the evolution of the Ghibli’s performance.

Maserati teases New Model for the Shanghai Auto Show

Maserati has unveiled today the first teaser image for a new model set to be unveiled at the end of this month at the Shanghai Auto Show. No other details have been revealed, but the teaser image came with the confirmation that the new model represents the “newest addition to its lineup and that it not only borrows from the past but also looks to the future."

This statement make us think the model Maserati is referring to is the new Ghibli sedan we have seen testing in the past few months. Also, the model hidden under the sheet seems to feature a long hood and coupe-like fastback design - a reminder of the original Ghibli.

The new Ghibli will be built on the same platform as the new generation Quattroporte and will be offered with the same engine as the larger sedan: turbocharged V-6 engine and the new V-8 engine. Both engines will be mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox.

Full details on the new Ghibli will be unveiled at the end of the month during its official debut in Shanghai.

Click past the jump to read more on the Ghibli

Maserati Plans Two New Sports Cars in the Near Future

It looks like in the upcoming years, the Porsche 911 is going to gain a lot more competitors. The latest one will come from Maserati and will be revealed sometime in 2016.

Contrary to previous rumors, this new sports car won’t be a mid-engine model; instead, we are going to see "a front-engine model in a 2+2 configuration, with more compact dimensions than the GranTurismo." The new model is currently known as the "Shamal" (or GranSport) and will only be offered with V-6 engines. It will be priced somewhere in the $110-$150K area and will be offered as a direct competitor to the Porsche 911, Jaguar F-type and Audi R8.

The new model will be built on a lightweight modular aluminum structure and the base version will deliver about 300 horsepower, while the top version will go up to 400 horsepower. An MC Stradale version will also be offered with an output of about 450 horsepower.

Also, sometime in 2015 we are going to see a new sports car launched by the Italian company in the form of a successor for the current GranTurismo.

The GranTurismo successor will be built on the same platform as the upcoming Ghibli sedan and will be a little bit lighter than the current generation. Under the hood, we will see a Ferrari- designed 4.0-liter bi-turbo unit with the output ranging from 460 horsepower in the base version and up to 600 horsepower for the MC Stradale version.

Spy Shots: Maserati Ghibli Goes out for Another Testing Session

The upcoming Maserati Ghibli has been taken out for another testing session, most likely the last one before the car’s official debut at the Shanghai Auto Show in April. The new Ghibli will take on models like Mercedes E-Class, Audi A6 and BMW 5-Series.

Ghibli will be built on a shorter Quattroporte platform and will be offered with both turbocharged V-6 engine as well as the new V-8 engine borrowed from the larger Quattroporte. Both engines will be mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. We expect to see the same performance numbers as in the Quattroporte — the V-6 should boast a 177 mph top speed and the V-8 may hit 191 mph.

The base version will be priced at about $68k and the top version will be about 20 percent more expensive. Full details will be unveiled next month during its official debut in Shanghai.

Rumormill: Maserati is Looking into a LaFerrari-Based Supercar

Now that Ferrari has unveiled the new LaFerrari, Maserati is also planning a successor for the 2004 MC12 supercar. To no one’s surprise, the new supercar, if produced, will be based on the LaFerrari platform — just like the MC12 was based on the Enzo — but it won’t be a hybrid vehicle.

While the platform will definitely be shared with the LaFerrari, Maserati has two options for the powertrain. The first choice would be the same 6.3-liter V-12 engine used in the LaFerrari, but harshly detuned to avoid upsetting Papa Ferrari. The second choice would be a quad-turbocharged version of the 3.8-liter bi-turbo V-8 engine used in the Quattroporte. The latter of the two options could produce upward of 900 horsepower.

The Maserati supercar will be offered with an all-carbon-fiber body, meaning it will be lighter than the LaFerrari, but it still it won’t be able to outperform its donor in any way shape or form.

Rumors suggest the new MC12 will arrive in 2015. We’re just hopping Maserati won’t also opt for some crazy name.

Video: Jay Leno reviews a 1962 Maserati 3500 GTi

The latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage again features a great classic car. This time around, Leno is reviewing his restored 1962 Maserati 3500 GTi. This car was been found hidden in a storage unit and, after almost two years of restoration, Jay Leno got behind the wheel and took it out on the road.

The GTi version of the 3500 was powered by an inline six-cylinder engine equipped with Lucas fuel injection (this is what the "i" in the name stands for) and delivers a total of 235 horsepower.

The model restored by the Jay Leno team received an upgraded radiator, a new alternator, revised brakes and new wheels. Fortunately, they were able to repair the fuel injection system, so the essence of the car has been kept.

Check out the video to see what Jay Leno thinks on this great 1960s grand tourer.