First Drives, Final V-8s: 2024 Maserati Ghibli 334 Ultima and Levante Ultima

My Maserati does one-eighty-five

I lost my license, now I don’t drive

***

Legendary rocker Joe Walsh, whose 1978 hit “Life’s Been Good” included that immortal couplet, would love the Maserati Ghibli 334 Ultima, though he might have even more trouble hanging on to his license. You see, the Ghibli 334 Ultima is a Maserati that will do 208 mph. What’s more, it’s a four-door, so Joe would be able to bring his buddies along for a thrill ride in what Maserati claims is the fastest sedan in the world.

The Ghibli 334 Ultima, along with the Levante Ultima SUV, commemorates the end of an era: They will be the last Maseratis built with a V-8 engine.

Both Ultimas bid farewell to the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 (codename F154) shared with Ferrari, which has powered top-of-the-range versions of the Ghibli and the Levante since 2018. In Maserati specification, the F154 features a cross-plane crank and a wet sump (the Ferrari version used in the Roma, the F8 Tributo, and the SF90, is dry-sumped, with a flat-plane crank) and develops 572 hp at 6750 rpm, and 538 lb-ft of torque from 2250 to 5250 rpm.

Just 103 Ghibli 334 Ultimas, all painted in a deep pearlescent blue called Blu di Persia, will be built.  Both the number to be made and the color are a nod to Maserati’s first ever V-8-powered road car, the 5000GT. And the 334 bit? That refers to the limited-edition Ghibli’s top speed, in kilometers per hour, which Maserati says makes it the fastest four-door sedan in the world.

The 5000GT was created at the request of the Shah of Iran, who wanted a car that combined the comfort and features of Maserati’s six-cylinder 3500GT coupe with the performance of its V-8-powered 450S sports racer and offered to pay the development costs to get it built. Known internally as the Tipo 103, the Shah’s car had bodywork painted a unique shade of blue.

Maserati would build a mere 34 5000GTs between 1959 and 1966, their V-8s cloaked in bodies from nine different coachbuilders. Joe Walsh, who didn’t own a Maserati when he wrote “Life’s Been Good,” later acquired a lovely red 1964 Allemano-bodied 5000GT, telling Rolling Stone in a 2020 interview he’d been embarrassed into buying it. “I finally got one,” he said, “because everyone was making me feel really guilty. The look of sadness on their face… so I went and got a Maserati.”

And the punchline? “I don’t know if it does 185,” he admitted. “I chickened out at 140.”

Color aside, the Ghibli 334 Ultima is distinguished by its carbon exterior package, a rear spoiler, matte dark graphite 21-inch alloy wheels, and a “334” logo painted in red on the front fenders. Inside is an interior trimmed in black Alcantara and pale terracotta leather, with carbon fiber accents, 334 logos stitched into the seats, and a numbered plaque on the center console.

Specs: 2024 Maserati Ghibli 334 Ultima

Price: TBA
Powertrain: 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V-8; eight-speed automatic transmission
Horsepower: 572 hp @ 6750 rpm
Torque: 538 lb-ft @ 2250–5250 rpm
Layout: Rear-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger sedan
Weight: 4285 lb
0–60 mph: 3.7 seconds
Top speed: 208 mph
Competitors: BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe, Porsche Panamera GTS

Confirming the 334 Ultima’s claimed 208-mph top speed, which is 5 mph higher than that of the regular Ghibli Trofeo, wasn’t an option on the snowy, sinuous mountain roads through the Italian Alps. Nor was it possible to test whether its 3.7- second 0-60 mph time is indeed 0.3 seconds quicker than the Ghibli Trofeo’s. But in the tunnels and galleries that occasionally shielded the road from the threat of avalanche, there was enough dry tarmac to enjoy the V-8’s animal snarl and intoxicating bite above 4000 rpm.

The F154 V-8 under the hood of the regular Ghibli Trofeo produces the same power and torque as the 334 Ultima version: The higher top speed and quicker 0-60 time is all due to attention to detail. Though the 334 Ultima’s homologated weight of 4340 lbs. is identical to that of the Trofeo, its more sports-oriented standard equipment manifest means it weighs 55 pounds less. The rear spoiler cuts drag at high speeds, and stickier compound tires mean the car launches harder from a standing start.

Again, heavy snow and freezing temperatures made it impossible to determine whether the 334 Ultima’s special compound tires extended its dynamic envelope beyond that of the Ghibli Trofeo. Our test car was instead fitted with Pirelli’s impressive Sottozero 3 winter tires, and the conditions tested their capabilities to the limit. The slippery roads proved the effectiveness of the traction and stability control protocols in the Normal and Sport drive modes, intervening quickly and smoothly to help keep the 334 Ultima on the road.

As Corsa mode dramatically dials back the electronic nannies, it could only be used sparingly in the conditions. Apart from the stiffer ride and crisper throttle response, Corsa nicely sharpened the upshifts of the eight-speed automatic transmission. Downshifts, even in manual mode, remained disappointingly sluggish, however. In addition to quicker downshifts, the 334 Ultima could use a firmer, more decisive brake pedal to better finesse braking, especially on slippery surfaces.

The calm composure of the Levante Ultima over the same roads proved why powerful, all-wheel-drive SUVs are rightly be considered the ultimate gran turismos of the 21st century. All-wheel drive doesn’t rewrite the laws of physics, of course, but it does allow the Levante, which boasts a claimed top speed of 188 mph, to confidently tackle all roads in all weather.

At 4938 pounds, the Levante Ultima weighs 485 pounds more than the Ghibli 334 Ultima, which dulls the response of the F154 V-8 just a tad. That said, in addition to propelling the Levante Ultima to 187 mph, the engine still has muscle enough to hustle the big, bluff Maserati from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, the acceleration helped by a lower final drive ratio than the Ghibli’s.

Specs: 2024 Maserati Levante Ultima

Price: TBA
Powertrain: 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V-8; eight-speed automatic transmission
Horsepower: 572 hp @ 6750 rpm
Torque: 538 lb-ft @ 2250–5250 rpm
Layout: All-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger SUV
Weight: 4938 lbs.
0–60 mph: 3.8 seconds
Top speed: 187 mph
Competitors: Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, Range Rover Sport SV

A total of 206 Levante Ultimas will be built, 103 of them painted a color called Blu Royale and the other 103 in a black named Nero Assoluto, with a red “V-8 Ultima” logo painted on the front guards. All will roll on black-painted 22-inch aluminum wheels and, like the Ghibli 334 Ultima, come equipped with a carbon exterior package and an interior trimmed in pale terracotta and black, although the seat material is all leather rather than the 334’s leather and Alcantara combination.

Maserati has built more than 100,000 V-8-powered road cars since 1959, and those powered by the F154 are among fastest ever to wear the storied Trident badge. The engine’s vibrant top end, the speed with which the tach needle zings from 5000 rpm to the 7200 rpm redline, is impressive for a turbocharged motor.

Maserati’s innovative and charismatic Nettuno V-6 is one of the finest powerplants in the business, more than ready to take over as the Italian brand’s front-line high-performance internal combustion engine. But the forceful and vocal V-8 will be missed. Arrivederci!

2024 Maserati Ghibli 334 Ultima

Highs: Punchy engine, Bentley-busting top speed.

Lows: Spongy brake pedal, languid downshifts in manual mode.

Takeaway: The Ghibli 334 Ultima sends off the V-8 with typical Maserati brio and panache.

2024 Maserati Levante Ultima

Highs: Characterful V-8 sound, good capability on all roads in all weather conditions.

Lows: Exterior styling lacks the elegance expected of a Maserati. And it’s heavy.

Takeaway: Though it’s now getting old, Maserati’s first-ever SUV has matured into a much better, more competitive super grand tourer.

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