Maserati stuffs 580-hp Ferrari twin-turbo V-8 into Ghibli and Quattroporte
Though it revealed the Levante Trofeo as its top-tier SUV two years ago, Maserati announced at the end of July that it would also top each of its four-door Ghibli and Quattroporte lineups with a Trofeo model. Today we finally got to see the super sedans unveiled.
As with the Levante, the centerpiece of each Trofeo-spec sedan is a Ferrari-built twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-8 doling out 580 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque. The current Quattroporte GTS can be had with a variant of that same 3.8-liter engine, but that variant makes only 530 hp. We’re glad to see that Maserati finally kicked it up a notch and corralled those 50 extra horses.
The Ferrari-adjacent engine bolts up to ZF’s ubiquitous eight-speed automatic, found in everything from Jeeps and Rams to BMW M5s and Toyota Supras. In the Levante that gearbox distributes power to all four wheels; the two Maserati sedans twist just the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential—a feature we very much dig.
With these sorta-new, amped-up engines, the Trofeo-spec Quattroporte and Ghibli can now hit 202 mph, a stat which ranks them among the fastest four-door sedans on earth. (King of that particular hill remains the widebody Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye, which can hit a claimed 203 mph. Another mark in the win column for the brotherhood of muscle.)
The Trofeo variants of the Ghibli and Quattroporte will get a “corsa” drive mode, no doubt the spiciest of settings for the driveline. They’ll also get launch control, for when you need to shower your rear-seat occupants in their own grappa.
Stylistically, the Trofeo trio receive piano-black grilles and carbon-fiber trim around the front air ducts and rear extractors, in addition to unique red accents on their side air vents. Trofeo-spec models also receive lightning bolts on the Trident badges adorning their C-pillars. The rear lighting elements have been redesigned, so we’re told, to harken back to the 3200 GT and Maserati’s Alfieri concept car. The Ghibli Trofeo will sport a hood with aggressive vents, similar to those on the current Levante Trofeo.
Inside, special Trofeo badges adorn the front seat headrests, and a special full-grain Pieno Fiore natural leather helps distinguish these tip-of-the-trident models. There’s also a larger infotainment screen for the two Trofeo sedans—10.1 inches in place of the 8.4-inch screen which still adorns the Levante—to handle radio and navigation duties, among other things.
Both new Trofeo models will built at the Avvocato Giovanni Agnelli Plant in Grugliasco (a municipality in Turin), while the Levante Trofeo will continue to be assembled at the Mirafiori plant, also in Turin.
There’s no word yet on pricing for the new Ghibli and Quattroporte Trofeo models, but the Levante Trofeo offers some clues. Some quick back-of-the-napkin math shows that in the Levante, stepping up to the big-breathing V-8 represents a price jump of around $45,000 from the next-highest trim, the GTS. Since the current range-topping Ghibli (the S Q4) starts just shy of $80,000, a $45,000-ish jump places a Trofeo model around the $125,000 mark (not including the Ghibli’s standing $1495 destination charge).
The Quattroporte’s current top-tier trim is also called the GTS and starts at around $127,000. You might want to simply tack on the same $45,000 figure, but remember that the Quattroporte GTS already packs a version of this 3.8-liter engine; we’d be shocked if the Trofeo model set you back 45-large over the GTS. Our guess is an asking price somewhere around $140,000–$150,000 (plus a $1995 destination fee).
