Maserati confirms end of V8 production
Levante and Ghibli special editions coming to FoS as Maserati forges ahead with electric
There can’t have been a week this big for Maserati on PH. In addition to a first drive of its best SUV yet and one of the very best convertible supercars out there, we now have less tremendous news: the final Maserati V8 will be made this year.
Currently found in the Levante, Ghibli and Quattroporte Trofeo, the 580hp, 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 was nothing if not a memorable powertrain, endowed with bountiful reserves of power and torque - as well as a rousing soundtrack - making cult classics of quite average cars. It would be hard to recommend one of the V8-powered cars against more capable German rivals, but instant legend status was guaranteed for anyone brave enough to take the plunge.
Now, however, the 3.8 is ‘becoming part of the history of mobility’ - that’s Maserati’s way of putting it - with production coming to an end before the year is out, and the final cars being sold in 2024. To mark the V8’s passing, two special editions have been created, the Ghibli 334 Ultima and Levante V8 Ultima. So ends the story of eight-cylinder Maseratis after more than 60 years. Sob.
Those cars are coming at the Goodwood Festival of Speed; for the moment, Maserati is celebrating the V8s at the Motor Valley Fest in Modena with all three Trofeos on show as Zeda editions - ‘unique pieces celebrating the V8 engine’. It’s a big deal for Maserati, a motor show in its backyard, and so all the stops are being pulled out, with Motor Valley Fest also set to host the GranTurismo Folgore One Off Luce and the new Grecale Folgore, meaning the entire Folgore range will be shown for the very first time. And the Formula E car will be there to pore over.
While the demise of such a charismatic engine is never good news, the future is looking reasonably bright for Maserati. The brand is emphatic about its EV-only future, although you’d have to assume (or at least, hope) that the superb Nettuno V6, currently found in the MC20 and Grecale, will make it to the next generation of saloons alongside the electric variants. The GranTurismo EV has been received well, too.
But if it really must be V8 or no Maserati at all, there are some intriguing specimens in the classifieds: this Ghibli gets Fuoriserie Blu Denim paint, this Levante is more than £20k cheaper than the Grecale equivalent, and this barely run in Ghibli comes in moody MC Edition spec - we couldn’t find any QPs. They’re rare cars then, for sure, but there are a few Trofeo V8s out there if you know where to look. Expect more news on the Ultima models as July approaches.
My QP and 4200 sound glorious, both on cold start and when on full chat.
They will be missed, but that's even more of a reason to buy some of the classics, as they will only be going up in price over the years.
My QP and 4200 sound glorious, both on cold start and when on full chat.
They will be missed, but that's even more of a reason to buy some of the classics, as they will only be going up in price over the years.
Firstly, we know Gen Z as a whole do not really care about personal transportation in the way that Boomers, Gen X and Millenials did. The rate of people learning to drive in the UK has significantly dropped between 18% and 30% in the last decade alone (depending on which source you read) and also Gen Z sees car ownership as less essential than than previous generation as when as the general move of younger people to more urbanised environments (ie cities) meaning an increase of reliance on public transport and its alternatives.
Secondly, BEVs are here and aren't going anywhere anytime soon; ownership is steadily climbing year after year.
Thirdly, unless we're talking about esoteric or extreme timewarp type examples, it's not as if V8s are that rare (they aren't, at all).
Finally, if the cost of running them means exorbitant taxes and running/maintanence costs to fuel them etc on public roads, I don't see the demand from the anyone in the the general population.
Let's not even talk about AI and the ramifications of such tech for autopilot style driving...
So no, I don't think that for the most part, V8-powered car values will rise over the coming years.
Firstly, we know Gen Z as a whole do not really care about personal transportation in the way that Boomers, Gen X and Millenials did. The rate of people learning to drive in the UK has significantly dropped between 18% and 30% in the last decade alone (depending on which source you read) and also Gen Z sees car ownership as less essential than than previous generation as when as the general move of younger people to more urbanised environments (ie cities) meaning an increase of reliance on public transport and its alternatives.
Secondly, BEVs are here and aren't going anywhere anytime soon; ownership is steadily climbing year after year.
Thirdly, unless we're talking about esoteric or extreme timewarp type examples, it's not as if V8s are that rare (they aren't, at all).
Finally, if the cost of running them means exorbitant taxes and running/maintanence costs to fuel them etc on public roads, I don't see the demand from the anyone in the the general population.
Let's not even talk about AI and the ramifications of such tech for autopilot style driving...
So no, I don't think that for the most part, V8-powered car values will rise over the coming years.
Agreed, general V8s are plenty in existence, but certain cars with big, naturally aspirated engines will increase in value over the coming years.
My point with regards to the older Maserati V8s is that they have pretty much hit the bottom of their price bubble, they won't go any lower and they will appreciate over time.
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