Final Maserati V8 ever revealed
Quattroporte Grand Finale will go to the States, where it will live alongside the one-off MC20 'Iris'
So this is it, then. The last Maserati V8 ever, barring some kind of drastic about-turn in the near future (we’ll rule nothing out at this moment in time). After the Khamsin, Ghibli and 5000GT back in the day, then the much-loved modern era of GranSports, GranTurismos and Quattroportes, the end is here. We knew it was, with the Ghibli and Levante Ultima editions, but it’s still taking some getting used to.
Especially as the last Maserati V8 is a Quattroporte, not one of the dedicated final editions. Those are the privileges afforded to you as a ‘significant entrepreneur in the biomedical sector’ clearly. Marking this Grand Finale out is Blu Nobile paint (with a carbon bodykit tinted the same colour), brushed aluminium calipers and ‘999999’ on the windscreen - the car’s identification number.
The cabin of the Grand Finale is said to be a tribute to ‘meticulous Italian artisanship and renowned mastery’, with the requests of the customer incorporated. So there are burl accents for the steering wheel, tan door panels, a leather-lined boot and Grand Finale badges.
It will be joined in the garage by an MC20 Iris, so called because the rainbow is a common thread that runs through the car. The colour is Al Aqua Rainbow, which is also used for interior stitching. The upholstery itself is something called ICE leather, Maserati suggests its use on the central tunnel is the first such application.
The Iris also gets its name laser cut into the door sill, more of the contrast stitching in the boot and unique gearshift paddle icons. Maserati says it combines tradition with ‘the best elements that characterise the brand’s future.’
No doubt the new custodian will be thrilled. If the announcement has sparked you into thinking about a slightly more affordable Maserati V8 tribute, check this out - a 530hp GTS version of the Quattroporte (so just 50hp off a Trofeo) for only £19,495. Even gets some wood on the steering wheel, too. Or just over £30k buys a lovely Metallic Bronze example with just 8k on it. Maserati’s era of new cars with V8s may be done, but there are still plenty of wonderful old ones to be tempted by.
This QP is looking rather dated now, and hasn't aged as elegantly as the QP5.
Shame to see them dropping the V8. Just buy an older model for a fraction of the price, and enjoy.
M539 admitted himself he bought the high miles QP to get views which in turn make him money. However there simply are not enough people watching the Maserati videos for this car to break even for him. Maserati is not as popular as bmw on the internet and hence less profitable for him.
He bought a 187k mile Maserati with faults and a sparse history then proceeded to remove the engine and do ancillary items like turbos and cam actuators etc. I’m sorry but if you are taking the engine out of a high performance car at those miles with no real history of oil changes, you crack it open and you change the oil pump, look at the bearings etc at least. Maybe if he had looked at the main bearings before reinstalling the engine he might have spotted that one was getting a bit worn while he could do something about it. Because there wasn’t sufficient profit in it for him, he did not do this inspection.
However, his strip down video is interesting. That Ferrari engine is clearly packaged for a super car that will never reach high miles and never need to be opened up. Engines made for more mainstream applications tend to be designed for easier maintenance. How many V8’s need to be removed and stripped down to change the oil pump? Not many I wager.
Maserati parts availability has always been sub optimal. Many parts are shared with other manufacturers, but the Maserati specific items are nigh on impossible to source after a car goes out of production. The fact that the qp6 is still in production and yet parts availability has already fallen to the Maserati norm is worrying for owners.
How many normal people would buy a 187k mile Maserati and would his video change their mind? Would this put you off buying a 30k mile car with a good history to use sparingly and take care of? Probably not.
If you were planning to buy one for life, then you might be better off with something simpler and designed for maintenance with good parts availability like a Toyota Camry
I don't mind the looks of the QP6 GTS, but they just lack the elegance of the QP5. The QP6 is not a car you get out of, walk away after locking it and then look back in admiration.
M539 admitted himself he bought the high miles QP to get views which in turn make him money. However there simply are not enough people watching the Maserati videos for this car to break even for him. Maserati is not as popular as bmw on the internet and hence less profitable for him.
He bought a 187k mile Maserati with faults and a sparse history then proceeded to remove the engine and do ancillary items like turbos and cam actuators etc. I’m sorry but if you are taking the engine out of a high performance car at those miles with no real history of oil changes, you crack it open and you change the oil pump, look at the bearings etc at least. Maybe if he had looked at the main bearings before reinstalling the engine he might have spotted that one was getting a bit worn while he could do something about it. Because there wasn’t sufficient profit in it for him, he did not do this inspection.
However, his strip down video is interesting. That Ferrari engine is clearly packaged for a super car that will never reach high miles and never need to be opened up. Engines made for more mainstream applications tend to be designed for easier maintenance. How many V8’s need to be removed and stripped down to change the oil pump? Not many I wager.
Maserati parts availability has always been sub optimal. Many parts are shared with other manufacturers, but the Maserati specific items are nigh on impossible to source after a car goes out of production. The fact that the qp6 is still in production and yet parts availability has already fallen to the Maserati norm is worrying for owners.
How many normal people would buy a 187k mile Maserati and would his video change their mind? Would this put you off buying a 30k mile car with a good history to use sparingly and take care of? Probably not.
If you were planning to buy one for life, then you might be better off with something simpler and designed for maintenance with good parts availability like a Toyota Camry
I also call bulls
t on Sreten's assertion that no repair instructions are available for the engine. As a matter of fact, Maserati's online support is pretty damn good for a niche manufacturer, with the caveat being that you have to pay for it. There is a dedicated portal, run by Maserati, where repairers can register, pay about £250 per day and download as much information as possible. Alternatively, you can gain annual access for a lot more, which would only make sense if you are a dedicated Maserati specialist.BMW runs exactly the same portal for exactly the same cost per day. It just happens that illicit copies of ISTA D with factory repair instructions are available for free, saving us loads of money. Being both an ///M and Maserati owner I am well versed in both...
Are MC20 and new GranT selling well? Haven’t seen either in the wild.
As for the MC20 and the new GT - sadly, they are both terrible sellers, despite getting universal praise by the likes of EVO etc. Mind you, at £150k for an MC20 with 2k on the clock - I think it's great value for money...
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