The most powerful collection ever of Maseratis have landed in Australia, with the Ghibli and Quattroporte Trofeo joining the Levante Trofeo, achieving the pinnacle of performance, sportiness and luxury. At a recent event held at Sydney Motorsport Park a select group of media and customers were given the opportunity to drive each of these special vehicles on the skid pan, race track and off-road for the Levante.
The heart of Trofeo, whether it be Ghibli, Levante or Quattroporte, is the 3.8-litre V8 Twin Turbo engine with power output of 433kW (580hp) at 6,750rpm and peak torque of 730Nm. The engine is built at the Ferrari plant at Maranello to Maserati’s specifications, and has been modified and developed to deliver equally impressive performances on the rear-drive sedans. It will be the last time this engine will be used in a Maserati, making the Trofeos future classics.
Ghibli and Quattroporte Trofeo can proudly claim to be the fastest Maserati sedans ever; with a top speed of 326km/h with the Levante Trofeo’s maximum speed is 304km/h. We didn’t quite have a straight long enough to reach those speeds, but some saw speeds in excess of 200km/h down the main straight. Personally I found the Levante to be the most enjoyable of the three vehicles to drive on the track thanks to the reassurance of having all-wheel drive.
The surprise of the day was how well the Levante performed off-road on standard road tyres. We took the Levante through mud ruts and up and down very steep inclines and the Levante took all of the conditions in its stride.
Like Levante Trofeo, the new Ghibli and Quattroporte Trofeo also incorporate the Integrated Vehicle Control (IVC) system, with a specific setup that guarantees enhanced driving dynamics, greater active safety and even more thrilling performance. The sedans have the Corsa button that sets the car for an even sportier driving style. Also included is Launch Control, a function that first appeared on Levante Trofeo, to unleash all the engine’s power and deliver breath-taking performance and an authentic Maserati driving experience.
While the unique signature of every Maserati is the sound of its engine, the Trofeo collection will be even more unmistakable in looks, thanks to special stylistic touches that characterise these high performance models. These include the front grille with twin vertical bars in Black Piano finish, and the introduction of carbon fibre on the front air duct trims and rear extractor, for an even more aggressive effect.
The whole Trofeo collection is distinguished by the red details that characterise the bottom profiles of the side air vents and the lightning bolt on the Trident badge on the C-pillars. There are major changes at the rear of the car, where the light clusters have been completely restyled, with a boomerang-like profile inspired by the 3200 GT and the Alfieri concept car. Ghibli and Quattroporte Trofeo are fitted with 21” aluminium Orione wheels and 22” Orione wheels are available on Levante Trofeo.
The Trofeo characterisation continues in the interior, with a new on-board panel that displays an exclusive interface at switch-on, while the headrests bear the Trofeo badge with the name in three-dimensional relief. The exclusivity also extends to the interior upholstery, in full-grain Pieno Fiore natural leather.
New technologies also appear in MIA (Maserati Intelligent Assistant), the multimedia screen with upgraded resolution and larger size – 10.1” on both Ghibli Trofeo and Quattroporte Trofeo, while Levante retains the 8.4” display, but with improved resolution and graphics.
“We’re delighted to formally announce the arrival of this triumverate of Trofeos. We call it the ‘Art of Fast’ and these vehicles are the start of a product onslaught from Maserati over the coming months as the brand enters a new era,” says Glen Sealey, COO of Maserati Australia and New Zealand.
Made in Italy to be enjoyed on our great Australian driving roads, the Ghibli, Levante and Quattroporte Trofeo models are available to order now your Maserati dealership. Prices start at $ 265,000 for the Ghibli Trofeo, $ 336,990 for Levante Trofeo and $ 376,900 for the Quattroporte Trofeo. Visit maserati.com/au/en for more information.
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine and Maserati Australia.