Maserati has presented the Maserati Ghibli Ultima at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which will end 64 years of V8 powerplants in the Modena firm's road cars.
Production of the firm's final V8 engines will finish this year, and the final V8 models are bound for special Ultima editions of the Ghibli and Levante, with the former dubbed the ‘334’ in a reference to its top speed of 334kph (207.5mph) – a 5mph increase on the standard model.
Maserati credits the increase to aerodynamic optimisations, which include 21in Orione alloy wheels with new tyres made from a specially developed compound, plus a carbonfibre spoiler. The changes also help the Ghibli to accelerate quicker, cutting its 0-62mph sprint time from 4.3sec to 3.9sec.
The 334 Ultima’s Scià di Persia paint harks back to the original ‘Shah of Persia’ Maserati 5000 GT, as does the Pale Terracotta tan leather interior. Special ‘334’ logos feature around the car.
The Levante Ultima, also powered by the 564bhp twin-turbocharged V8, receives a similar aesthetic package.
Maserati will produce 103 examples of each model, phasing out the eight-pot engine from the end of 2023.
The Italian marque has sold 100,000 V8s since 1959 but will now phase out the engine in favour of the more efficient Nettuno V6 as well as battery-electric powertrains.
It will use this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed to celebrate this point of inflection in its history, displaying the new Ultima models as well as the new V6-powered Granturismo Trofeo and its electric variant, the Folgore.
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It looks absolutely gorgeous inside, the few I've seen are really pretty, a bit old fashioned looking from some angles but nothing's perfect is it?