LA Auto Show 2013: Maserati Returns To Los Angeles Gunning For BMW, Mercedes, & Audi

Maserati has been the closest thing to having Ferrari at the LA Auto Show since, well Ferrari stopped showing up (hopefully they will come back soon!) so for Italian car fans the Maserati booth has been a must-see even though its been a while since they brought anything new; until this year.

  

This year not only does Maserati have something new but they also pretty much announced to the world that they are aiming for a slice of the Luxury sedan pie that BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Lexus have been enjoying for years.  So what is this new weapon that they are aiming at “ze Germans”?  Maserati calls it the Ghibli (pronounced Gib-Lee and not Gibby).

The Ghibli is a brand new “full size luxury sedan” from Maserati that will fit in just under the new Quattroporte.  The Ghibli is physically a bit smaller than the Quattroporte but still offers many of the same luxuries.  The Ghibli (which means “desert wind”) is also meant to be more “sporty” than its larger older sibling as well.

It will weigh less and will be powered by a 3.0 liter twin-turbo V6 built in the same Maranello plant that Ferrari builds their engines in.  There will be three versions of the engine available: two versions of the twin-turbo V6 (the base with 345hp and the “S” with 404hp) and a diesel V6 although no performance numbers have been released on the diesel engine.

Although easily the most impressive number from the Ghibli is its price: $65,000 MSRP.  For the same money that someone could have a BMW 550i, Mercedes E550 4Matic, or an Audi A7 that same person could get an Italian luxury sedan with a twin-turbo Ferrari-built engine.  Now the question is will people actually pick the Italian offering over the Germans?  Time will tell when the Ghibli hits North America.

   

  

Along with the Ghibli Maserati also brought their current Gran Turismo S and the new Quattroporte as if drooling over the Ghibli wasn’t enough.  Although I have to say my favorite thing about the Maserati booth was the “wall of pistons”! Check it all out by clicking on the thumbnails!