share on BufferSet to debut at the upcoming Shanghai Motor Show, the Ghibli was designed at the Mirafiori-based Maserati Design Studio led by Marco Tencone and supervised by Fiat Group Design Head Lorenzo Ramaciotti.
The design draws from the Quattroporte unveiled earlier this year and is characterized by a different layout of the crease lines defining the flanks and the rear end, which gives the car a sportier character.
The Ghibli will be available with two turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engines, an eight-speed automatic transmission and both rear-wheel drive and the new “Q4” all-wheel drive system.
The Ghibli will also be the first Maserati production car in history to be powered by a diesel engine, with a 3.0-liter V6 turbo-diesel.
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| Left: the Maserati Quattroporte unveiled at the 2013 NY Auto Show in January | |
As Maserati reports, the model will play a significant role in Maserati’s growth plan to sell 50,000 cars per year.
The name Ghibli comes from the Libyan denomination for the wind Sirocco and refers to the iconic coupe produced by Maserati from 1967 to 1973 and penned by Giugiaro.
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| The 1967 Maserati Ghibli by Giugiaro | The 1992 Maserati Ghibli restyled by Gandini |
The same name was also used for the last edition of the Biturbo, designed by De Tomaso and restyled by Marcello Gandini.
(Source: Maserati via Virtual Car)
Proposed Ghibli is a total betrayal to the legacy of the original Ghibli, a complete failure of communication of the spirit of a great Maserati of the past. Ghibli name plate should be left alone since nothing in current art of automotive design even slightly resembles the original Ghibli. Maserati under Fiat has taken the wrong approach for the future when it comes to Maserati. This is unforgivable in automotive art. A better approach would have been to move away rounder lines and instead opt for a sharp design like Lamborghini because there was no round lines in the original Ghibli design philosophy. Nothing short deserves the name Ghibli.