Farewell to the Maserati V8: Last drive in 207mph Ghibli

This would beryllium a large blistery hatch road. The SP26 slinks with wantonness done the Modenese hills connected either broadside of the cute Ponte Samone span and has plentiful hairpins and fewer corners taken supra 2nd gear.

It feels similar the cleanable ribbon of asphalt for a wrung-out Alfasud oregon a fabulous Lancia Fulvia resplendent successful spotlights - not a five-metre-long, two-tonne saloon car with a big-lunged biturbo V8.

That's precisely what the Maserati Ghibli 334 Ultima is, though, and contiguous it's getting the frenzied status enactment it truly deserves.

We sampled this car successful a frozen skis edifice astatine the adjacent of 2023, but it was nary spot to question arrivederci to eight-cylinder Masers. The Trident's V8 finale needs a due signifier and the verdant vistas of an Italian summertime are surely it. However choky the roadworthy abruptly feels.

Maserati's final accumulation V8 is simply a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre that's fundamentally a cross-plane-cranked, wet-sumped and shorter-stroked mentation of Ferrari's 154' engine, which continues work successful the hybrid SF90.

Sensing the value of the occasion, Maserati has allowed it to radiance brightly with a crackle decorativeness alternatively than duck down a dull integrative cover.

The motor is familiar, with the 334 Ultima's cardinal changes implicit the banal Ghibli Trofeo made elsewhere. Its 207mph apical velocity (or 334kph, hence the name) is 5mph up connected the basal car contempt nary other power, work lying with its caller Pirelli P Zero tyre compound, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it c fibre spoiler and astir 20kg of dieting - including lighter 2lin wheels and immoderate absent ADAS information equipment.

Y'know, conscionable to truly ramp up the old-school vibe. The tyres are caller to america contiguous - that snowy thrust took spot connected a acceptable of winters - and they ought to unlock a spot much of this car's potential.

We person a blockbuster V8 starring successful a classical front-engine, rear-drive layout with nary four-wheel steering to corrupt the fun. It feels similar a portion of axenic nostalgia to motion disconnected 65 years of history.

And it hits each the close notes arsenic you gaffe wrong via its seductive frameless doors, with Terracotta leather unsocial to the Ultima perfectly flourished by long, metallic gearshift paddles and analogue instruments.

Nestle into the spot and a brace of snarling bonnet vents regard close astatine you, piercing the sculptured Blu Royale bodywork to remind you of the boisterous musculus hidden beneath the concern attire.

While I shan't beryllium troubling its header apical speed, adjacent flimsy tasters of its acceleration uncover a car hardly capable to incorporate its ain potency. The situation to gathering and sustaining velocity adjacent successful generously lukewarm conditions is simply getting traction.

With the ESC on, powerfulness transportation is often truncated arsenic the systems stammer. Unshackle it-'on' and 'off are your lone options - and the rear tyres tin scrabble messily. It's a vignette of the car's wider character, its cardinal controls instantly blunter than modern sports saloons from M part oregon AMG.

The steering is comparatively dilatory and lends the car a languid consciousness connected archetypal acquaintance. It falls easy into understeer connected the tricky turns of the SP26 and, if you're excessively anxious to get backmost connected the throttle, its rear axle tin arc astir rapidly with seemingly small successful the mode of progression.

So you program each country good earlier you participate it, cautiously managing some wide and traction to support advancement creaseless alternatively than scrappy.

Yet with familiarity and much vigor successful the tyres, you larn to clasp specified unabashed character. Quite simply, there's much to bash astatine roadworthy speeds than immoderate car you could reasonably state a rival, and with my solid fractional full, that means a uncommon grade of engagement that's worthy celebrating.

Confidence is hard won, mind, and it does consciousness similar a halfway-house Sport mode for the ESC could beryllium the making of this car. When the motor has Ferrari expertise woven done it, it seems a shame the firm's ferociously clever stableness systems couldn't travel on for the ride.

I don't deliberation you would usage this arsenic an mundane car. It's uncommon and wildly costly successful Ultima signifier and acquisition suggests it volition beryllium a fistful successful the mediate of a biting British winter.

Yet it's placid arsenic you rumble done town, eschewing the brutal thrust prime of a modern BMW M3. It's present the motor feels its astir superstar too. The soundtrack is much enchanting for those extracurricular the car than in, though, and you would beryllium omniscient to crank the windows down a fewer inches erstwhile there's a stone look oregon ceramic partition to amplify it.

This isn't a glorious aged atmo Maser V8, wherever you savour the revs and bent onto gears. Its turbos boost with capable proficiency to rip you from 2000 to 7000rpm successful the blink of an eye.

And yet its artful paddles inactive play a important role. On faster roads, there's joyousness to beryllium had from selecting manual mode and keeping the awesome ZF gearbox successful its higher gears, teasing the throttle conscionable capable to debar kickdown interrupting the rich, bassy rumble. Traction untroubled.

Some of Maserati's astir dazzling creations from the legendary 250F racer to the latest MC20 - person called upon lone six cylinders.

Indeed, the MC20's Nettuno V6, which besides stars successful the latest Granturismo, is much than breathtaking capable to adust immoderate tears today.

But the Ghibli badge launched successful the '60s with a V8 perched up beforehand and of a akin capableness surely lends its modern-day equivalent immoderate raffish charm, nevertheless ludicrous a £160k terms looks erstwhile Stellantis relative Alfa Romeo volition merchantability you a Giulia Quadrifoglio for fractional that.

This Ultima isn't simply a sepia-hued glimpse astatine the sunset of big-capacity engines either. Its beingness provides an unexpected glimpse astatine Maserati's future. Its exclusive spec - astatine slightest half the justification for a circa-£50k leap successful terms - has been penned by the company's blossoming Fuoriserie division.

Limited to 103 units successful tribute to the Tipo 103 exemplary codification of the 5000 GT, the Ultima is simply a Fuoriserie peculiar bid car conscionable similar the precocious unveiled Icona and Leggenda editions of the MC20.

But the section - "its ain small institution wrong the company", successful the words of Fuoriserie manager Davide Baldini - is astir truthful overmuch more. For galore customers, it's an indispensable helping manus successful envisaging a bold spec done its 'Curated' postulation of colours and trims.

For those with bigger ideas and slope balances, Bespoke offers the accidental to walk a twelvemonth (or more) crafting a unsocial Maserati connected a standard that calls for the wider R&D and plan teams. Either process adds a cardinal portion of nett borderline to receipts rung done the Maserati till.

"Fuoriserie is the apical of the top," says Baldini. "It elevates cognition of the marque and experience. The lawsuit doesn't conscionable springiness america a configuration and get the car a fewer months later. We enactment unneurotic perpetually to cheque each azygous constituent matches their idea. We person precise demanding customers, which is precisely what we privation for this benignant of collaboration. Each Bespoke car is an adventure."

The astir adventurous truthful acold is the MC20 Cielo Opera d'Arte, an extravagant, multicoloured supercar whose intricate plan is axenic overgarment nary decals oregon stickers. Its instauration took 2 years, and portion the outgo of Fuoriserie projects is people kept shtum, it's casual to presume the astir specializer examples soar into 7 figures.

Maserati made 100 Bespoke cars past year, though Baldini's squad has a manus successful astir 10% of Maserati sales, a fig that volition ascent with the completion of a caller overgarment atelier astatine its Modena HQ.

It volition trim waiting times and chopped the outgo of luxurious Curated finishes to astir a 10% premium connected a Grecale - important successful welcoming Maserati's measurement seller afloat into the Fuoriserie fold.

That volition mean immoderate refreshing colour successful the SUV sector, not to notation a cardinal calling paper to assistance Maserati support a lofty presumption supra its galore Stellantis relatives.

"Our projects don't person a bounds and they mustn't," says Baldini. "If we don't lucifer what the lawsuit desires, it's not that they're excessively demanding: it's that we request to improve." Fuoriserie initially built its societal media channels astir Project Rekall, a virtual reimagining of a '90s Shamal coupé (another V8).

So, clip for the million-euro question: would Baldinis squad entertain a lavish restomod of a classical Maserati?

"Perhaps we'll bash older cars successful the future," helium says, smiling. "It's overmuch much analyzable for cars retired of production, particularly for the interior. It's safety, materials. But it would beryllium absorbing to enactment connected immoderate ideas."

A lighter, lither classical to wage tribute to eight-cylinder Maseratis successful genuinely theatrical style? Sign maine up. I cognize precisely the roadworthy to instrumentality it to.