Earlier this week, Maserati has confirmed its intention to ditch V8 engines in favor of smaller-displacement options. Before it can happen, the Italian automaker will unveil special editions of its Ghibli and Levante models in July.
Motor1 believes the reason is that the company relied on Ferrari to supply its 3.8-liter V8s, and the contract happens to run out at the end of 2023. There is no official confirmation at this time.
Only the top-of-the-line Trofeo variants of the Ghibli, Levante and Quattroporte currently ship with eight-cylinder engines. It looks like all these Trofeo versions will soon either drop out of production or get smaller engines. For instance, the latest GranTurismo Trofeo already makes do with a 3.0-liter V6 rated up to 558 PS (550 hp / 410 kW), even though the company has a V8 in its inventory capable of 580 PS (572 hp / 427 kW).
The farewell editions of the V8-powered Ghibli and the Levante will debut at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. They will be called ‘Ultima’ and be based on the Trofeo spec with some further improvements thrown in. Maserati hasn’t revealed any details yet, but said it counted on these cars to be popular among collectors.