Maserati will celebrate its V8 engine at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend with the full debut of the Ghibli 334 Ultima and Levante V8 Ultima. 

    The two models, which Maserati expects will become collectors items upon their release, are powered by the company’s twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which will exit production in 2024.

    For the Trident brand, V8-powered models date back to the 5000GT of 1959. Since then Maserati has sold over 100,000 cars with bent-eight engines.

    Built by Ferrari, Maserati’s 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 currently cranks out 433kW/730Nm in the Ghibli Trofeo and Quattroporte Trofeo sedans, and 441kW/730Nm in the Levante Trofeo.

    No word yet on how much power and torque the special editions will pack, but the Ghibli 334 Ultima is named for its top speed of 334km/h, which Maserati claims makes it the fastest internal-combustion engine sedan in the world.

    The rear-wheel drive Ghibli Trofeo tops the current range, and has a top speed of 326km/h.

    From the teaser images released overnight, we can see the 334 Ultima’s exterior features grey-painted alloy wheels, red 334 decals on the front fenders, and a carbon-fibre front splitter.

    Inside there are two-tone seats with dark yellow leather for the bolsters and headrests, and black faux suede for the central seating section. At the front the headrests have Maserati and 334 logos emblazoned on them, while the rear pair of headrests just have Maserati’s trident logo.

    Also set to make its full debut at Goodwood is the second special edition model: the Levante V8 Ultima.

    As with the Ghibli, we don’t know any specifics about the V8 Ultima’s drivetrain, but we can see it too will feature a two-tone dark yellow and black seating setup. For the Levante, the black centre section of the seats are leather, rather than suede.

    Externally, the Levante V8 Ultima rides on black alloy wheels, and has V8 Ultima decals above its fender vents.

    In addition to these two V8 models, Maserati is also bringing a few vehicles of its post-eight cylinder life to Goodwood.

    The GranTurismo Trofeo, powered by a 399kW twin-turbo V6 Nettuno engine, will participate in the hill climb, while the electric GranTurismo Folgore coupe and Grecale Folgore crossovers will be on show.

    For its latest generation of models Maserati has downsized from V8 to V6 engines, and will have at least one all-electric drivetrain on offer. By 2030 Maserati will have an EV-only lineup.

    MORE: Everything Maserati Ghibli
    MORE: Everything Maserati Levante

    Derek Fung

    Derek Fung would love to tell you about his multiple degrees, but he's too busy writing up some news right now. In his spare time Derek loves chasing automotive rabbits down the hole. Based in New York, New York, Derek loves to travel and is very much a window not an aisle person.

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