MOTORING
MASERATI GHIBLI TROFEO
By Maarten Hoffmann, Senior Motoring Editor The Maserati marque has been around since 1914 when bothers Alfieri, Ettore and Ernesto Maserati founded the company in Bologna, Italy. The war came hard on its heels and and it wasn’t until 1926 that they came up with their first creation, the Tipo 26 which carried the now well-known logo of the Maserati Trident for the first time. The company is now owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles who also own Ferrari. The marque has a proud history of motor racing success such as when Juan Manuel Fangio won the German GP in 1957 at the wheel of a 250F. 1966 saw the first model with the Ghibli name attached and in 1993, Ferrari and Maserati joined forces to create the 3200 GT.
Back to the Ghibli, that was re-launched on 2013, and here on my driveway sits the latest incarnation - the Ghibli Trofeo, meaning trophy, as they have gone full bore and put the Ferrari 3.8-litre, 580hp V8 into the car, making it the fastest production Maserati ever. Not very well known, the Ghibli could be regarded as a stylish rival to the BMW M5 with the advantage of being far rarer, prettier with a huge extra dollop of Italian cool. Then there’s the rip-roaring Ferrari engine with an exhaust note to die for, paired with an ZF 8- speed auto box and rear-wheel drive. The 4,616lb Ghibli will hit 60mph in 4.3 seconds and for a fourseater salon car, that ain’t ‘alf bad. Use the new launch control and you get every ounce of that power regardless of
Overall, the Ghibli Trofeo has a pretty raw, unhinged on-road character ❜❜
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whether you are a rubbish driver or not. Prepare to meet your maker. Despite the electronic limited-slip diff managing torque distribution, pop it into Corsa (race) mode, blip the throttle mid corner and watch the back slide out - it’s addictive. With the 21-inch wheels, you will be feeling the bumps in the road but nothing too dramatic and well worth it for the power under your right foot. Overall, the Ghibli Trofeo has a pretty raw, unhinged on-road character.
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