Maserati is preparing a lineup of new petrol-powered products as it targets buyers who remain unconvinced by fully electric line-ups and downsized powertrains in the premium segment. The Italian marque plans to reintroduce V8 engines and manual gearboxes on some models to chase profitable, high-margin sales, even as the brand’s global sales numbers have stayed modest for many years.
A New Grecale Entry Point
The immediate commercial move is a cheaper V6 version of the Grecale midsize SUV. The 287kW/500Nm ‘Modena’ tune of the 3.0-litre twin-turbo ‘Nettuno’ engine is set to slash the six-cylinder entry price compared to the $179,900 (+ORCs) Trofeo model. This pricing adjustment coincides with the end of production for the combustion-powered Porsche Macan, which was discontinued for Australia and replaced by a BEV-only successor.
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Head of Maserati engineering Davide Danesin confirmed that a compact, European-style V8 would fit the company’s existing GranTurismo- and Grecale-sized architectures. He stated that any future manual should use genuine mechanical connections rather than a simulated interface. “I think V8 could be potentially coming back,” Mr Danesin said. “I’m sure that if we would be making it, we would be selling it, maybe not in big numbers.”
Sound and Feel Over Raw Speed
The new Grecale Modena V6, tested in Italy and Slovenia, reaches 100km/h in about five seconds—slower than the Trofeo’s 3.8 seconds but sufficiently quick for the class. The car’s appeal lies in its auditory experience; it delivers a throaty and raspy exhaust note with snappy upper-rev responses that pure electric vehicles lack. Sport mode improves initially doughy throttle reactions, while the compliant adaptively damped ride, strong cabin presentation, and useful packaging further strengthen its case.
While a V8 might return to the GranTurismo and GranCabrio two-door cars, or potentially a Grecale V8, the company notes that a suitable unit would need to be smaller than the large-displacement ‘Hemi’ units Stellantis produces for its American products. This would effectively be a new engine, rather than simply a Nettuno V6 with two cylinders added.
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The Cost of Mechanics
Mr Danesin compared the business case for a manual transmission to a mechanical wristwatch: technically superseded, costly to manufacture, but valuable partly because of scarcity. He estimated that a good mechanical gearbox could cost between €15,000-20,000, while an automatic gearbox costs less than €3000. This pricing gap hints that an available manual might add upwards of $30,000 to the retail price.
A Maserati manual would be restricted to low production and would most naturally accompany rear-wheel drive in a sports car rather than the maximum-performance AWD system found in today’s GranTurismo tunes. Even with these high-end plans for traditional buyers, the brand is not abandoning electrification or the existing Folgore BEV models that make up part of its lineup.
