Maserati Says Farewell To Its V8 Lineup With The 334 Ultima

Amidst an industry-wide shift towards electrification, Stellantis continues to push its brands away from V8 engines and toward electrified powertrains. Dodge has already bid farewell to its legendary HEMI® V8 engines in its modern-day muscle cars. Maserati, too, is acknowledging this trend by paying homage to its V8 legacy with the limited-edition Maserati Ghibli 334 … (read full article...)

 

[bill burke]

Robert, one of us has to be wrong since the cracks are already emerging in the Stellantis plan for electrification and I believe that plan will be scrapped as demand for all electric passenger vehicles evaporates. I’m not saying that commercial applications could see growth as a viable application of electrics, especially in small and mid-size urban vans, that can absorb some of the insane investments that Stellantis has made in their ill conceived plan. You seem to accept the spin, the fantasy that has been spewing from automakers to satisfy elements in government that are being shown the door globally in short order. The tide has turned big time.
Clearly the tea leaves predict the same outcome in the US elections and with that, a return to normalcy and reality will put the nail in the green movement and leave Stellantis out in the cold. What these cracks are showing is that few ever believed in this over ambitious plan and gas power vehicles will be in these cars long term. Am I right Robert?
Maserati may deep six the V-8 but I doubt they will go all electric. No transition, so quit buying into that foolishness already, unless your right and Stellantis goes belly up.

 

[Mopar392]

Let’s put it this way.
BMW, Audi and Porsche slowed down their plan for full and only electric models and decided to continue to invest in ICE engine and models.
They must have realized something that Stellantis is ignoring.

 

[Ryan]

Let’s put it this way.
BMW, Audi and Porsche slowed down their plan for full and only electric models and decided to continue to invest in ICE engine and models.
They must have realized something that Stellantis is ignoring.

Without looking at the sales numbers, Maserati likely sells at a vastly lower volume than any of those companies. It makes sense for low volume brands to move to EVs quicker than others.

 

[TripleT]

Hurrincane wasn't an investment? How is that ignoring ICE?

 

[Mopar392]

Wasn’t the Hurricane program pre-dating FCA-PSA merger??

 

[Mopar392]

Without looking at the sales numbers, Maserati likely sells at a vastly lower volume than any of those companies. It makes sense for low volume brands to move to EVs quicker than others.

And yet the failure impact is much greater.
Both Alfa and Maserati are moving to EV only.
EV market is niche, and having 2 already niche manufacturers to do the same thing is a risky move .

 

[TripleT]

Wasn’t the Hurricane program pre-dating FCA-PSA merger??

damn near everything that is current pre-dates the merger, including the Coachwork Midsized that share the same platform.

With rules in EU focusing on EV makes sense, but given Maserati volume they can always hand build about damn near anything include built V8s and tuned Hurricane6

 

[TripleT]

And yet the failure impact is much greater.
Both Alfa and Maserati are moving to EV only.
EV market is niche, and having 2 already niche manufacturers to do the same thing is a risky move .

Not a niche in the EU a mandate, there will be parts of Europe you literally will not be allowed in with an ICE engine.

it is what it is.... I don't think Alfa should ever make anything but ICE cars but ...... EU is the primary market. Not really a Alfa with BEV it just a Italian Coachwork exercise.

 

[Mopar392]

Some countries in EU started showing resistance to the EV only rule.
As I said, BMW, Audi and Porsche decided not to center their whole lineup and development around EU only, which makes sense in case the tide changed.
I’m really concerned and worried with Stellantis having all their eggs in one basket especially for their European parts, would lead only to failure if the rules changed.
Even on the American side, Chrysler is moving to be EV only and the next Wrangler seems to only have an ICE engine in an act of being a Charger to the batteries .

 

[TripleT]

Large Metros are not changing anything they are doubling down. Regardless of what some individual countries are doing. if anything they are way behind

 

[Mopar392]

Germany backed out of full electric and decided to include hybrids in their strategy.
I think other countries will follow suit soon

 

[TripleT]

I think that is wise but that isn’t changing in the large metros where it’s not that you can only buy a certain model but you can only enter the city with certain models.

And again We are behind not over focused STLA Frame will be dual or now triple capable. I am willing to bet the next Wranglee will have a version of the current 4xE system that is ICE focused, that they will have a ice only base model

 

[redriderbob]

Robert, one of us has to be wrong since the cracks are already emerging in the Stellantis plan for electrification and I believe that plan will be scrapped as demand for all electric passenger vehicles evaporates. I’m not saying that commercial applications could see growth as a viable application of electrics, especially in small and mid-size urban vans, that can absorb some of the insane investments that Stellantis has made in their ill conceived plan. You seem to accept the spin, the fantasy that has been spewing from automakers to satisfy elements in government that are being shown the door globally in short order. The tide has turned big time.
Clearly the tea leaves predict the same outcome in the US elections and with that, a return to normalcy and reality will put the nail in the green movement and leave Stellantis out in the cold. What these cracks are showing is that few ever believed in this over ambitious plan and gas power vehicles will be in these cars long term. Am I right Robert?
Maserati may deep six the V-8 but I doubt they will go all electric. No transition, so quit buying into that foolishness already, unless your right and Stellantis goes belly up.

Stellantis aims for a 100% EV transition in Europe by the decade's end, but I oppose this shift. I've seen it struggle here, and some Euro countries like Italy and Germany share similar concerns about EVs. Even if the EU permits synthetic fuels (e-fuel), their current price is prohibitive. Europe has robust EV infrastructure in urban areas, but like the U.S., rural regions might face challenges with electric charging. The uncertainty lies in whether Stellantis will allow its Euro brands to persist with internal combustion power outside Europe. Fiat and Alfa Romeo have signaled a move toward an all-EV lineup here, abandoning internal combustion.

 

[TripleT]

Stellantis aims for a 100% EV transition in Europe by the decade's end, but I oppose this shift. I've seen it struggle here, and some Euro countries like Italy and Germany share similar concerns about EVs. Even if the EU permits synthetic fuels (e-fuel), their current price is prohibitive. Europe has robust EV infrastructure in urban areas, but like the U.S., rural regions might face challenges with electric charging. The uncertainty lies in whether Stellantis will allow its Euro brands to persist with internal combustion power outside Europe. Fiat and Alfa Romeo have signaled a move toward an all-EV lineup here, abandoning internal combustion.

Since the STLA Mid and STLA Large can both accommodate ICE powertrains at least they will have the option to change course. They can use hand built or more exotic versions of the NA powertrains. Add Mutli-air and electric Turbos and such. For everything below C segment cars can all be pure EV as they are city cars mostly and many municipalities are outright banning ICE in the city centers.

 

[redriderbob]

Since the STLA Mid and STLA Large can both accommodate ICE powertrains at least they will have the option to change course. They can use hand built or more exotic versions of the NA powertrains. Add Mutli-air and electric Turbos and such. For everything below C segment cars can all be pure EV as they are city cars mostly and many municipalities are outright banning ICE in the city centers.

Agreed to a point. What FCA US needs here is affordable cars. GM has a winner with the $23,000 new Trax and look what Ford is doing with the Maverick...

 

[TripleT]

Agreed to a point. What FCA US needs here is affordable cars. GM has a winner with the $23,000 new Trax and look what Ford is doing with the Maverick...

I seen the future of electric and its not really Tesla... it WuLing. IDK anyone in NA competes with that. Only thing the mandates will do is make the Chinese dominate much the way the smog rules and fuel scarcity did for the Japanese.