Looking back at its often glorious, sometimes shaky, always fascinating history, Maserati has had some form of V8-powered car in its road car lineup since 1959, and the introduction of the exceptionally rare 5000 GT. Today, though, that changes, as Maserati has unveiled the final car it’ll likely ever produce with a V8: the aptly named Quattroporte Grand Finale.
Delivered to a long-standing Maserati customer in the USA, the Grand Finale not only sends off the V8 Maserati; it’s also the final example of the sixth generation of the company’s flagship large saloon. It arrived alongside a one-off MC20 supercar called the Iris, painted in a colour known as AI Aqua Rainbow. And no, we’re not sure where the AI part comes from.
Maserati MC20 Iris and Quattroporte Grand Finale
Both cars have been created as part of Maserati’s Fuoriserie personalisation programme. The Grand Finale is finished in a deep shade of blue known as Blu Nobile, and features a subtle carbon fibre body kit in the same colour. On the inside, it gets acres of tan leather and – naturally – a few Grand Finale badges.
But all of that’s really secondary to its engine. Closely related to the one found in various modern Ferraris, it’s a 3.8-litre twin-turbo unit, in the spec found in the range-topping Quattroporte Trofeo. It makes 571bhp and 538lb ft of torque, meaning the Grand Finale is good for 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and a 203mph top speed.
Maserati Quattroporte Grand Finale – interior detail
With the other two cars that used this engine – the Ghibli and Levante – both ending production earlier this year, it leaves Maserati’s range as the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6-powered MC20, GranTurismo and GranCabrio, and the Grecale crossover, which features that engine plus a four-cylinder. All four also have electric Folgore versions either available or on the horizon.
A new Quattroporte is on the way, although its planned 2025 launch has now been pushed back to 2028. Earlier this year, Maserati said it would only be available with an electric powertrain, but whether this will still be the case amid faltering demand for premium EVs remains to be seen.
Maserati Quattroporte Grand Finale – engine bay
What it definitely won’t have is a snarling V8, so pour one out for the era of the eight-pot Maserati. Thanks for all the very noisy memories.
