Ghibli reinvents itself

MAYBE it's a reflection of how dynamic the Ghibli is. Three generations of this Maserati may share the same nameplate but not the same styling. The first Ghibli was a sensuously styled two-door grand tourer launched in 1967, while the second was a boxy bruiser of a coupe that appeared in 1992. Now, for the 21st century, the Ghibli gets four doors and is aimed smartly at the luxury sedan segment.

With its gaping grille and menacing headlamps, the Ghibli looks like a shorter version of the Quattroporte. It is, sort of. But unlike the QP which also has a V8, the Ghibli is available with only a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine that is designed and owned by Maserati but produced by Ferrari. It drives the rear wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and there are two variants - the Ghibli with 330 hp and the Ghibli S with 410 hp.

The latter produces a massive 550 Nm of torque, which is available from just 1,750 rpm in overboost. This means the Ghibli S is wonderfully responsive despite weighing in at 1,810 kg. With 50:50 weight distribution, the Ghibli is balanced. Its neutral handling in corners also benefits from the steel-aluminium-magnesium construction of the body, which endows the Ghibli with a low centre of gravity.