The 2021 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo Isn't a German. We Like It That Way

The 2021 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo Isn't a German. We Like It That Way

Whoa,” my friend and photographer Dean Zatkowsky exclaimed as we opened the hood of the 2021 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo. “That’s like, a real engine. And I like that little carbon fibery thing on top of it.”

At this point plastic engine covers are so ubiquitous that the sight of an engine when a hood is opened can be startling. Enough to make you rip the hood off and drive this thing around so everyone can gawk at the engine. The 2021 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo Isn't a German. We Like It That Way

This is a car built for display at the Concorso Italiano circa 2061. Of course, by then, if cars aren’t floating around on anti-gravity devices and powered by Fresca it will be disappointing. But your grandchildren may (or may not) appreciate the sight of an actual internal combustion engine. The 2021 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo Isn't a German. We Like It That Way

But right now, the Ghibli Trofeo is, well, intriguing. Yes, its reputation for unreliability is frustrating. Yes, its depreciation curve is shaped like the path of a shrieking Curtiss Helldiver aimed at the deck of a Japanese carrier. But it has its own vibe and that’s endearing. Assuming, that is, you haven’t been sucked into the fundamentalist cults of BMW M or Mercedes-AMG. The 2021 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo Isn't a German. We Like It That Way

The Ghibli is Maser’s mid-size sedan. About the same size as a BMW 5-Series or Mercedes E-Class. It’s 118.0-inch wheelbase is 2.3-inches longer than that of the E-Machine, but at 195.7-inches in length, it’s about three-quarters of an inch shorter. This particular Ghibli – the M157 – has been around since 2013 and the only reason it’s not more familiar is that so few are sold. Remember, the low-spec E-Class is used as a taxi in Germany. BMW 5-Series are cop cars. The Ghibli is not a cab.

The Ghibli name has been used on Maseratis both glorious and disreputable since 1967. The original Ghibli was a slick, Giugiaro-designed fastback that looked like a stiletto on four wheels. It was powered by Maserati’s own V-8 and is now a classic of sorts. In contrast, the Ghibli built from 1992-1998 was a riff on the despicable Biturbo coupe that wreaked of stopgap desperation. So, pick the heritage that works best for you.

The new Ghibli’s bare powerplant is a Ferrari-based 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V-8 rated at 572 horsepower (converted from the European 580 hp rating) and 538 lb-ft. That’s an admirable output, but it pales in comparison to direct German competition.

So The 2021 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo Isn't a German. We Like It That Way