Before we even begin to talk about this car, there’s a few things you need to know about the Ghibli that may help you put the production of this car in context. The name Ghibli comes from the name of a hot dry south westerly wind from the Libyan desert… you can always count on the Italians to find a nice name. 

The name has actually been given to three different cars that Maserati has manufactured in the past, but the modern day Ghibli is known in technical terms as the M157. Maserati introduced the car at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show and as the company so eloquently states themselves, the Ghibli “maintains that tradition of empowered, race-bred performance—combining a smooth, luxurious ride with razor-sharp, coupe-like handling.” 

So Maserati claim themselves that even with their new age corporate structure, they’re still the same Maserati that creates cars over lunch breaks and late night passion rather than precision and maths. Let’s see if they really took the Italian approach.

Performance:

The car I was lucky enough to test was actually a Ghibli Edizone Nobile of which only 50 models are created each year for the North American market. The Edizone Speciale is essentially the Ghibli with all the bells and whistles on it and is one of the best models of the car you can buy. The car comes with the Q4 all wheel drive system as well as the most powerful V6 that Maserati will give you which creates 424 hp and takes you to an alleged top speed of 178 mph. The acceleration is not bad either, taking you from 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds. 

The thing that first strikes you when getting into the car though is the tremendous, fabulous, marvelous sounds of the engine. I could search in the dictionary for hours and still not find the right words to put in context what, in all fairness, is an inexplicably stupendous sound. Maserati worked in conjunction with numerous manufacturers to produce the Ghibli, but the engine, most importantly, came from Ferrari. That should explain itself. 

In sport mode, that sound amplifies even more, though I’m not sure how that’s even possible. In an empty street where we decided to test the Maserati’s acceleration, the car would be all the way at the end of the mile or so long straight and I could still hear the rumble of the mighty V6.

As Maserati stated previously, with the Ghibli they wanted a luxury sedan that would still have a race feel and an underlying note of the raw and wild excitement that comes with a race car. While a great deal of the car’s performance is the pantomime that comes with an Italian car, the fact is that it doesn’t fail to excite. In a world of German dominated sedans, it was refreshing to see a car that revved all the way to 7,000 rpms and not feel out of place doing so. 

Styling: 

It’s Italian design. It’s a Maserati. What do you expect, of course it looks great.

Interior:

The interior is tricky because it is simultaneously the thing I love and hate about the car most. When speaking on matters regarding interior I like to include technology as part of my assessment, and I believe that fact is what complicates my views on the “interior.” 

The interior itself is a wonderful place to be, especially in the Edizone Nobile. It comes with all sorts of special trims and even alcantara headlining. When you take a step back and take a look at the cabin, it’s hard to find any fault with it. 

The problem though, is the technology. Features like the lane keep assist and semi-autonomous driving remind you that many of the parts that fill the interior come from Chryseler, and that isn’t very Maserati at all. In retrospect many of you may not deem it a problem at all that Maseratis finally can be somewhat practical and maybe even sensible, but for purists such as myself it’s a huge problem. 

The definitive, classic Maserati that most purists will remember are cars that look elegant, but in reality unrefined. Cars that when driven in the correct setting can make you the happiest person on Earth, but then break down the very next day. Maserati trying to make the car more sensible makes you think that maybe all the corporate takeovers really have gotten to them.

Pricing:

Well, it’s expensive. The asking price for a fully loaded model is somewhere in the neighborhood of $85,000 which puts it in competition with cars such as the BMW 8 series, Lexus GS F, Mercedes CLS, Tesla Model S, and so on. The one good thing is that it does depreciate like an Italian car, so maybe used car ownership is a viable option granting that you do your research and diligently look for any potential issues. Least to say, with $85,000 you’re not really at a lack of option, but on paper the Ghibli does compare well with something like the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe (4-door). The BMW which is also another car built as a sedan but with a focus on performance, is down on power compared to the Ghibli but does get from 0-60 mph slightly quicker. 

In Conclusion:

Maybe you can guess my stance on the Ghibli by now, but even if you don’t I will summarize everything with a nice, complete conclusion. The new Maserati Ghibli is either for you or isn’t. There isn’t much in between. As far as I’m concerned there are two schools of thought on how to approach the subject of the Ghibli.

If you are the type of buyer that is used to buying something say German, and looking to make a change to the more exciting side of life, this is something worth considering. Without contemplating anything such as what Maserati used to stand for or whether this car is a true definition of what a Maserati should be, you may be tempted to fall insanely in love with the car, and there’s nothing wrong with that. 95% of the people that can afford this car will probably not be headstrong purists and will have only driven things such as BMWs and Audis in their lifetime. For those of you who can identify with the above description, it’s a bit of a gamble, but why not. Go for it.

Then of course there is the conflicting point of view. If you are a thoroughbred car enthusiast, you probably understand this point a bit better than most others: we are obsessed with what Maserati was in the past and the true meaning of the trident. When we think of Maserati we like to think of machines made for the compulsive, irrational, and intrepid individual. We also like to think of the equally mad designers that designed the car in some part of the Italian countryside. For these certain few individuals, the Ghibli will come nowhere near their expectations and they will have to live knowing that what they are driving is not the true definition of a Maserati.

Citations:

“2019 Maserati Ghibli – The Absolute Opposite Of Ordinary | Maserati USA.” Maseratiusa.com. N. p., 2019. Web. 16 Sept. 2019.

“Maserati Ghibli.” En.wikipedia.org. N. p., 2019. Web. 16 Sept. 2019

Guide, Buyer’s, Buyer’s Guide, and Maserati Ghibli. “Maserati Ghibli Reviews & Prices – New & Used Ghibli Models – Motortrend.” MotorTrend. N. p., 2019. Web. 16 Sept. 2019.

“BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe – Model Overview – BMW USA.” Bmwusa.com. N. p., 2019. Web. 16 Sept. 2019.

“Ghibli Edizione Nobile, One Of 50 | Maserati USA.” Maseratiusa.com. N. p., 2019. Web. 16 Sept. 2019.

“New Sedans From $75000 To $85000 – Pricewheels.” Pricewheels.com. N. p., 2019. Web. 16 Sept. 2019.