Maserati to stop building its iconic V8 engines

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Maserati chose the fifth edition of the Modena Motor Valley Fest — a festival-slash-business-forum celebrating the city’s being so essential to all that is automotive in Italy — to announce it will cease production of its iconic V8 late this year. Designed by Ferrari and sharing a similar design to the mill in Maranello’s F8 Tributo and SF90, the F154 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged 90-degree V8 has been the mainstay of Maserati’s high-performance lineup, powering top-tier Ghiblis and Quattroportes, as well as the company’s Levante SUV, this last pumping out 572 horsepower.

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Maserati’s version of the F154 differs from Ferrari variants by running on a cross-plane crankshaft; and by being lubricated by a wet-sump oiling system, whereas Enzo’s versions feature flat-plane cranks and a dry-sump design. Nonetheless, Driving can attest to the rortiness of the F154, having just tested the Levante Trofeo, and we did not find it wanting.

The last editions of the Trofeo product line – the Ghibli 334 Ultima and the Levante V8 Ultima – will be unveiled at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, and will remain on sale through 2024.

The demise of the long-running V8 is just the beginning of Maserati’s transition to electrification. By 2025, says the Modena-based brand, its entire line-up will be will be available in a fully-electric, battery-powered version; and, by 2030, internal combustion will be no more.

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The company’s famed GranTurismo, in its Folgore trim — which we hope to test shortly — is the first of Maser’s BEVs, and it will be joined shortly by the Grecale Folgore, Maserati’s first all-electric sport-utility vehicle.

That said, there’s still some pretty exciting internal combustion to be had underneath the bonnets of high-powered Maseratis, the MC20 supercar, GranTurismo Trofeo, and Grecale Trofeo all powered by the company’s innovative “Nettuno” engine. Itself loosely based on the F154, but with six cylinders and an F1-inspired stratified-charge combustion chamber, the 3.0-litre V6 pumps out an impressive 621 hp in MC20 guise; and 523 hp when strapped into the small SUV. Either way, it makes a big impression, both symphonically and when you hit the loud-handle.

Nonetheless, thus comes to an end a long line of Maserati V8s. First seen in production spec in the 1959 5000GT, the first generation powered everything from the Quattroporte to the Bora, not to mention some truly speedy world champion speedboats, via a monstrous 6.5L 580-hp version. Production of the Ferrari-based F154 started in 2013 with the Quattroporte GTS. Nonetheless, this is addio ai Maserati V8s.