Maserati hasn’t offered a V8 since the Quattroporte was discontinued in 2024. Now, though, the Italian automaker has confirmed that it has investigated fitting an eight-cylinder engine into its current lineup. That said, there are no guarantees that one will actually reach production.
Speaking with Australia's Carsales, Maserati head of engineering Davide Danesin said a V8 could potentially be fitted to the company's existing vehicle architectures. He also suggested there is enough customer interest to make a low-volume V8 model viable. Danesin said:
'My personal opinion is yes: I think the V8 could potentially be coming back… I’m sure that if we were making it, we would be selling it [but] maybe not in big numbers.'
The GranTurismo and GranCabrio are the most likely candidates if Maserati gets the green light for a new V8. Both cars currently use the company's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Nettuno V6, which produces up to 621 horsepower in Trofeo trim.
A V8 wouldn't necessarily be just about adding more power, though. Danesin said the existing V6 already provides plenty of performance, suggesting the appeal of a V8 would be more about character, sound, and exclusivity.
Maserati wouldn't simply drop one of Stellantis' existing Hemi V8s into its cars, either (although we wish). The company believes those engines are too large for its current architectures, meaning it would likely need to develop a smaller V8 based in part on the architecture of its Nettuno engine.
That would make a production V8 extremely expensive, particularly given the relatively small number of cars Maserati would likely sell. The current GranTurismo already starts at around $150,000 in the US; adding a V8 to the equation would only up the asking price from there.
For now, Maserati still needs approval from Stellantis before the project can move forward. But after years of automakers abandoning V8s, the possibility of a new Italian eight-cylinder sports car is certainly intriguing.
Motor1’s Take: Maserati needs a V8—plain and simple. Even if it is a rare option, relegated to only its priciest models, the eight-cylinder engine is crucial to the automaker’s identity.
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