Italian car maker Maserati has unveiled its first Levante built around a V8 engine at the New York International Auto Show in the USA. The Levante Trofeo is capable of accelerating to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds and reaching a top speed of over 300km/h
With a 3.8-liter twin turbo V8 engine, the luxury SUV will deliver 660ps at 6,250rpm and 730Nm of peak torque at 2,250–5,000rpm. The engine boasts the highest output per liter of any Maserati powerplant ever produced at 158ps/liter and, like all Maserati petrol engines, will be assembled by Ferrari in Maranello, Italy.
Maserati engineers developed the V8 engine to accommodate the Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system, providing it with a new crankcase design, specific crankshaft assembly, new oil pump and auxiliary belt, and a different wiring layout.
New turbochargers feature increased flow, while redesigned cylinder heads with specific camshafts and valves, different pistons and new connecting rods enable maximum power in combination with specific engine calibration mapping.
The chassis of the fastest Levante ever has also been tuned to handle the higher power output without compromising in terms of comfort. A 50:50 weight balance and the low center of gravity – common to all Levante models – in combination with the finely tuned double-wishbone front, multi-link rear suspension and larger tires means the new Trofeo promises balanced handling and lateral stability.
The new ‘Corsa’ driving mode with launch control functionality enables enhanced engine response, opens exhaust valves in acceleration and provides faster gear shifting, lowered air suspension, sportier Skyhook damping and optimized Q4 Intelligent AWD settings.
“It’s proof that when you play with the elements you end up in a storm,” said Maserati CEO Tim Kuniskis. “In the case of Trofeo, the engineers and designers in Modena knew that the driveline parameters were more than able to cope with additional power and they also knew that Maserati had access to the finest engines on earth. So, they were up to the challenge of making the finest luxury SUV also one of the fastest.”
The production of the Levante Trofeo starts this summer at the refurbished Maserati plant in Mirafiori (Turin), Italy.