That Seems Wrong: Diesel Maserati

Call me a heretic, or call me a true believer. Either way, a sexy, slinky Maserati should not, must not, cannot have a low-revving, high-torque diesel 6 under the hood. It’s sick. It’s wrong. And yet, here we are.

Welcome to the brave new world, kids. For the most part, it’s pretty awesome here. We have 740 hp Aston Martin hybrids, 8-second GTRs, and at least a few people who understand that you can, in fact, combine new technology and classic style to get the best of both world (on two wheels and four). On the other hand, though, we have heresies like the diesel Maserati.

Let’s just get through this, shall we?

The new-for-2014 Maserati Ghibli is based, mechanically, on Maserati’s Ferrari-V8-powered GranTurismo coupe. Visually, however, the car has more than a passing resemblance to its big brother, the also-Ferrari-V8-powered Quattroporte. Both cars feature strong creases over the rear wheelarches and a full-width lower grille. To set them apart, visually, the Ghibli gets a shorter rear overhang and slimmer headlights that will be obviously different when the two cars are parked side by side.

To its credit, the new diesel Maserati features a 270 hp twin-turbo V6, which makes it sound similar (on paper, at least) to the BiTurbo Maseratis of the 1980s. Further digging into Maserati’s storied past is the name. The Ghibli, of course, being a classic Maserati that looks like this …

… and is not powered by a diesel 6. To be fair, the old “classic” Ghibli doen’t get 48 MPG, either, while the new one does. Still, that doesn’t feel like consolation to me.

What do you think, dear readers? Does the diesel Maserati have legs, or would some things be better off in the dustbin of antiquity? Let us know, in the comments.

Source | Photos: AutoExpress, BoldRide.