Maserati Ghibli Trofeo long term test – Ferrari-powered super saloon with Jaguar character

Thumbs up, head nods and heel swivels. The Maserati Ghibli Trofeo has star quality, no question. Maybe the number plate (M600 GHB) attracts attention, but I think that it’s more likely the rarity of seeing – and possibly hearing – the biggest, baddest Maserati saloon in the wild. The fact that it’s finished in under-the-radar black only adds to the spot, making the Ghibli Trofeo as cool as any I-Spy 50-pointer.

It’s as refined as a big saloon ought to be, and it is huge. Open the boot and the floor seems to disappear off down a tunnel – I swear you could get a full-size ladder in there without dropping the rear seats. Yet the cockpit manages to feel cosy thanks to a low driving position. There’s a slightly brittle edge to the ride that hints at the Ghibli’s sporting intent, but to get unequivocal confirmation that there’s a V8 under the bonnet you need to select Sport mode. 

This makes the exhaust note heavier and more resonant but even then the Ghibl is not as brash and attention-seeking as a Mercedes-AMG E63 S or Audi RS6. It’s more a ‘speak quietly and carry a big stick’ sort of saloon, and the Ferrari-derived 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 delivers an awful lot of stick. 

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The headline figure is 572bhp but it’s the 538lb ft of torque from just over 2000rpm that widens your eyes and troubles the rear tyres. Traction control keeps it from becoming a riot but allows just enough overspeed to give you a good idea of what you’d have on your hands if you turned it off. You’d need a lot of room for starters. Black paint might shrink it visually but pick up the pace and the Ghibli’s size and weight command your attention. 

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I took it to the north Norfolk coast and there were plenty of interesting, flowing B-roads to enjoy, but they felt a bit tight in the Ghibli, especially at this time of year. Dynamically, I’d like to get to know it in more temperate conditions; single-figure temperatures and slick dampness are not conducive to relaxed exploration. In Normal mode the secondary ride can feel busy, yet body movements are a little free and the sense you get through the wheel is that in a tight corner the front tyres will probably push wide if pressured.

Switching up to Sport tightens things up and gives the ride and body control a more consistent feel, as well as giving the engine more voice and putting the gearbox on high alert. I preferred to engage manual mode and work the V8 in the lower reaches, upshifting as soon as the ’box allows to bathe in its full richness. It reminds me of the Jaguar XJR, another out-size saloon with an amusingly old-school power-to-grip ratio. The interiors of both also have more innate style than anything designed in Germany, and more HMI foibles too, but they’re all part of the charm, aren’t they?

This story was first featured in evo issue 308.

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