Published: Nov 18, 2012

Maserati QP to Offer Turbo V6 and V8 Engines

New family of turbocharged, direct-injection V6 and V8 engines expected to slot in under the hood of Italy's new flagship luxury sedan.

When Maserati took the wraps off its new Quattroporte a couple of weeks ago, it didn't give us much in the way of details. (That's why we've been tweaking the few photos it has released so far in a variety of colors to give you an idea what it'll look like beyond the beige in which it was released.) When that first series of videos hit, however, Maserati's product development chief Roberto Corradi indicated that the new QP was designed from the start to accommodate a variety of engines.

Maserati QP to Offer Turbo V6 and V8 Engines

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We'll have to wait until we get closer to the car's full unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show in January to get the full skinny, but the latest reports give us some insight into what we might find under the hood. We've known for a while that Ferrari was working on a new family of engines in both six- and eight-cylinder formats and with forced induction, but which of those engines (and in what form) would find their way into the new QP remains to be seen. According to AutoEvolution, however, buyers can expect a 3-liter turbocharged V6 with 410 horsepower and a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 with 530 horsepower (apparently confirmed by the "QP 530 HP" license plate).

Expect 0-60 times north and south of the five-second mark with top speeds reaching 177 and 191 mph, respectively. Both engines are expected to be built around aluminum blocks (as opposed to heavier steel units) with direct injection and mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission furnished by ZF. Rumors have also suggested that all-wheel-drive could be offered as well, though we'll have to wait for confirmation on that, as well as these other details, when Maserati is ready to announce.