V8-powered Maserati Levante Trofeo bows in at New York

Maserati has taken the wraps of the first V8-equipped Levante at the New York International Auto Show. Described as the ultimate Maserati of SUVs, the Levante Trofeo is capable of blasting from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds before hitting a top end of over 300km/h.

The SUV’s 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 is said to be the most powerful engine ever fitted to a Maserati and has been engineered to mate perfectly with the Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive System. The Ferrari-assembled petrol engine punches out 440kW at 6,250rpm and 730Nm of torque between 2,250-5,000rpm.

To work with the new powerplant, the fastest Levante ever has been tuned to handle the higher power output without compromising comfort.

“It’s proof that when you play with the elements you end up in a storm”, says 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.”

In terms of styling, the Trofeo sports a restyle front end that is mainly focused on the lower front fascia and the rear bumper. It rolls on a set of 22-inch forged aluminium “Orione” wheels – the largest ever fitted on a Maserati – and offered in both polished and matte finishes.

The side air intakes in the lower fascia feature a new, more aggressive design, defined by two aerodynamic wings that give a sense of further stability, visually “pushing” the weight of the car’s nose towards the massive front wheels. And to help improve the airflow distribution, Trofeo is outfitted with carbon fibre side bezel blades and a carbon fibre splitter.

The rear end also looks wider and more muscular with a sharper carbon fibre horizontal element and body-colour lower extractor that embrace the oval quad exhaust tips.

In front, the Levante Trofeo has Full Matrix LED headlights, a front grille with double vertical bars in a piano black finish and lower honeycomb mesh fascia, as well as body colour door handles, oval exhaust tips in a dark finish and performance painted brake calipers in red, blue, black, silver or yellow. And to cap it off, specific “Saetta” Trofeo logos adorn the iconic c-pillars of the coupé styled SUV.

Specific details, like the lower splitter, the blade side bezels in the front air intakes, the side skirt inserts and the rear extractor are made of ultralight, high-gloss carbon fibre, giving the Levante Trofeo a polished racing look. Even the bonnet is new, featuring two aggressive vents for better cylinder head cooling. And under the bonnet, the engine cover is also made of high-gloss carbon fibre featuring a V8 inscription and the iconic Trident logo, while cylinder heads and intake manifolds are painted red.

Inside, the sculpted sport seats feature a premium full-grain “Pieno Fiore” natural leather available in black, red and tan, all with contrast stitching and “Trofeo” logo stitched on the headrests. Maserati says the “Pieno Fiore” is like no other leather used in the automotive industry for its natural, soft feel and for the unique character it develops throughout the years.

A new matte carbon fibre trim and paddle shifters, specific instrument cluster graphics, floor mats with metal Trofeo badges and a Maserati clock with a unique dial elegantly underline the sporty character of the V8 Levante, which is outfitted with a standard 1,280-watt, 17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium surround sound audio system.

As an introduction to its upcoming new model, Maserati is showcasing a limited Levante Trofeo launch edition at the Javits Center in New York. The show car is in the special matte Grigio Lava paint with matte finished 22-inch wheels and red brake calipers. This limited series Trofeo is exclusively intended for a small number of Maserati customers in the U.S. and Canada.

The Levante Trofeo launch edition will be available in eight unique exterior colours including: 22-inch forged aluminium wheels with three-season performance tyres or new 21-inch wheels with all-season tyres, in a gloss finish and dark details, like black window surround trim (DLO) and fog light rings, as well as Black Chrome Maserati badges, Trofeo “Saetta” logos, side air vents and boot accent.

The Trofeo launch edition interior features natural “Pieno Fiore” leather sport seats available in black, tan or red with contrast stitching. Black leather with blue or yellow stitching is exclusive to the launch edition and all feature the new matte carbon fibre wave interior trim. A serialized badge integrated on the centre console featuring the customer’s name, has also been added to underline the unique character of the Levante Trofeo launch edition.

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