Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte Trofeo pack 580PS V8 under the hood

Maserati has not one, but two, range-topping rear-wheel drive sedans in its arsenal now – the Ghibli Trofeo and larger Quattroporte Trofeo, both powered by a Ferrari-built 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8. The numbers worth knowing are these – 580PS/730Nm, 0-100kmph in 4.3s for the Ghibli, and 4.5s for the Quattroporte, helped by a new launch control system and Corsa drive mode exclusive to the Trofeo. Both cars top out at an impressive 326kmph, immediately taking them to the top of the speed charts in their respective segments, apart from being the fastest Maserati sedans to go on sale. The Ghibli, for example, goes up against the Mercedes-AMG C63 and BMW M3, while the Quattroporte is fair game to the likes of the AMG E63 and M5. Both cars are available for order in India as well, though prices haven't been announced yet.

The twin-turbo V8, built at Ferrari's Maranello plant, has been available on the Quattroporte GTS in a lower 530PS state of tune before (where it helped the GTS to a 4.7s run to the tonne), but has been shoehorned into the smaller Ghibli's engine bay for the first time ever. Producing its peak power of 580PS@6,250rpm and 730Nm between 2,250-5,250rpm, all that motivation is routed to the rear wheels through a ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic, with a mechanical limited-slip differential on the rear axle.

The two Trofeo sedans join the Levante Trofeo as the ultimate Maseratis to own, that is at least until the MC20 supercar is revealed. The Levante Trofeo powered by the same engine in the same state of tune is quicker to 100kmph from standstill with a time of 4.1s, with the advantage attributed to the Levante's extra traction off the line thanks to the power going to all four wheels. If you were thinking the SUV has a weight disadvantage, you'd be right. But with the Levante Trofeo weighing in at 2,170kg kerb, compared to the Ghibli Trofeo's 1,969kg and Quattroporte's 2,000kg even kerb, that difference is not as large as expected. The two Maserati sedans are indeed quite heavy for their size, which explains the mid-pack 0-100kmph performance numbers. The draw for the Maseratis will likely come from the relatively analogue driving experience, a trait that has long since been both the draw, and undoing, of Maserati's finest.

Helping distinguish the Trofeo sedans will be a host of subtle visual elements, with the most recognisable being the red detailing, alongside carbon-fibre bits at the front and rear, and redesigned tail light clusters. The Ghibli Trofeo even gains aggressive ducting on the hood to help with heat dissipation. Inside, the Trofeos get a new 10.1-inch onboard display, and a wider breadth of capabilities to its driver assist systems, apart from the inclusion of Maserati's connected technology.