Maserati Ghibli Trofeo

For those who dare to be different, but is it nuts enough?

- Ash Westerman

MARKET RESEARCH IS a such a joyful and insightful guide to consumer behaviour, we should try a little of it here. Let’s begin. Raise your hand if you have over a quarter of a million burning a hole in your trousers and, hi-po SUVs be buggered, you’re ready to drop it on a full-size sports sedan. Hold that hand high and steady if you’ve test-driven the likes of BMW’s M5, Mercedes-AMG’s E63 S and maybe Audi’s RS7 and rejected them on the basis of, I dunno, being too clever, too polished, too tech-heavy. Now keep your hand up if you have a hankering for an Italian brand with a rich 106-year history, delivering a car with a twin-turbo V8 developed by Ferrari, driving the rear wheels only, and with a penchant for getting a little lurid and sideways when scruffed.

We’re tipping there aren’t many of you left with an arm extended, but maybe – just maybe – a select few to justify the effort Maserati has gone to to deliver this: the first V8-powered Ghibli since the original Tipo AM115 two-door built between 1967-’73. This range-topping Trofeo variant at $265,000 is the pinnacle of a six-model line-up, starting at $145K for the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, and all recently refreshed with exterior updates, safety and assistance improvements, and extensive equipment upgrades.