Monthly Archives: February 2019

Lancia, Pininfarina

1961 Lancia Flaminia

The car that marked our first exposure to a melodic V6 was actually German in origin - the VW GTI MKIV VR6. It wasn't until we heard the sound of an Alfa Romeo Milano Verde that we knew the draw of a stout Italian V6. The 60 degree Busso V6 would not have been possible, were it not for the work of Francesco De Vergilio at Lancia, where he led the first V6 engine to production.

Lancias powered by the De Vergilio V6, as opposed to the Dino V6 and the later Busso V6 borrowed from Alfa Romeo, require substantial cash to obtain. The sedans tend to run slightly less expensive, although in the case of the Flaminia, they are actually less common. Here, we've found a salvageable Flaminia project at close to $15k, which might be exactly what it's worth in this state, but is certainly much less than we are used to seeing these at.

1961 Lancia Flaminia pininfarina coupe V6 green rear quarter
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Year: 1961
Model:  Lancia Flaminia
Engine: 2.5L V6
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage:  130,000
Price: $16,000 obo
Location: Carolina, Puerto Rico

1961 Lancia Flaminia pininfarina coupe V6 green exterior red interior
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CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1961 Lancia Flaminia

Motor original, tapizado y carrocería en malas condiciones, listo para restaurar. Una estrella. $16,000 omo

Vehículo en Puerto Rico con disponibilidad para enviar a EU y otros destinos.

1961 Lancia Flaminia pininfarina coupe V6 green engine bay
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Being located in Puerto Rico, sun damage to the interior will be more of a concern than rust. And with that said, the dash doesn't look to be destroyed, nor do the seats. Rust could be limited to the areas where the minor damage occurred. We won't speculate on the cost to get this car back to perfection - that could be extremely costly - but getting this car to decent running status could be a realistic prospect without much of an investment. Clean up the headlight area of the front headlight, pull the dent from the rear quarter, and straighten up the front bumper and its mounts.

Will the engine run, and if not, is it salvageable? We imagine that this will have a large bearing on the viability of the project. These engine might be simple in construction, but some replacement parts will come at a significant price. Knowing what you're getting into on this car likely means that you already own an Aurelia or a Flaminia, and that's the sort of buyer we expect for something like this. Our Milano Verde's engine grenaded a week after we bought, but we were able to rebuild it with relative ease; this Flaminia, we imagine, wouldn't be so painless to repair.

-Graham

Maserati

1967 Maserati Quattroporte

Based on the 5000GT chassis, the Quattroporte unwittingly launched the unibody V8 4-door sports sedan class when it came to market in 1963. There may have been some to do so before it, but none have lasted the 55+ years that the Quattroporte nameplate has. So, your BMW M5's, Audi RS4's, and Mercedes AMG series all owe the Quattroporte a tip of the hat for bringing the high-speed luxury sedan class to life.

Fast and luxurious as they were, it is no surprise that early Quattroportes were produced in small quantities, leading to their rarity today. Only around 770 of the Quattroporte I (Series I and II combined) were produced between 1963 and 1970. This example, being a Quattroporte I Series II, has the updated rear suspension, tossing out the DeDion axle of the Quattroporte I Series I for a more traditional live-axle leaf spring arrangement. Both series of Quattroporte I were available with the aluminum block and head 4.1L quad cam V8, known optimistically as the 4200. The engine saw its introduction on the platform, and served it well, with 256hp lending to a 143mph top speed on manual transmission models.

1967 Maserati Quattroporte white rear quarter
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Year: 1967
Model:  Maserati Quattroporte
Engine: 4.1L V8
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage:  N/A
Price: €45.000 - €85.000
Location: Essen, Germany

1967 Maserati Quattroporte white blue interior
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CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1967 Maserati Quattroporte

Seller’s Description: To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Essen event, 11 - 12 April 2019. 
Estimate:
€45.000 - €85.000 

Current ownership for 18 years
Delivered new to Italy, in storage from 1975–2000
Beautifully restored to its original white over blue colour scheme
Retains its original engine
Featured in Motor Klassik in November 2013


Originally finished in Argento Auteuil over a Blu interior, this Series I Quattroporte was delivered new with a five-speed manual gearbox to its first owner, Sergio Leoncini of Verona, on 20 April 1967. The car passed to Carlo Zanetti of Treviso in 1973. Two years later, the Quattroporte was put into storage and remained parked for 25 years.

Removed from storage and purchased by its current owner in Germany in 2000, it was shipped there and restored from 2001–2004. According to the owner, the interior was found to be in such good condition that only the driver’s seat had to be reupholstered. The car was featured in Motor Klassik in November 2013 as the cover story. Furthermore, the car received a service in January 2019 and is ready to return to the road. 

Presented in a very desirable colour scheme and retaining its original engine as confirmed by Maserati Classiche, this would be an ideal foray into the collector car hobby for a young enthusiast.

1967 Maserati Quattroporte white engine bay
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This example maintains most of its original interior, with the exception of the reupholstered driver's seat. The exterior, silver when it was delivered new in Verona, has been repainted in white, leading to very Maserati color scheme. We can't attest to the workmanship of the restoration completed nearly 15 years ago, but we would hope that the seller could provide photographs and documentation thereof.

These cars draw no insignificant sum, and yet they are relatively affordable, as far as 1960s V8 Maseratis go. A 4.7L example might be worth a bit more, but we're not so sure that he 30hp bump is necessary to capture our attention. For those not put off by the extra two doors, we think that the Quattroporte I represents a good value for classic V8 Maserati enthusiasts.

-Graham

Italdesign, Maserati

1980 Maserati Quattroporte

Today we will continue to feature the Maserati Quattroporte, beginning with this blue series III example. Maserati, having been sold to Alejandro de Tomaso in 1975, sought to eliminate all vestiges of the technically-competent but financially-disastrous Citroën ownership, and returned to the familiar front-mounted V8 and RWD layout of the Series I Quattroporte. As such, the chassis of the Series III relied not on the Citroën-derived Series II FWD chassis, but rather on the De Tomaso Deauville sedan.

Interestingly, early Quattroportes were badged 4porte, changing to Quattroporte in 1981. This example, a 1980 model, shows the 4porte name on its identification placard, but displays Quattroporte badging on the trunklid - probably swapped as a matter of taste. And speaking of taste, the long, low Giorgetto Giugiaro design, not lacking in tumblehome, would have had excellence presence in its day, and presents well to this day.

1980 Maserati Quattroporte manual blue rear quarter
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Year: 1980
Model:  Maserati Quattroporte 4900
Engine: 4.9L V8
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage:  91,878km
Price: € 19,900
Location: Hoevelaken, Netherlands

1980 Maserati Quattroporte manual blue interior tan
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CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Maserati Quattroporte 4900

Bijzonder exclusieve MASERATI QUATTROPORTE met een handgeschakelde 5-bak,iets wat zeer zelden voorkomt.Deze MASERATI heeft langere tijd in een priveverzameling gestaan,loopt en schakelt goed,interieur zeer netjes,exterieur enkele gebruikssporen.

1980 Maserati Quattroporte manual blue engine 4.9
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This car presents quite well. The engine bay is clean, and maintains its insulating panels and original hose clamps, if that matters to you. The body appears straight, and the interior isn't dried up and sun-damaged, as many of these come to be. It looks every bit the 143mph Italian executive sedan it was in 1980.

Syncing the 4 Weber carbs might not be the simplest task, but we love the basic layout of the engine and the car in general. Being a low-volume model, the components were manufactured in a way that makes for simple repairs, if you have the resources. Suspension linkages are welded steel tubes, not aluminum castings requiring exact replacement. And we wouldn't be surprised by a large list of components shared by this vehicle and other European models of its vintage. If this generation of Quattroporte fits your personal style, you could do a lot worse than this example.

-Graham

Gandini, Maserati

2000 Maserati Quattroporte V8 Evolution 3.2

2 Comments

These Quattroporte III's are a mess and we love them for it. Starting with a Biturbo chassis, Maserati engineers added some wheelbase. The front McPherson strut setup was maintained, while the rear trailing arm suspension was updated to ape the tubular design of the Maserati Shamal. Similarly, the V6 engines were derived from the units in the Biturbo and Ghibli, while the V8 was a revised version of the turbocharged V8 found in the Shamal.

As much as we like these, the contemporary automotive press did not see the appeal. And, neither did Ferrari, when they acquired 50% of Maserati from Fiat in 1997. So, they went about improving the basic formula into un updated model known as the Quattroporte Evolution. Introduced in 1998, the revised Quattroporte was said to have had roughly half of its main components reengineered. Curiously, the engine outputs do not reflect the updates, as V6 and V8 power outputs remain constant across both variants. Still, we have no reason to lament the 330hp 3.2L twin-turbocharged mated to a 6-speed Getrag gearbox in the top models.

2000 Maserati Quattroporte 3.2 V8 Evolution side grey
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Year: 2000
Model:  Maserati Quattroporte V8 Evolution 3.2
Engine: 3.2L turbocharged V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage:  124,101km
Price: € 16,995
Location: Waalre, Netherlands

2000 Maserati Quattroporte 3.2 V8 Evolution interior
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CLICK FOR DETAILS: Maserati Quattroporte V8 Evolution 3.2

Not only one of the most reasonably priced (priced to sell), also a V8 and an Evoluzione.

Second owner from new (bought it from the first owner after only one year).

Best color combination: Grigio Alfieri with black leather interior

For a general description of this fabulous car, please read the other ads, then come back to me to talk about the details of this one.

Meticulously maintained.

2000 Maserati Quattroporte 3.2 V8 Evolution engine
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We will contest the seller's assertion that this example comes in the best color combination - that, for us, would be green on green. But, we imagine that most will find this color to be fine. The Gandini design is decent, in light of the fact that he was working off of essentially lengthened Biturbo bones, and didn't have free reign to mold the proportions as much as he probably would have liked to. We like angle in the rear wheel arches, surely a tribute to Gandini's signature wedge designs.

A great driving experience transcends perfect road manners and reliability and interior quality, areas in which this car likely struggled. We welcome the raucous V8, and limited slip RWD layout, no matter how well it compared to its peers. And, priced the way it is, we think that it is an exceptionally value, especially considering the rarity. In 6 years, when these become legal to import to the United States, we hope to find one of our own.

-Graham

Maserati, Pininfarina

2005 Maserati Quattroporte

Continuing with the Maserati Quattroporte theme for today, we present a dark green 2005 example. Of all of the Quattroportes on the market, why select an early 4.2L Cambiocorsa model over a later 4.7L Automatica model? Because we can't pass up a Verde Goodwood Maserati. Especially a Verde Goodwood M138 Coupe - seriously, let us know if you have one for sale.

Further, we think that the early models pull of the general design a bit better than the facelifted models did. Our ideal Quattroporte would be an early model with the 4.7L in 454hp form from the GranTurismo with the manual transmission from an M138 coupe. We'd go Verde Goodwood over Cuoio Sella, just like on this example.

2004 Maserati Quattroporte green rear quarter
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Year: 2005
Model:  Maserati Quattroporte
Engine: 4.2L V8
Transmission: 6-speed automated manual
Mileage:  27,492
Price: $16,988
Location: Lauderdale Lakes, FL

2004 Maserati Quattroporte green interior tan
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CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2005 Maserati Quattroporte

2004 Maserati Quattroporte green engine
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We seem to be noticing a glut of low-mile Maseratis in Florida. Hopefully these belonged to retirees with the funds to keep their cars in good shape. Clearly the selling dealer has its hands full - look in the photos, and you'll see a number of additional cars stage on the driveway of the Florida home being used as a back-drop.

If this car checks out mechanically, it could be a great purchase. The color combination is perfect, the miles are under 30k, and the price is solidly under $20k, while the power approaches 400hp. Buy this thing before we snatch it up for a manual swap project of our own!

-Graham

Maserati, Uncategorized

2014 Maserati Quattroporte GTS

The design of the Tipo M156 comes from Lorenzo Ramaciotti, formerly prolific Pininfarina designer, from the FCA design studios. Are we wrong in not loving it? A product of the man who penned the Ferrari 456, 360, F430, 550 Maranello, and 612 Scaglietti, the design is competent, but lacks something. A think the french have a phrase for this concept. In general, we can't get enough of Ramaciotti's work at Ferrari, while his later FCA work, the Alfa Romeo 4C and Giulietta, as well as the Quattroporte here, leaves us wanting.

Uninformed design opinions aside, we love the brown paint! But the real reason for featuring this is example is the Ferrari F154 AM exclusive to the GTS model. Whereas the Tipo M139 Quattroporte V predecessor to this car was sold exclusively with the Ferrari F136 engine, Quattroporte VI buyers must opt for the high-zoot GTS model to find a Ferrari V8 underhood. 523hp in an executive sedan was impressive in 2013, when the model arrived, and remains a respectable power output today.

2014 Maserati Quattroporte GTS brown rear quarter
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Year: 2014
Model:  Maserati Quattroporte GTS
Engine: 3.8L turbocharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Mileage:  25,171
Price: $46,900
Location: Vero Beach, FL

2014 Maserati Quattroporte GTS brown tan interior
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CLICK FOR DETAILS: Maserati Quattroporte GTS

For the drivers who want it all, here is our 2014 Maserati Quattroporte. You get everything from the comfort and space of a luxury sedan to the performance of an Italian sport car. It features a dizzying 3.8 liter V8 with twin-turbos that produces roaring 530 horsepower with 479 foot-pounds of torque. But don't think this car is all muscle. Going back to the luxury side, this vehicle has been fitted with some very desirable options including: Alcantara Headliner and Pillars, High Gloss Tanganika Wood Trim, Heated Leather/Wood steering wheel, Ventilated Front Seats, and Full Natural Drilled Leather. This car also has an amazing infotainment system with built in navigation and bluetooth. This vehicle is a one-owner car with a spotless Carfax report.

2014 Maserati Quattroporte GTS brown Ferrari engine
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Buyers of the Quattroporte GTS will sacrifice some acceleration to, say, an Audi S8, due to the lack of AWD. The upside of this is the weight savings and simpler mechanical system to maintain. Ferrari V8, RWD - we're still onboard. And buyers of the GTS who bought the car new off the lot have already sacrificed around $100k, as that is how much the cars have depreciated in 5 years.

At $40-50k, there are a number of high-performance sedans on the market. There is even Maserati's own Ghibli, with its turbo Pentastar lump. We don't love the Quattroporte's exterior design, handsome though it is, but perhaps the Ferrari-designed F154 V8 would win us over.

-Graham

Lamborghini

2019 Lamborghini Urus

We'll conclude our survey of the current crop of Italian SUVs with the new Lamborghini Urus. Bloggers of dignity that we are, we've chosen one in a proper Giallo Auge yellow. No need to blend in with your Urus color choice; blending in was never really an option to begin with.

Hot take: the Urus isn't really much of a departure from the original spirit of the Lamborghini brand. The founder himself sought most importantly to improve upon the Maserati and Ferrari ownership, offering a comfortable, serviceable, and reliable take on the high-end sports tourer. A tractor manufacturer who was ever really a fan of racing, we imagine that Ferruccio Lamborghini would be more at home up high in an Urus SUV than stuffed into a Huracán Performante. We ourselves? No, we're not really fans.

2019 Lamborghini Urus yellow rear
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Year: 2019
Model:  Lamborghini Urus
Engine: 4.0L turbocharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Mileage:  2,639
Price: $255,999
Location: Richardson, TX

2019 Lamborghini Urus yellow black interior
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CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2019 Lamborghini Urus

This is a smoke free carfax certified one owner 2019 Lamborghini Urus SUV, equipped with a 4.0L 650HP V8 bi-turbo engine and a 8-speed automatic transmission with AWD and 4-wheel-steering. This Urus SUV is finished in a gorgeous Giallo Auge (Metallic Yellow) exterior with Black full leather interior along with contrast stitching.
// See the video of this Urus:
https://youtu.be/xLSaoDxOpPA
+ Walk around / Hear the engine //
This is an exceptionally clean Urus comes well appointed including:
+Navigation
+Rear camera
+Front / Rear park assist
+Homelink sys
+B&O 3D Advanced sound system
+ADAS Package (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems)
+Power heated and cooled front seats
+Memory/Passanger driver seat
+Panoramic moonroof
+Power rear hatch
+23" Polished and black painted wheels
+Rear seat entertainment
+Style package
+Yellow calipers
...plus much more!!

2019 Lamborghini Urus yellow engine
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The engine, a Porsche-Audi twin-turbocharged V8 affair, boasts 100hp more than its most powerful sibling, coming in at 641hp. We're more than a little bit disappointed that the Urus wasn't offered with some sort of magnificent V10 or V12 powertrain, but we're sure that Porsche and Audi are happy to spread their cost of development out over a few more engines. Side note: it's a shame that VW never purchased Alfa Romeo. Think of how things might have gone for them! A little injection of VW/Audi isn't always a bad thing.

We aren't really shopping for any SUV, but if we were looking at high-end Italian SUVs, we'd actually take the Levante Trofeo over the Urus. In saving $100k and nearly 300lb of curb weight, you also net a lovely 582hp Ferrari turbocharged V8. We're sure you could have one painted yellow, if that's what it takes.

-Graham

Fiat

2018 Fiat 500X Pop Manual

Oh nice, a manual Fiat 500X! Sort of appealing, right, a fuel-efficient, manual transmission compact SUV? Consider your opinion unpopular then, because this new Fiat 500X with a manual transmission is worse lot poison than the typical, slow-selling Fiat 500X. The upside to this is the $5,500 discount before any negotiations begin. That works out very well for a vehicle whose warranty clock will begin to tick the day you drive it off the lot, as opposed to the day it was supposed to be sold.

Admittedly, there are better options in the compact SUV class. Many better options, in fact. But we aren't SUV enthusiasts, we are Italian car enthusiasts, and as such, we must mute out reality with our unassailable bias. What we really have here is a jacked-up, 5-door, 5-seater Fiat 500 Abarth. Yank the muffler, and you'll be familiar with the cackle of the 1.4L FIRE MultiAir turbo's exhaust note.

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Year: 2018
Model:  Fiat 500X Pop
Engine: 1.4L turbocharged 4-cylinder
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage:  14
Price: $16,499
Location: Bonham, TX

Fiat 500X pop manual white interior stickshift
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CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2018 Fiat 500X Pop manual

Fiat 500X pop manual white interior black
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We'd feel worse featuring one of the worst-reviewed compact SUVs were it not for the 500X's redeeming qualities. First, there is the Abarth engine with a manual transmission. And second, there's the fact that should something go wrong, you'll be sourcing parts from one of the best-selling platforms in North America - the Fiat Small Wide 4x4 architecture underpinning the Jeep Renegade and Jeep Compass. Safety in numbers, or something.

The 500L is more our speed, but were we to need some more room from an Italian car, the 500X would be on our (short) shopping list. We love the manual transmission availability, and we'll take the Abarth engine in anything we can get it. Laggy and loud, it's a hoot once on boost.

-Graham

Maserati

2019 Maserati Levante Trofeo

Shopping the current Italian SUV market, buyers have options from Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and now Lamborghini. Rumors of a Ferrari SUV exist as well. Today we plan on featuring one of each in the trim that we would find ourselves most likely to purchase one. While we went with the base engine on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, where the price remains under control, we can't see moving up to the Levante for anything but the top Trofeo model.

Lesser Levantes rely on FCA Pentastar-derived turbocharged mills that sound great but leave us wanting. Move up to a GTS or Trofeo model, though, and the forward motivation comes courtesy of the more-palatable Ferrari Tipo 154 A series of engines. These units swap out the flat-plane crankshaft of the Ferrari variants for a cross-plane unit, reducing stroke slightly for an overall displacement of 3.8L. In the GTS, the engine produces 542hp, while the Trofeo sees the full 582hp.

2019 Maserati Levante Trofeo rear quarter grey
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Year: 2019
Model:  Maserati Levante Trofeo
Engine: 3.9L turbocharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Mileage:  0
Price: $171,875
Location: Williamsville, NY

2019 Maserati Levante Trofeo red interior
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CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2019 Maserati Levante Trofeo

2019 Maserati Levante Trofeo black wheel
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If only the selling dealer had popped the hood for some shots! The V8 comes with unmistakably Ferrari red crinkle coat valve covers and a gorgeous carbon fiber center cover. The recent trend may be to obscure engines, but the Trofeo certainly bucks the trend and then some. While we appreciate the large Anteo trident-spoke wheels optioned here, we prefer the machined units available on the Trofeo press cars. And, the carbon fiber exterior trim doesn't really pop against the grey exterior paint - fine for some, but we'd seek a bit more contrast.

To us, it's odd that this engine never made its way into the most intuitive application in the Maserati lineup - the GranTurismo. Cannibalization of Ferrari California / Portofino sales is one theory as to why the GranTurismo never received the turbocharged 3.8L, although at the same time, perhaps the upgrade involved too many technical changes. In any case, Maserati managed to fit the engine to the Levante. If you must drive an SUV, well, now you can do so with Ferrari power. We can warm up to that concept.

-Graham

Alfa Romeo

2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti Sport

You all knew the day would eventually come. Mercedes-Benz, then BMW, and finally Porsche were all able to move solidly into the black with the introduction of their SUVs, and for better or worse, Alfa Romeo must follow suit. The seriously positive side is that, in spite of Alfa (and FCA, if you ask us) having no experience creating a competitive performance SUV, they seem to have hit the mark on their first attempt.

Modern reviews of the Stelvio in both base and Quadrifoglio form are overwhelmingly complimentary of the driving dynamics. From ride comfort to handling and steering, the Stelvio drives as a slightly-heavier Giulia. This should come as no surprise, since the two wisely share most of their mechanical components. The downside is that the infotainment and electronics are also shared, and those systems have received a bit of negative attention.

2019 Stelvio Ti Sport green rear quarter
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Year: 2019
Model:  Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti Sport
Engine: 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Mileage:  19 miles
Price: $55,690
Location: Chadds Ford, PA

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CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti Sport


2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti 22/28 City/Highway MPG

2019 Stelvio Ti Sport green engine bay 2.0L
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The combination of the MultiAir 2.0L turbocharged FCA GME-T4 4-cylinder engine, 8-speed ZF automatic transmission, and AWD combine to keep the Stelvio competitive in its class. Additions such as aluminum body panels to keep the F/R weight distribution at 50/50, and the carbon fiber driveshaft, as well as low drag coefficient of .32 keep the Stelvio interesting.

Today's Stelvio represents the top of pricing for a 280hp model; another $20k or so nets you the 503hp Quadrioglio model. Somehow, we expect that whoever buys this example will be paying quite a bit under MSRP. Though we don't love the price, the Verde Visconti green paint is a welcome offering, and we'd gladly pay the up-charge for the added style. We would have specified a tan or brown interior, but we do also like the yellow brake caliper finish. If you like the color combination as much as we do it, why not support the struggling Alfa Romeo brand with a purchase?

-Graham