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Maserati Levante Trofeo Debuts With Ferrari-Made V8

Maserati has finally delivered on the promise it made about four years ago with a performance version of its slow-selling SUV. Say hello to the Levante Trofeo and its Porsche-rivalling V8 engine.
Maserati Levante Trofeo Debuts With Ferrari-Made V8 19 photos
Photo: Maserati
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More specifically, the vehicle everybody expected to be called the GTS is fitted with a twin-turbo that's not much smaller than what's under the Cayenne Turbo's hood. This 3.8-liter with hot twin turbochargers makes 590 HP and 730 Nm (538 lb-ft) of torque.

The Italian automaker promises some exciting numbers like 0 to 62 in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph (300 km/h). However, the 510 horsepower Stelvio QB is just as quick.

It also looks like the Levante should have from the start, thanks to much larger air intakes that are trimmed in carbon fiber. No more going to the tuners for that stuff, right? Carbon is also used for the side skirts, bringing further attention to the new 22-inch wheels.

There's also a new hood with two small vents satin grey paint, black accents, and big wheels. Full-LED smart headlights are making their debut here but should trickle down the range. The view from the back is a little less exciting, as the Levante's backside sits high off the ground like an awkward hatchback.

We bet that in a couple of years, there will be an appearance package just like this available for the regular Levante... even the diesel. So maybe avoid buying the Trofeo outright and get one of those leases Maserati is so keen on promoting.

The interior features some new seats with extra bolstering and a bold stitching pattern, plus Trofeo logos embroidered everywhere. There are a leather-wrapped dashboard and interesting bits of trim, but nothing to rival the brand new interior of the Stuttgart prancing horse.

At least you won't yearn for the Chrono Pack because there's a clock on top of the Levante Trofeo's dash in the perfect position.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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