Maserati Ghibli Trofeo

Objectively outclassed it may be, but this Italian supersaloon proved it very much still has its place

- Richard Meaden

WITH THE MC20 GRABBING HEADLINES - and our 2022 eCoty title - it seemed like an opportune moment to refresh our collective memories of another flagship Maserati. Specifically, the 572bhp, 203mph, £136,575 (including options) Ghibli Trofeo supersaloon. Plucked from Maserati's UK marketing fleet with 8000 miles already on the clock, it would be ours for a little over three months.

Our time with M600 GHB was short, but it made plenty of friends during its stay. I was its notional custodian, but Barker, Bovingdon and Gallagher all spent meaningful time with the Modenese M5 rival. Though we all tend to have slightly different takes on cars, we were very much aligned on the big Maser, each developing a real soft spot for it despite knowing it fell a long way short of its class rivals.

Enzo Ferrari famously said that when buying one of his cars you paid for the engine and got the rest for free. Well, this provocative soundbite could just as easily be applied to the range-topping Ghibli. And not just because the heart of this old-school slugger is indeed a Ferrari-derived V8. The Trofeo is all about its motor.