Remember the Maserati Ghibli? I didn’t either, but let me refresh your memory. It’s a luxury Italian sedan that was always just a little bit too expensive to compete with more popular models like the BMW 5-Series. Despite going out of production some time ago, you can still find new examples on dealer lots—and with shockingly big discounts, to boot.
The Maserati Ghibli has nothing to do with the popular anime production company; instead, it was so named for a hot, dry wind that flows across the Libyan desert. The third-generation model entered production in 2013 as a mid-sizer, boasting powerful turbocharged V6 and V8 engines for the US market. The Ghibli stuck around for a long while, but eventually, due to high pricing and limited consumer interest, production ended in late 2023, with the last models stickered for the 2024 model year.
Despite shutting down the Ghibli line well over a year ago, Maserati has had trouble selling remaining stock. That means there are still plenty of these Italian turbo sleds kicking about, with dealers throwing increasingly large discounts on the hood. How does $36,000 off sound?
Let’s start with the Modena and Modena Q4 trims. Both boasted a 3.0-liter twin turbo V6 with 424 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque. The Q4 also gained the benefit of all-wheel drive. Either way, power was sent to the wheels via an 8-speed automatic. All that power would see the all-wheel-drive models do the zero-to-60 mph sprint in 4.5 seconds, a more than respectable figure that would humiliate many a four-cylinder luxury sedan of German origin.
Maserati had hoped customers would pay close to six figures—or more—for such a potent luxury sedan. However, dealers that still have stock on the lot are now asking for a lot less. Napleton Maserati in Illinois has a new 2024 Maserati Ghibli Modena Ultima Q4 selling for $77,800, a full $36,140 under sticker. Meanwhile, Boardwalk Ferrari in Texas has an older rear-wheel-drive 2023 model for $69,995, a discount of $33,585 under its original sticker price. According to Cars.com, it was listed a full 721 days ago with regular discounts made over that time. Similar deals can be found in Maryland and Ohio, too.
Lower prices do make these forgotten sedans more appealing. At the same time, you have to contend with Maserati’s generally low resale value, and the fact that you’d be driving a vehicle with an engine block made by Chrysler.
Perhaps you lust for greater power. That’s okay, because Maserati also built V8 versions of the Ghibli under the Trofeo name. They rocked a compact 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 that nonetheless pumped out a mighty 572 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque, with an 8-speed automatic driving the rear wheels. That was good enough to help it to a 3.7-second sprint to 60 mph, on to an impressive top speed of 203 mph.
A handful of these old muscled-up V8s can also be found cheap if you know where to look. Van Nuys Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram has a deal in California, too, at $23,460 below sticker. Elsewhere, Criswell Maserati in Maryland has had a 2023 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo sitting around for 884 days now. Listed at $107,945, it’s a healthy $31,149 below the original sticker price. The same dealer also has a special edition Ghibli 334 Ultima. Just 103 were built, and they were billed in 2024 as a “last chance to drive the [Maserati] V8 engine.” It boasts a higher top speed—208 mph—along with carbon fiber accents, special wheels, and a smattering of 334 badges to complete the look. Criswell Maserati has one listed for $138,547 with only delivery mileage. It was first listed 476 days ago, according to Cars.com, and has been discounted $30,048 since then.
Early on in its tenure, the Ghibli sold at an acceptable rate in the US, peaking at 7,925 sales in 2015. However, the brand as a whole started to suffer in the following years. We don’t have specifics on Ghibli sales in 2024, but Maserati as a whole sold only 4,819 units in total for the full year. Ultimately, demand cratered over time as the Ghibli aged, which was little surprise given the nameplate never really entered the broader public consciousness. It’s not the only Maserati nameplate with troubles, either; we’ve seen similar things happen with the Maserati Levante and MC20, too.
It’s no surprise dealers are slapping big discounts on remaining examples. These cars should have all sold long ago. Still, if you somehow just remembered that you’ve always really wanted a Ghibli, then now is quite likely your time to shine.
Image credits: via Cars.com, Maserati
Nice discount, but that’s still too much. If I were going to spend that much (80k) on a new sports sedan, other than it being a bit common, why not just get an M3?
If they were half off, I still wouldn’t be tempted. I’m struggling to even come up with a discount that would even be tempting. I might feel slightly more willing if the stock market hadn’t just imploded, but not by much.
I genuinely don’t think I could justify the expense of owning one of these if it was given to me, gratis. I’m broke enough that all of my fun-car aspirations have to be met by Japanese products.
BTW, GREAT wordplay on the cover graphic, Peter or whoever!
I got a ride in a Biturbo when a friend of mine got one as a loaner from a dealership.
I remember the seats as being very sumptuous, the dashboard appropriately glitzy and it making decent noise when given the spurs. But I couldn’t believe what they were stickering for. And then their unreliability became almost legendary.
These are not even remotely tempting.
They’re even cheaper under the name Dodge Charger 😛
M539Restorations went through one of these (with 190k miles on the clock, it is true). Cast connecting rods rather than forged & cracked, thanks but no thanks. And that was the least of its problems.
On the flip side, the local Chrysler dealer thinks their Durango Hellcat Silver Bullet is worth $12k over sticker. Guess they need to try to make up for those Charger EVs rotting on their lot. Wagoneer S apparently already has $10k on the hood.
911 Turbo Spoiler: It’s Not a Fluke™
#nerd
$36,000 off your first service.
Just going off of pictures here, but the interior doesn’t seem like a particularly pleasant place to be. At least being ten years out of date means that it has actual buttons and switchgear, so it at least has that much going for it. Of course that switchgear is vintage Chrysler by way of Maserati, so something would always be broken.
It’s a Stellantis. I don’t know of any Stellantis vehicles (other than Rams and Jeeps) that aren’t sporting huge discounts. 30% off does seem a bit higher than normal, but still.
Dodge Chargers $6500 rebates
Durangos $6450 rebate
Hornets $8000 rebate
Pacificas have a $7500 rebate AND a $7500 tax incentive (if hybrid)
500e $4-5k off MSRP regularly
I don’t understand Stellantis marketing. All of them have the review that basically says “you can do a HELL of a lot better at this price!” And they pile cash on the hood. Why not just price them to begin with $5k+ lower and then when people review them, they are trying to shoot holes in every single thing that makes the vehicle not worth the money.
Department store pricing strategy; it’ll train us never to pay full price for a Stellantis vehicle.
There was an old adage about the Japanese consumer market, which is that if you have to offer a discount or coupon, you’re admitted to selling crap and people should avoid it. Otherwise, why not just price it fairly?
To be clear, I don’t think Stellantis is crap across the board, but there’s enough uncertainty out there today (quality, management, going concern) that some discounts are justified IMO.
As a former Stellantis owner, I do. 😛
I worked for a publicly traded software company. Management gave the salespeople permission to (further) discount the products and services the last couple of weeks of the quarter in order to try to hit the guidance numbers issued the quarter before. Customers quickly figured this out and always waited until the end of a quarter to make any purchase. The company left a lot of money on the table that, if they could just wait a quarter or two, would have come in. Support contracts were the only thing they wouldn’t sell at discount.
How will these ever sell? They will be at least one model year old, not be competitive against the competition at the same price point, and are generally unwanted. You can get a brand new CT4-V Blackwing for 80k, why on earth would you buy one of these.
About 30 years ago a Ford dealer had a 3 model year old Probe on the lot, and it was more expensive than the new ones because Ford didn’t put any rebates on that model year car. It sat for a long time. I heard that the owner of the dealership eventually donated it to a raffle.
Or just get a Chrysler 300 and enjoy all the same switchgear. Maserati did go to the trouble of slapping some leather on the dash and adding a fancier analog clock, but I’m not sure that’s worth the extra dough.
Look, switchgear only matters if you want to drive your car like some common plebian, rather than wistfully send ACH transfers to your mechanic and dream of that exhaust note.
These are still an incredibly tough sale at 35k under MSRP when 2 years old because you can pick up a sub-10k mile 2022 Ghibli Modena Q4 for mid-high 30s. Hell, I found a 6600 mile Limited edition 2022 F Tributo model on sale for just under 6k! Sure there might be a warranty, but I strongly doubt a 3 year old 8k mile car is going to cost the 30-40k depreciation delta more in running costs over any equal ownership period.
Four-year warranty, worth maybe $30k by the end of it. So $47k to drive it for four years, about $1000/mo. So, it’s about the same as leasing an M3. Or, if you want a more menacing four-door, go get a certified preowned AMG GT 43 4-door Coupe for about $82k which should be worth about double the Maserati at the end of four years when the warranty is up.
Yeah, but you’ll have to pay what percentage of tariffs on those German Luxury Depreciation money-burners?
Very true. But they should still stay proportional to each other for those who are shopping in that category. Plus, it isn’t like every other model, German or not, isn’t going to go up as well.
Except the Ghiblis are already here – no tariffs.
So even bigger price/value disparity.
So are certified preowned MBs and BMWs, which would be better deals given the depreciation levels involved.
On the 334: I see the Dodge practice of putting the customer’s credit score on the side of the car has spread to Maserati
The price of the car is just like an entrance fee to a very exclusive and very expensive night club. The next day you’re hung over, broke, and alone.
After Hours as a metaphor for exotic car ownership.
Fast forward 3 years and Chrysler dealers are servicing Maseratis in the “Champagne Room.”
Would you like bottle service? 0w-40 sythetic, Modena DOP, 2019 vintage.
Or, use the same money to buy a 2023 Dodge Charger and a 2017 Dodge Journey. Both brand new! Bonus: engine blocks come from the same place.
Studi-no Ghibli.
If it wasn’t justified when the price was jacked up, it’s not a deal when it’s lowered back down.
It’s like a FINAL CLEARANCE SALE at Bed Bath & Beyond or Toys R Us.
Just waiting on the discounted price to hit 40k and it’s mine!
Today only! 50% off at Howl’s Slow Inventory Moving Castle, home of the Monon-OK deal! So Ponyo money where your mouth is and Spirit Away! Here today, gone Totoro.
Studi-no Ghibli blowout sale! Not even My Neighbour wants to buy one!