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It used to be that base model muscle cars were given rather unexciting base model engines, usually in the form of an anemic six-cylinder better suited for a family sedan. Times are a-changin’ though, and V6 mills are nowadays often as potent as outgoing V8 engines, and automakers are taking these new mills quite seriously, especially when they go under the hood of a muscle car. And when you start sticking a corporate V6 under the hood of an exotic car like Maserati, then all bets are off.
It seems impossible to imagine, but Chrysler overlords Fiat are taking the companies now and more-powerful V6 engine, adding dual turbochargers, and shoehorning it into Maseratis, reports Inside Line. Is this good news for Chrysler, bad news for Maserati, or maybe both?
Maserati fanboys were none too pleased when Fiat fit a 4.7 liter Ferrari engine under the hood of their beloved Quattroporte, and the twin-turbo Pentastar V6 probably won’t be any easier to swallow. The move likely has as much to do with fuel efficiency standards as it does with Fiat and Chrysler interbreeding. And while the thought of a twin-turbo V6 from Chrysler in a Maserati may not make the millionaires happy, we’re quite excited at the prospect.
Why, you ask? Because Fiat thinks they can tune the Pentastar V6 to make Ferrari-level power. That’s impressive, and if a twin-turbo V6 shows up in a Maserati, who is to say it won’t also show up in a next-generation Viper, Challenger, or other Chrysler muscle car? It also means there’s a lot of untapped potential in these engines, just waiting to be unlocked. Of course, this could also water down the Maserati brand if the engine fails to live up to the exacting standards of these high class cars, but we’d like to see (and drive) such a car before rushing to any judgements.
