There was a time that Maserati was relying on very old technology for its engines. If you look at an early '80s Quattroporte engine bay, and compare it to my '67 Mexico, it is virtually identical. This is either a testament to the highly evolved engine in the '67, or to a car company that was seriously lagging behind its competitors in research and development. The former and the latter is fortunately and unfortunately the truth. Amazingly, the second generation Q-Porte has the same antiquated glass 'brandy snifter' cupping the fuel filter as my '67. In the 60's, when the original was launched, it was well endowed with either a 4.2 or 4.7-liter, quad overhead cam, all alloy engine with four of the most beautiful down-draught Weber carburetors ever created, all neatly in a row. This power plant even came complete with a state of the art ram air box, similar to those used on motorcycles today, which literally forced air into those wonderful carburetors, increasing performance. It was also fitted with one of two smooth-as-silk 5-speed transmissions, depending on which engine choice you made, or a responsive automatic. At the time, it was one of the most expensive cars on the planet - that part hasn't changed mind you.
Maserati's past is filled with such notable engines as the V16, which in 1929 set the world speed record over 10 km at an average of 246.069, and the in-line 8-cylinder, which produced double victories at Indianapolis in 1939 and 1940 with Maserati 8 CTF. This kind of racing heritage is rare in the motoring world and a tradition that the new V8 engine pulls from.
The new 3217 cc V8 engine includes 32-valves per cylinder and twin turbochargers breathed on by two front intercoolers. The result is 335-hp at 6400 rpm. The efficient little motor is constructed completely in aluminum and has to be regarded as one of the most technologically advanced designs available. Its superb stiffness is achieved by the connections of the crankshaft supports that form an integral block, in a single casting.