Italian automotive news site al Volante has reported that the new Maserati twin turbocharged V6 that will power the upcoming midsized Ghibli sedan is based on the engine construction of the Chrysler Pentastar V6. It has been speculated that the new Maserati super-six was Pentastar based but the al Volante report confirms those rumors.
To be clear, the new twin turbocharged Maserati Ghibli V6 is not a Chrysler Pentastar V6 modified for Maserati use but the basic engine design of the Ghibli’s V6 is based on that of the Chrysler Pentastar that powers pretty much every Chrysler Group vehicle sold in America. The key differences are that the Maserati TT V6 measures 3.0 liters to the Pentastar’s 3.6 liters and the Maserati block is topped by a set of Ferrari engineered, and built, cylinder heads. Oh, and that set of turbochargers. The result of these modifications are a small Pentastar-based V6 that offers 330 horsepower and 369lb-ft of torque in standard form while a uniquely tuned form of the 3.0L V6 in the Ghibli S provides 410 horsepower and 406lb-ft of torque.
Why is this important? Well, shy of the fact that it shows just how good of a job Chrysler Group engineers are doing in designing new engines considering that Maserati picked this engine design over all others. Maserati could have used an in-house designed V6 with help from Ferrari but the company chose the design of the Pentastar V6 on which to base a global high performance engine.
Also, there have long been rumors that the Chrysler Group is working on twin turbocharged versions of the Pentastar for future products and the fact that a European “cousin” is already using a forced induction version of the Pentastar construction – it could strengthen the hopes of seeing a forced induction V6 here in the United States under the hood of a Chrysler Group product. An engine like this in the Dodge Charger would allow Chrysler to sell a sporty full sized sedan with available all wheel drive that would rival the Ford Taurus SHO and its EcoBoost twin turbo V6.
For now, its just wishful thinking but when the Maserati Ghibli hits showrooms later this year it will introduce the world to the first application of factory forced induction on a Pentastar-based engine.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
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"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
