While Maserati has just reaffirmed its confidence in the Nettuno V6 engine, a brief statement made during The unveiling of the 2027 lineup immediately caught my attention: the V8 isn't completely dead yet.
When asked about the possible return of the V8 to the GranTurismo, the brand’s executives replied bluntly: «We are exploring that possibility.» This statement is bound to reignite the debate over the Trident’s mechanical future.
«We're also considering the V8»
The question came from the United States, a market that has historically been very fond of high-performance cars. Santo Ficili, Maserati’s CEO, began by reiterating the brand’s commitment to the Nettuno V6.
«Today, we have one of the best V6 engines in the world, if not the best,» he said, before adding that the teams are already working on its next generation, particularly with some form of hybridization. But he also left the door slightly open:
«Of course, we’re also considering the V8. […] We haven’t ruled out the possibility of having a V8 as well.»
The executive notes, however, that such an engine would play only a «minor» role in Maserati’s future lineup.
Maserati still has the expertise
On the engineering side, the message is similar. David Danesin, the brand’s technical director, explains that Maserati still possesses «the knowledge» and «the capabilities» needed to develop or integrate a V8. Company officials also acknowledge that many customers continue to associate Maserati with this engine architecture. The topic of engine sound, in fact, comes up regularly in conversations with owners. The brand says it is working to improve the sound of the Nettuno V6 to meet its customers’ expectations.
A much more complicated industrial reality
Despite these statements, a return of the V8 to Maserati seems highly unlikely at this point. For several days now, the brand has instead been insisting that On the Future of the V6 Nettuno. Santo Ficili even declared himself «personally in love with this engine,» which is capable of producing 390 ch in the Grecale SUV and up to more than 700 ch in the MCXtrema. Engineers are already working on hybrid versions of the Nettuno to improve performance while complying with future emissions standards. Maserati clearly sees this V6 as one of the cornerstones of its future.
Developing a new V8, on the other hand, would require very significant investments for a brand that first needs to regain its commercial momentum and improve its profitability.
A V8, sure… but where would it come from?
The idea of a V8 developed entirely by Maserati therefore seems unlikely in the short term. However, the door remains open to another solution: using an engine from another manufacturer or another entity within the group. It’s also worth noting that the Nettuno has a technical foundation that could theoretically allow for the addition of two cylinders. But before envisioning a return to the V8, Maserati seems primarily focused on unlocking the full potential of its V6.
Today, the brand’s top priority is probably not to develop a new V8 engine, but to strengthen its image, boost sales, and win back customers. And to that end, the Nettuno now appears to be the Trident’s main weapon. So the V8 isn’t entirely off the table. But there’s still a very long way to go between a possibility under consideration and a project that’s actually been launched.
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