July, 2017 | Ugo Colombo | The Collection

Maserati’s First Crossover

The 2017 Maserati Levante is a notable crossover, not just because it is the brand’s first, but also because it delivers. Coming in at a top speed of 165 mph, this crossover is one to consider when you’re searching for the perfect model. It took only 22 months to get this car from conception to the road–a response to the overwhelming demand for the crossover trend.

Built and engineered in Italy, in authentic Maserati fashion, this crossover emulates the Maserati Ghibli. It’s lower to the ground, wider, and longer than other crossovers like the Porsche Cayenne and Jeep Grand Cherokee. One of the details that makes this model so sleek is the front grill’s thin slats. It’s a change from the mesh that you’d typically find on a Maserati. Not to worry about airflow though, as there is a set of active grille shutters on the interior.

The V6 twin-turbo engine has 424 horsepower with a 0-60 time of 5 seconds. A true Italian sports car. One of the best attributes of this vehicle is the various driving modes. You can choose from Normal, Sport, Off-Road, I.C.E. which impacts the height transmission, and suspension among other things.

The Aston Martin DB11 Drops Four Cylinders

One of the summer’s hottest releases, the Aston Martin DB11, has seen a surprising shake up to its engine. Going from a V12 to a V8 engine means that it lost about 97 horsepower and 18-pound feet of torque. What it gets in return is more agility, being that it dropped over 250 pounds.

Engineers also updated various other aspects of the car to take advantage of this new lighter model. The Suspension, anti-roll bars, dampers, springs, and stability control have all been updated. The look of the exterior has been modified slightly as well; more for aesthetic reasons than technical.

This development came about after Aston Martin partnered with Mercedes engineers. This brand is constantly changing the game and elevating their status as luxury vehicle makers. It seems that although the horsepower has dropped, its top speed is still an exhilarating 187 miles per hour.

The V8 model will go for $198,995, which is about $17,000 less than the V12 model. Interesting that Aston Martin has put their cylinders at a price of a little over $4,000 apiece.