The Maserati Ghibli 334 Ultima: The End of the V8 Era

Maserati has closed the book on one of the most celebrated Italian V8 saloons in recent motoring history. The Ghibli 334 Ultima is the final production Maserati Ghibli and the last car the brand will ever build around a V8 engine. For anyone who cares about Italian motoring tradition, the number 334 carries a particular weight: it is the car's top speed in kilometres per hour, one unit above the Bentley Flying Spur Speed, which earns it the title of the world's fastest four-door production car.

The Final Maserati V8

The engine at the centre of this achievement is a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 with direct lineage to Ferrari's F154 unit, the same family that powered the Ferrari 488 Pista. In the Ghibli 334 Ultima, it produces 572bhp. Maserati engineers extracted the top-speed record through a combination of a stickier Pirelli P-Zero compound on 21-inch Orione wheels, carbon-fibre aerodynamic additions including a revised front splitter and a rear lip spoiler, and approximately 20 kilograms of weight savings compared to the Trofeo model.

The number 103 is just as carefully chosen as 334. Maserati limited production to 206 cars globally, split between two exclusive colours at 103 units each. That figure refers directly to Tipo 103, the internal project code for the 1959 Maserati 5000 GT, the very first V8 Maserati ever built, produced at the personal request of the Shah of Iran. The 334 Ultima draws a straight line from that car to this one, spanning more than six decades of Italian V8 engineering.

The End of a Line

Ghibli production ended in 2024. Maserati has since confirmed a new saloon is in development, but that car has not yet launched, leaving a gap where the Ghibli nameplate once stood. The company's current direction is clear: electrification leads the way, with the GranTurismo Folgore and GranCabrio Folgore positioning Maserati as a serious player in high-performance electric motoring. The Ghibli 334 Ultima exists as both a celebration of what came before and a deliberate farewell to an era defined by combustion.

For UK drivers, the significance is practical as much as historical. A limited-edition, six-figure Maserati built to mark the end of a production run will, within a few years, appear only at concours events and in the private collections of those who bought one at launch. The opportunity to drive a Maserati V8 saloon on public roads, rather than admire one behind a rope, belongs to right now.

Drive a Maserati V8 Now

Avant Drive's fleet includes the Maserati Ghibli S, the same generation of Italian V8 saloon that the 334 Ultima celebrates and concludes. The Ghibli S delivers 404bhp, the unmistakable Maserati V8 soundtrack, and a cabin that strikes the balance between Italian character and genuine long-distance comfort. Available for self-drive hire from Bristol, with nationwide delivery for drivers who want the Maserati V8 experience without the concours-car price tag or the collector's reluctance to use one.

The 334 Ultima story is the clearest possible reason not to wait. If you have been meaning to drive a Maserati, this is the moment. Enquire via WhatsApp for same-day availability and pricing.