Monterey Car Week (it happens every August) is a wonderland of the possible---assuming you have money. Luxury car manufacturers show up at Pebble Beach and Quail Lodge with their latest and greatest, everything from dream machines they'll never actually sell to the public to ways to make their already exclusive products even more so.
Case in point, the Italian luxury/sports car maker Maserati, which hosted invited guests including yours truly at an event at Quail Lodge on Saturday to announce its limited-edition 2020 Maserati Levante SUV and Quattroporte sedan.
Fifty Levantes and fifty Quattroportes will be available in North America in the spring of 2020 with PELLETSSUTA woven leather interiors crafted by Ermenegildo Zegna. It's a light but versatile leather that Zegna uses in shoes, bags, belts and accessories.
The Quattroportes will be S Q4 GranLusso sedans with a lavish dark brown PELLETESSUTA interior.
Each will be in a custom Blu Sofisticato metallic exterior paint, have blue brake calipers, sport seats and a dedicated Zegna Edition interior badge. It is the only time Maserati will make this combination available.
The fifty Levante S GranSport SUVs will have a black PELLETESSUTA interior with exclusive Radica wood trim.
Each of those will be in an exclusive Bronzo tri-coat exterior with black brake calipers and 21-inch Helios rims. And, as with the Quattroporte S Q4 GranLusso Zegna Editions, this is the only time they'll be made available.
It's first come, first serve. Reservations are made through your local dealer and the vehicles will be delivered beginning in the spring of 2020.
I'd driven the 2019 Maserati Levante S GranSport in July for a week and reviewed it for the Los Altos Town Crier. It was the first time I'd driven a Maserati in at least ten years, and it's an exhilirating machine to drive---combining the practicality of a five-seat SUV with the passion of an Italian sports car.
While at the Quail on Saturday morning, I was also able to take the 2020 Maserati GT Convertible (the one in blue) for a quick 20 minute drive in Carmel Valley.
The object of a convertible is to make everything---the car, the drive, the day, your entire life---feel special. And the Maserati GT Convertible nails that perfectly.
Maserati is a luxury brand with a racing heritage, so their interiors are supremely comfortable and, even in standard editions, beautifully finished in exquisite materials.
It's under the hood where Maserati's racing heritage comes through. That's a 454 horsepower 4.7-liter V8. Zero to 60 happens in four seconds, accompanies by the most glorious howl---especially with the transmission in Sport mode, extracting every ounce of performance.
I may never be able to justify the purchase of a Maserati, but like a lot of beautiful things in life---I'm glad they exist for those who can. And I can certainly appreciate every time one drives by.
Want to get the backstory on Maserati in just a few minutes? Here's a great video: