Next Maserati supercar could feature Pentastar power

Earlier today, rumors surfaced about the next Maserati GranTurismo and Quattroporte losing their Ferrari-built V8 in favor of Chrysler’s 3.6L Pentastar V6 with a set of turbos – and TorqueNews.com has an inside line of our own that supports these rumors.

Chrysler loves the new 3.6L Pentastar V6 and its hard to miss, as it is in nearly every vehicle they sell in the US. Also, they plan to spread the use of the Pentastar to European markets so the suggestion of this powerful V6 in a Maserati isn’t that farfetched but will the Italian supercar really come with the same engine as the Dodge Avenger and the Chrysler Town & County minivan?

Well, thanks to an insider who asks to remain nameless for very obvious reasons, the Pentastar V6 has been going through rigorous testing in far different forms than what is offered in any of the current production models – including a twin turbocharged setup. Our source tells us that since the production versions of the Pentastar were squared away and ready for the public, Chrysler has been using forced induction and intensive tuning to “offer way more than what the Pentastar is making now and more than Ford is making with their EcoBoost”. Sadly, our source would only offer so much information but he hinted that the output of the twin turbo Pentastar was up around the 400 horsepower range.

While he was able to give us a brief look at what current projects are being performed with the Pentastar V6, he also told us that he had “no idea” what the plans were with these high performance V6 engines. He went on to tell us that he has never seen so much testing to an engine and the last time we heard that from this source, it was said two years ago about a 6.4L fuel injected Hemi – the motor that is now found in the SRT8 Charger, 300 and Grand Cherokee.

When we first heard that there was forced induction testing being done with the 3.6L Pentastar, it was unclear exactly where this engine would show up but should our sources and these rumors be right – Chrysler may have spent the last few months developing a high performance Pentastar for the next generation Maserati lineup.

Rumor Source: Autoblog

Other Chrysler News:
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Chrysler announces management changes along with SRT brand
The 2012 Ram pickup to get Pentastar V6
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Fiat offers Canadian govt $125 million for their final stake in Chrysler
Fiat to buy final US gov’t Chrysler stake for $560 million