Maserati's ambitious plans to sell in excess of 50,000 vehicles a year (a far cry from its current 6,000) begins in earnest at the Detroit Auto Show in January where it will officially unveil the new generation Quattroporte model pictured here.

Set to take on established luxury saloons like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series the new Quattroporte packs the traditional Maserati looks that will allow it to sell well in Europe and the States, but there is also a concession to the expanding Chinese market with more rear legroom than ever before.

Despite being larger the Quattroporte is expected to rely on lightweight aluminium (something sister company Ferrari specialises in) to reduce its weight, giving the new range of engines less car to haul around.

There is no official word on those engines but Chrysler-sourced V6 and diesel engines have long been speculated. These more efficient units would allow Maserati to expand beyond its current market with the traditional 4.7-litre V8 serving as a flagship model. That engine is expected to be extensively reworked from the one that we know and there is a tantalising tit-bit of information on the expected output for the eagle eyed readers in the licence plate of the demo car.

After the Quattroporte we can expect to see the Ghibli, which is thought to be a smaller four-door saloon in the mould of the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6. This will be followed by the Levante, Maserati's long mooted SUV that will do battle with the Porsche Cayenne when it is unveiled to the world, probably in 2015.

Paul Healy - 6 Nov 2012