Maserati Touring Bellagio Fastback (photos courtesy RM Auctions)

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Rich people converting luxury sedans into station wagons and shooting brakes is something we can get behind. And there are plenty on offer, from Aston Martin and Ferrari, to Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Usually, they're done by Italian coachbuilders who then add plenty of flair, or at least look-at-me flashiness, and sell perhaps a handful to a select clientele.

So when legendary Italian coachbuilder Touring Superleggera got its hands on a Maserati Quattroporte back in 2009, it created the Maserati Touring Bellagio Fastback. (phew!) The enormously named station wagon shared the same vociferous V8, and most of the body panels, but the roof, rear doors and entire structure aft of the B-pillars was enhanced. Sure, some of the lines must be challenging from some angles, and the armrest-installed cellphone looks straight out of 1997, but bear with us.

Those colour-matched Borrani alloy wheels drove me insane when I first spotted this after its introduction, but four years on and I have to say they've aged well. Not sure about the Forest Green with tan interior, a combination more befitting something from Jaguar or the Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer's littering the streets during my teens.

The car is being put on the block at RM Auctions' event at Villa d'Este in Italy in conjunction with the Concorso d'Eleganze held this coming week. 

Of course, the rarity will play into this too - this is one of only four built. The original owner was, according RM's elegant explanation, "Italian financier and former Ducati President Dr Carlo Bonomi" and the car was presented to him "for use on his estate."

That's gotta be nice.

Anyway, while RM figures it'll sell for somewhere between €80,000 to €120,000 (or about $105,000-$150,000 Canadian), it's by far the least-expensive vehicle that'll be up for bidding... Bugattis and Ferraris and MG's, oh my!

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

When the new Maserati Quattroporte hit the roads last year, many were amazed at how much larger the latest generation is compared with its more modest predecessor. The answer, of course, was the usual stuff about listening to the request of its customers, but also that for the first time in decades there would be a smaller sedan that would fill in the proverbial gap between the two.

Well, here's that smaller sedan: The 2014 Ghibli. 

The styling connection between the two is obvious, although the 5 Series-sized Ghibli seems to be ever so slightly more graceful. We don't get the same strong impression of Infiniti in the Ghibli as you do in the QP...

The cabin appears to be equally luxurious, with a large screen dominating the dash.

Maserati says the Ghibli and Quattroporte were designed hand-in-hand and that the smaller shares plenty with its larger brother, including the first-on-a-Maserati optional all-wheel-drive system. Two versions of the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 will be used with expected levels of 330- and just over 400 horsepower, and we can probably expect the Quattroporte's twin-turbo V8 to show up at some point too. In places where diesel rules, a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel will be offered too.

So here's the inevitable question: given how well-established its natural competitors are in their segment - i.e. 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6, etc - would you choose the Maser if it was within a reasonable price range? Would you pick the Italian offering over the Germans? Or something else altogether? Let us know in the comments.

By John LeBlanc for MSN Autos Canada

We’re less than one week away before the annual circus (a.k.a. "media days") comes to Detroit. And already we have a pretty good idea of what vehicles will and won’t be revealed. Some automakers may have a few surprises still hidden up their respective sleeves, but what 2013 Detroit show production or concept debuts that have already been officially — and unofficially — leaked or previewed are you most looking forward to checking out here at MSN Autos Canada next week?

By Wes Raynal, AutoWeek

The redesigned Maserati Quattroporte sedan will debut at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. It will go on sale next spring.

The Italian automaker sent out some pictures of the new car on Tuesday but released few details.

Based on the photos, the design is unmistakably Maserati, with the three vents on the front fender and the big C-pillar.

In a statement, Maserati design boss Lorenzo Ramaciotti said that some of the elements from the previous model have been intentionally retained, such as the front grille, the three side vents and the triangular C-pillar. The Quattroporte is moving up a bit in size to make room for the upcoming Ghibli sedan, which will compete with the Mercedes-Benz E-class and BMW 5-series.

Maserati hasn't given any specs yet, but word out of Europe is that both V6 and V8 engines will be offered, as will rear- and all-wheel drive.

Maserati CEO Harald Wester said the automaker has big plans, including growing the business to 50,000 units a year by 2015 (compared to just under 10,000 today) and adding two new production sites on two continents.

"It starts with the all-new 2013 Maserati Quattroporte," he said.

Through the first 10 months of this year, Maserati has sold 2,224 cars in the United States, according to Automotive News, a sister publication of Autoweek. That's up 17.5 per cent from the same period in 2011.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Although the introductions at both Detroit and Montreal auto shows were enough to keep us interested for months, already some manufacturers are starting to reveal what will be on display at some other events later in the season. Both Mazda and Mitsubishi will have major news at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and we have a few details.

The Mazda Minagi Concept is a preview of the company’s new sub-CX-7 crossover that should be dubbed CX-5. The styling obviously plays on the Shinari Concept that was revealed last fall, which means the company is working very hard to implement design direction changes very quickly.

By David Phillips and Luca Ciferri, AutoWeek

Chrysler and Fiat are exploring additional models, including Maserati and Alfa Romeo SUVs, derived from the new Jeep Grand Cherokee platform, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said Monday.

The Grand Cherokee “architecture has legs. It's important for us to tap all of the hard work that has gone on inside Chrysler on the new Grand Cherokee,” Marchionne said during a conference call to discuss Chrysler's third-quarter earnings. “It has a level of solidity and resilience that we have underestimated.”

The latest Grand Cherokee platform--developed with Mercedes-Benz, which is owned by former Chrysler parent Daimler AG--can handle more powerful powertrains, Marchionne added.

The new models could debut in 12 to 18 months and most likely would be assembled at Chrysler's Jefferson North assembly plant in Detroit, he said.