Ghibli

Make
Maserati
Segment
Sedan

When the Maserati MC-12 first hit the stage in 2004, it took breaths away at the same time as it won hearts. Even though it was built on the bones of the Ferrari Enzo, the MC-12 was much longer and played better with the wind, featuring a lower drag coefficient than its Ferrari donor car. What was most stunning, though, was just how different it looked than any other car out there. It was large and imposing, yet somehow still sleek and sexy. And it had a rear end with serious aerodynamic hardware, making the MC-12 seem like it could take off into the air provided a long enough runway.

That wow factor is something that designer Ben Thompson preserves in a car straight out of his imagination, the Maserati Diatto.

The name Diatto itself is a tribute to the Maserati brothers' work with the Diatto racing team in the 1920's just before they officially formed a car company and gave it their family name. Years down the line, Maserati coined the term, "the opposite of ordinary" to describe the Ghibli. That ethos is one Thompson tries to preserve in his concept.

It becomes more important given the fact that the Diatto is a car built for the autonomous age, but is tailored to give its driver the most analog experience possible.

To do so, Thompson created the Diatto as an open-top roadster with a modern take on classic Maserati form. To emphasize the fact the Diatto is a car and not just an electric and autonomous transportation device, the hood is kept long and the body features prominent wheel flares. Keeping the Diatto visually striking to allow it to challenge the "ordinary" is the fact that every part of the concept, from the wheels to the key, is designed to be visually stunning.

And the Diatto is quite the performer too. With four hub-mounted electric motors making a combined 683 horsepower, the Diatto can rocket from 0-60 mph in 1.86 seconds before topping out at 230 mph. Talk about preserving the rawness of an open top car. While we can't say we're totally on board with how the future is poised to change the automobile, we can say we'd be more willing to accept it if the future held the Maserati Diatto in store.