Maserati says it will use this week’s Festival of Speed to celebrate its V8 engine, which has already entered the final chapter of a storied history that stretches back to the launch of the 5000 GT in 1959. To mark the final departure of the sweet-sounding, 572hp eight-pot – and the GT cars it powered – the firm will use the event to grant global debuts to two special edition models: the Ghibli 334 Ultima and the Levante V8 Ultima. 

Full details remain under wraps till tomorrow, but Maserati confirmed that ‘334’ denotes the Ghibili’s top speed in kilometres per hour – or 208mph rounded up. According to the manufacturer, that impressively large number would make the special edition variant the world’s fastest saloon powered by internal combustion. Which as hooks go, is not a bad one for your last-ever petrol-powered GT car. 

Maserati makes no equivalent claim for the Levante, but reckons that both flavours of Ultima will swiftly become ‘collector’s items’ in the coming months. Given the level of affection for the brand in the UK – and the soulful soundtrack of its V8 – that prediction probably isn’t far wide of the mark. No word yet on whether the special edition cars will be produced in specific volumes, but with the production of the engine time limited anyway, neither is likely to be available for long. 

Of course, if that doesn’t sound like your kind of jam, there will be plenty more to see on the Maserati stand, including the new GranTurismo in both one-off Prisma format and as the all-electric 1,200hp Folgore. Although the thing you should absolutely not miss if you haven’t already encountered it, is the sight (and sound) of the current MC20 Cielo, which is due on the hill climb throughout the weekend. Run-out V8 cars notwithstanding, the open-top 621hp supercar is still Maserati’s irrefutable showstopper.