This story was published in association with Maserati.
The 2023 Maserati Levante SUV and 2023 Maserati Ghibli sedan are now offered with bespoke color and trim as a tribute to the first woman to compete in a Grand Prix. Both models are produced in limited numbers, but are sure to attract maximum attention.
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Before we get to the cars, let’s talk a little about Italian driver Maria Teresa De Filippis. In October 1955, De Filippis competed in the 39th Targa Florio, driving a Maserati A6GCS (shared with Luigi Bellucci). She would finish ninth overall (fourth in the 2.0-liter class).
It was a turning point in the career that would lead De Phillipis to compete in 1958. His first Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix In Belgium in a private Maserati 250 FShe is the first woman to enter the ranks of the top category of motorsport.
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To celebrate De Phillipis’ achievements, Maserati has launched a pair of celebratory F Tributo special editions. Its Levante SUV and Ghibli sedan with unique paint finishes as well as exterior and interior upgrades.
Two exclusive color options are offered. is a bright orange. Arancio Devil (below), a reference to De Phillipis’s nickname ‘She-Devil’. There is another Grigio Lameria (above)a gray reminiscent of racetrack surface color and nods to Maserati’s rich history in racing and its deep-rooted motorsport DNA.
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In Arancio Devil livery, the Levante F Tributo comes with 21-inch Anteo wheels. The wheel rims are finished in cobalt blue, as are the badges on the guards and the Trident logo on the C-pillars.
In the new Grigio Lameria color for the Ghibli F Tributo, the wheels – also 21 inches – are in Titano design, painted gloss black, while details such as the F Tributo badge and Trident logo are painted contrasting orange.
In the cabin, shades of exterior finishes feature cobalt blue and orange stitching when paired with black ‘PienoFiore’ (full-grain) leather, or orange stitching when a natural shade of leather is selected.
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Mechanically, the F Tributo Special Editions of the Ghibli and Levante remain identical to their regular counterparts.
For both the Ghibli and the Levante, the current versions have multiple engine options in different spec grades. The most powerful V8-powered Trofeo variants make 433kW/730Nm from a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8.
There are also twin-turbo V6 versions in different tunes, the GT with 243kW and 450Nm, the Modena with 257kW and 500Nm, and the Modena S with 316kW and 580Nm.
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The Levante F Tributo comes to Australia.
Maserati Australia has secured a limited production run. Levante F. Tributo in greggio with tan/orange. Price is $235,000, with arrival scheduled for the first quarter of 2023.
The Australia-bound Levante F Tributo is mechanically based on the Modena S, developing its twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6. 316kW and 580NmWith 0-100km/h time 5.2 seconds.
As for De Phillipis, she retired from racing shortly after the death of co-driver and friend Jean Bahra at the Eaus Circuit in Berlin in 1959.
Maria Teresa de Filippis passed away in 2016, yet her commitment and achievements are remembered, thanks to these stunning Maserati special editions.