RE: More Details Emerge About 'Baby Quattroporte'

RE: More Details Emerge About 'Baby Quattroporte'

Monday 6th September 2010

More Details Emerge About 'Baby Quattroporte'

New Maserati slated to share Chrysler 300C platform


The Maserati Biturbo once shared bits...
The Maserati Biturbo once shared bits...
Maserati's new sub-Quattroporte sized saloon will share its floorpan and drivetrains with the next generation Chrysler 300C.

According to a report from Autoblog Italia, the 'badge-engineering' project will provide the Fiat group with a new Maserati entry model that effectively replaces the Alfa Romeo 166 in the group's model hierarchy (as a bridge between Alfa and Maserati's current line-ups), as well as a new flagship Lancia. The cost being talked about is in the 55-100k Euros price range.

As a result of the new model's introduction in 2013, the revised Quattroporte due a year earlier in 2012 will apparently get a bit bigger and a bit more expensive.

...with this. The Chrysler TC.
...with this. The Chrysler TC.
The Italian media are describing the new Maserati/Chrysler project as a spiritual successor to the lack-lustre 1980s Biturbo, and its dodgy stable-mate the Chysler TC by Maserati - a connection which frankly doesn't bode well.

However, if the new small car can retain some of the glamour of the much-admired Quattoporte, Maserati could be on to a winner - even if its new baby arrives with a 400hp twin turbo diesel V6 as suggested by the original article.

Author
Discussion

mybrainhurts

Original Poster:

90,809 posts

254 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
Oh dear....

cirks

2,469 posts

282 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
I didn't think the words "baby" and "300C" could be used together....the 300C isn't exactly small...

Paul 8v

730 posts

179 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
Could have chosen a better base car, like a mattress...

soad

32,829 posts

175 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
Not good, not good frown

dpbird90

5,535 posts

189 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
Something else which doesn't add up in that article is that its supposed to be replacing the need for an Alfa 166, yet is going to cost around €55k, which is what, £40-45k? So it'd be aiming at the 5 Series/E Class/XF/A6 segment, yet be more expensive? It'd have to be biblically good.

Asterix

24,438 posts

227 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
Paul 8v said:
Could have chosen a better base car, like a mattress...
Not even that good - how can Maser, that have managed to give the brand some well needed gloss over the last few years, even contemplate getting into bed with Chrysler over something like this?

Edited by Asterix on Monday 6th September 12:18

Snoggledog

6,948 posts

216 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
"Flagship Lancia".. Oh censored! I hope it's not going to be yet another truly hideous offering.

mybrainhurts

Original Poster:

90,809 posts

254 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
They've been reading British Leyland, The Glory Years...

5678

6,146 posts

226 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
Amusing typo in the PH news email re: this story....

PH email said:
New Maserati slated to share Chrysler 300C platform

Snoggledog

6,948 posts

216 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
mybrainhurts said:
They've been reading British Leyland, The Gory Years...
EFA.

Andrew[MG]

3,322 posts

197 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
How big is the market for 55-100k Euros cars? I would have thought that demand must have fallen quite a bit over the past 2 years?

Ex Boy Racer

1,151 posts

191 months

Monday 6th September 2010
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oh dear... hope my 300C isn't devalued too much by this association...

oagent

1,765 posts

242 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
It looks like shed of the week has come early this week. (joking)

ps nowt wrong with the the biturbo. A really amazing sounding car if a little bit rust prone, but then again so were BMW's and Jags of the same vintage. Isnt the 300C a similar size to the current QP? I would have thought they need something a bit smaller ie BMW 5 series size to fill this gap.

matt9k

117 posts

187 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
Small world, used to see that Biturbo regularly when I worked in Italy. It's as tatty as hell inside and rusting on the bootlid, ran a bit smoky too. Saw a slightly tidier dark blue one now and again that had been converted to LPG rolleyes

Photo from late 2006...

braddo

10,399 posts

187 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all

" the revised Quattroporte due a year earlier in 2012 will apparently get a bit bigger "

Jesus, it's not exactly compact now, is it? Presumably the Panamera is going to start looking quite tiddly in a few years.

Gizmo!

18,150 posts

208 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
I used to walk past an accountant's office on the way to the tube that had either an old Biturbo or original Quattroporte outside it. Some accountant biggrin

400bhp twin-turbo diesel sounds like it'd go well though...

vintageracer01

873 posts

174 months

Monday 6th September 2010
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I quite like the overall idea. I hope they learned a lot from the old mistakes and do not come up with the likes of a Bi-turbo.

A new flagship Lancia and a smaller Maser 4porte, that sounds very nice to me.

Success, however, all comes down to some exciting design and much better handling than a current 300C.
I hope, they will get it right. This could kick-start both brands again.

I am really looking forward to it. Best of luck!

Esseesse

8,969 posts

207 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
Hope they also do an Alfa 169 on the same platform covering ~£35k -> £65k with ~250 -> 400bhp...

Fire99

9,844 posts

228 months

Monday 6th September 2010
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It sounds utterly bananas and something i'd expect to hear from Maserati of about 20 years ago, but i'll give them the benefit of the doubt (since their current range is something a bit special IMO) and see if something good comes from the lunacy. smile

jake15919

738 posts

164 months

Monday 6th September 2010
quotequote all
It wouldn't be the first time Maserati took some parts bin bits and made a good car. I suspect the 300C will be based on the Maserati rather than the other way round.

The big mistake is not bringing out a £30K Alfa 166. Good for the brand, good for the group.

This is how BL killed Triumph.