Maserati Alfieri latest
Latest being that we'll have to wait for a crossover first - bah!
Underpinnings have changed, looks won't
Now confirmed for production in 2016 and - importantly - confirmed to keep those looks and that Alfieri name after "the most prominent of the Maserati brothers", we can wheel the GranTurismo off into retirement safe in the knowledge that there'll be a new swinging V6 turbo appendage coming out of Modena. This will be the Maserati sports car until the GT's replacement arrives in 2018.
A turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 will power the Alfieri range, producing 410hp in rear-wheel drive Carrera S bothering guise and all four wheels in the 450hp and 520hp variants that'll give the Merc-AMG GT and F-Type something to ponder.
We can already hear the engineering departments assembling in Affalterbach and Coventry.
It's not all good news for the purists
Despite aerospace grade materials, it seems price won't be proportional to the use of unobtanium. Rumours have it that the Alfieri will start at £60,000.
Before we get to see the Alfieri's shapely silhouette in production form, however, we'll have to watch one of the last bastions of individuality against the on-road off-roader trend capitulate and jump on the SUV bandwagon.
Maserati chases volume; had to happen
We've witnessed the spy shots of the Levante (nee Kubang - thank god it isn't called the latter) already. It looks, well, like an SUV but it'll be instrumental in attempting to hit the brand's ambitious sales targets of 75,000 units per year by 2018. You can see why Maserati has done it, wanting to join in the profit grabbing in China, the US and the Middle East and no doubt wanting a slice of the crossover pie. But is a diesel SUV wearing a Trident on its grille a good thing?
Does the world really need a Maserati 4x4? Does it want one is another question? That's for the market to decide, so guess how that'll turn out? Could be worse though, it could look like a Bentley...
[Sources: Autocar]
Position Maserati above Ferrari as a Bugatti rival. Ultra exclusive. Given the brand awareness in the markets with the biggest potential for growth was almost zero, Fiat could have taken the Maserati brand anywhere. The fairly recent and very expensive MC12 could have set the precedent for the repositioning.
Ferrari, as is.
Alfa Romeo brought to the level of Maserati at the moment, producing near-supercar performance coupes and high performance SUVs and sports saloons.
Lancia making hot hatches and small and medium sized saloons (occupying Alfa Romeo's present space).
Fiat, as is.
This might have resulted in less confusion between the brands, and saved Lancia as well.
Position Maserati above Ferrari as a Bugatti rival. Ultra exclusive. Given the brand awareness in the markets with the biggest potential for growth was almost zero, Fiat could have taken the Maserati brand anywhere. The fairly recent and very expensive MC12 could have set the precedent for the repositioning.
Ferrari, as is.
Alfa Romeo brought to the level of Maserati at the moment, producing near-supercar performance coupes and high performance SUVs and sports saloons.
Lancia making hot hatches and small and medium sized saloons (occupying Alfa Romeo's present space).
Fiat, as is.
This might have resulted in less confusion between the brands, and saved Lancia as well.
Much better idea to push Ferrari a little more towards the higher end market and sell the entry-level Ferrari models with Maserati badges on them.
Still there's a some great competition in this sector now with the F-Type, 911, and Merc GT and V8V.
What a great tie up with Airbus. Though hopefully no A380 styling.
It really is a beautiful looking car. Great to see the Italians still doing what they do best and styling some amazing looking cars.
It may even be in with a shout as the best looking production car ever - if it translates into production as it looks now. (As others have already said, this is unlikely though
).
Then again, if you park up anywhere such as Chelsea, Henley, Ascot etc and take a gander at all the WAGs and other 'upwardly mobiles' in their Cayennes, BMW X5's, Audi Whatevers and, yes, their Posh Spice Evoques, you'll soon see how, if the Maserati name has the kudos (which it does at the moment), such people will possibly buy a Maserati SUV just to be different (or more likely, to go 'one up' on their "F*ck You" merry-go-round!)
Back to that gorgeous coupe though and I can't believe in the £60K price tag. By the time it gets into production (if it does) I'd wager it will be sporting an £80K tag hanging from its rear view mirror...
Thankfully some car companies have learned not to tease us then disappoint us (think CX-16 to F-Type Coupe, rear hatch aside) but clearly Maserati isn't one of them.
Concept is ace, the reality, a long way short. Hopefully I will be proved wrong.
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