BJL
Member
- Messages
- 1,364
I just don't get it. Maserati as a marque is dying on its feet despite volume increase. As a brand it maybe surviving but how stupid have they been.
Just read in the Italian press whilst having my morning shot that the Alfieri will probably not see the light of day as it no longer fits the 'core brief' as they put it.
How utterly stupid Fiat, Maserati and the conglomerate of bean counters were when the separated Maserati from Ferrari. The only real credibility it had after the disaster years of Bi-turbo rubbish and overly fragile, poorly built but beguiling sports cars. Just as it was getting back it's credo and Kudos with the GS, the QPV and lately the GT, all of which had the engines and running gear assembled at Ferrari, the bodies pressed by Ferrari owned Scaglietti, the paintwork done at Ferrari and delivered to Modena for final assembly. Could no-one see it was a partnership made in heaven for Maserati to be talked of as 'the luxury GT' side of Ferrari. The allure was so tangible it hurt. All they had to do was keep ahead of the game and nurture the interest by;
Renewing the QP as they did but in a short and long wheelbase version with the V8tt. The short wheelbase version in two variants ie GTS with 550bhp and standard with 510bhp. The long wheel base version in one trim level only ie "opulent". Once the market had developed and street cred maintained then bring out the diesel but a proper pokey diesel not the rattle box they currently use which although defended by many is in reality breathless at 4000 revs and noisy at rest sounding like a London Taxi,
Plus carry on the theme of the GT, as in a 911 kind of evolutionary way, by making it lighter, sleeker, more dramatic and feeding it the V8tt and V6tt as the only variants .
Instead of that they came out with the Ghibli that can't compete at any level and should have been an Alfa, Not one dealer in the UK is thrilled with the public response to this generic box which sits on forecourts forever until they can bribe someone with a Kings ransom trade in and to boot has not won a single european accolade unlike the QPV which won 17 in the first 2 years. Moreover, the QP VI although selling in limited numbers across Europe is mostly in diesel form and wont pull a duck off its nest, hardly beating the drum for Maserati, a name associated with performance. The V8tt version is good but too big to chuck around.
The GT replacement is four years overdue and looks like ending up as a ******* child of the Ghibli with Alfieri esq. bits to give it some purpose and will no doubt be eventually offered in a diesel variant to assure sales targets are met and worse still will not be made in Modena where Alfa now occupy the majority of workshop space.
I despair the future and am of the opinion that we have seen the very best of Maserati in the last 12 years ie 2005 onwards when they sorted the Duoselect box on the QP, they gave us the GS, they wowed us with the GT and turned the already gorgeous QP Sport GT into the 4.7 GTS.
Everything since has been for volume not passion and remember the Maserati moto emblazoned across their showroom in Modena had a lot to do with Passion at its heart.
Rant Over
Just read in the Italian press whilst having my morning shot that the Alfieri will probably not see the light of day as it no longer fits the 'core brief' as they put it.
How utterly stupid Fiat, Maserati and the conglomerate of bean counters were when the separated Maserati from Ferrari. The only real credibility it had after the disaster years of Bi-turbo rubbish and overly fragile, poorly built but beguiling sports cars. Just as it was getting back it's credo and Kudos with the GS, the QPV and lately the GT, all of which had the engines and running gear assembled at Ferrari, the bodies pressed by Ferrari owned Scaglietti, the paintwork done at Ferrari and delivered to Modena for final assembly. Could no-one see it was a partnership made in heaven for Maserati to be talked of as 'the luxury GT' side of Ferrari. The allure was so tangible it hurt. All they had to do was keep ahead of the game and nurture the interest by;
Renewing the QP as they did but in a short and long wheelbase version with the V8tt. The short wheelbase version in two variants ie GTS with 550bhp and standard with 510bhp. The long wheel base version in one trim level only ie "opulent". Once the market had developed and street cred maintained then bring out the diesel but a proper pokey diesel not the rattle box they currently use which although defended by many is in reality breathless at 4000 revs and noisy at rest sounding like a London Taxi,
Plus carry on the theme of the GT, as in a 911 kind of evolutionary way, by making it lighter, sleeker, more dramatic and feeding it the V8tt and V6tt as the only variants .
Instead of that they came out with the Ghibli that can't compete at any level and should have been an Alfa, Not one dealer in the UK is thrilled with the public response to this generic box which sits on forecourts forever until they can bribe someone with a Kings ransom trade in and to boot has not won a single european accolade unlike the QPV which won 17 in the first 2 years. Moreover, the QP VI although selling in limited numbers across Europe is mostly in diesel form and wont pull a duck off its nest, hardly beating the drum for Maserati, a name associated with performance. The V8tt version is good but too big to chuck around.
The GT replacement is four years overdue and looks like ending up as a ******* child of the Ghibli with Alfieri esq. bits to give it some purpose and will no doubt be eventually offered in a diesel variant to assure sales targets are met and worse still will not be made in Modena where Alfa now occupy the majority of workshop space.
I despair the future and am of the opinion that we have seen the very best of Maserati in the last 12 years ie 2005 onwards when they sorted the Duoselect box on the QP, they gave us the GS, they wowed us with the GT and turned the already gorgeous QP Sport GT into the 4.7 GTS.
Everything since has been for volume not passion and remember the Maserati moto emblazoned across their showroom in Modena had a lot to do with Passion at its heart.
Rant Over
