The Granturismo Is No More

[safrane]

Sad if true... like the bi-turbo days, just producing normal cars with little link to the glory days.

 

[conaero]

Sad if true... like the bi-turbo days, just producing normal cars with little link to the glory days.

Indeed, has Maserati forgotten how that went?

 

[safrane]

To be honest Matt...My ultimate fear is that they just badge Alfas and other FCA cars as 'Maserati' just like MG did in the 80/90s.

 

[Andyk]

Well we did get the wonderful Ghibli Cup at the end but yes it wasn't great before that.

 

[Rwc13]

And the Shamal, and the Karif, and the Ghibli GT, and the QPiv evo, and the Zagato Spyder

 

[StuartW]

I wonder how many new GT's they sell now....It is a brilliant car but will be 10 years old next year. The technology is old against the competition I suppose so a face lift with maybe the new engine from the QP is needed. If it is right that no replacement that would be sad indeed. No proper sports GT car in the range just isn't right. But as said until you hear officially then its all hear say.

Yes, I hope that the MD has been given some wrong information and there is a change of heart but he was pretty adamant that the end is nigh, let's see what the coming weeks & months bring but if this correct, the Strad could be the last 'great' Maserati for some time. Buy one when you can

 

[Andyk]

And the Shamal, and the Karif, and the Ghibli GT, and the QPiv evo, and the Zagato Spyder

We did although these never really set the world alight........The Shamal probably closest...It wasn't really until the 3200 that apart from the loyal followers others took notice of the brand again. I think Matt's point that they lost their way back then is true but now and again a few diamonds appeared out of the rough.

 

[safrane]

One thing for the Bi-Turbo was it was small, agile and most of all adaptable...all be it poorly made at time. So as a result some clever but flawed models were derived from it.

Could the same be said of the current non GT platforms?...I'm not sure it could be shrunk...and another new model would take a number of years.

 

[Rwc13]

Clever but flawed would be an apt description for most Maseratis throughout history. And shrunk to what? The size of a GT?

 

[Classico]

Sad state of affairs if true.

Will be holding on to mine a few years yet regardless.

Just nothing on the market like it. Even now.

 

[Ryandoc]

Just nothing on the market like it. Even now.

Think this rings very true, for the price looks and noise it just tickles many more places most cars can't. It's a stunning car at £100k price point but that you can pick these up in the UK at least as low as £30k is just ridiculous in a good way.

Only one other car in a similar situation for me is an early DB9, they can be had for very little

 

[hilts uk]

This all fits in with what I was told last week at Maranello. He said that their new Stradale was the last one they will have as they are being phased out due to emissions. He said they sell very few cars and only sold one Stradale in the last year. Having a look at HowManyLeft shows that total sales are less than 200 hundred and most are soft tops these days. The current stock of cars in the UK is as follows :

3200 -443 + 140 SORN

4200 - 589 + 82 SORN

Gransport - 165 + 13 SORN
MCV - 14 + 1 SORN
Spyder - 72 + 6 SORN
Gransport Spyder - 12 + 0 SORN (these are switched with the Spyder on Howmanyleft)

GT - 663 + 12 SORN
GTS 690 + 12 SORN
Stradale - 77 + 0 SORN
Grancabio - 489 + 4 SORN

The fact is that the car is selling in tiny numbers. There is zero marketing budget available and 99% of car buyers are oblivious to Maserati as a brand due to the small number of cars on the road and the desire to keep it safe by buying a Porsche, BMW etc.

 

[StuartW]

Sadly, the same emission issue will spell the end of the V8 in the current QP6 also - another era ending as there has been a V8 available in a QP for as long as I can remember

 

[bigbob]

What are the specific emissions rules and dates here?

 

[MAF260]

Sadly, the same emission issue will spell the end of the V8 in the current QP6 also - another era ending as there has been a V8 available in a QP for as long as I can remember

Will they? It's a new engine, so I thought it would have been designed to last more than 2 years! Surely they would just fiddle with it until it's compliant?

 

[safrane]

...And shrunk to what? The size of a GT?

A small and agile sports car...911, Vantage size.... Oh wait that would be the Alferni.

 

[StuartW]

Will they? It's a new engine, so I thought it would have been designed to last more than 2 years! Surely they would just fiddle with it until it's compliant?

You would think so but this is what they told me on Saturday

 

[bigbob]

On reflection I'm not sure I believe this. No insult to the OP, I am sure that the dealer said what he said but I am not aware of specific new emissions rules in the timetable concerned and we had similar stories that were incorrect a year ago. I suspect it was just a ruse to sell more cars as there is nothing to fill the line at Modena.

if I'm wrong then so be it but that would involve a new car earlier than we thought which is no bad thing.

 

[StuartW]

On reflection I'm not sure I believe this. No insult to the OP, I am sure that the dealer said what he said but I am not aware of specific new emissions rules in the timetable concerned and we had similar stories that were incorrect a year ago. I suspect it was just a ruse to sell more cars as there is nothing to fill the line at Modena.

if I'm wrong then so be it but that would involve a new car earlier than we thought which is no bad thing.

None taken & I hope you're right Bob but he seemed adamant & they really were not even focusing much on the GT at their sales event, it was all about shifting the Ghibli as far as I can see. I asked about the Strad as they had said that their event would have one of every available car there to see, and he told me that Maserati UK don't have a single new one available to send around to the dealers to show off, not good

 

[bigbob]

The company is in a real mess, little obvious product planning, not keeping the dealers informed and conflicting stories. Desperately needs some new coupe and convertible models.

The Ghibli is not floating my boat enough to buy one as I would want an S and once it has the spec I want it is too expensive even after discount as I need to bear in mind that saloons depreciate faster and 'my' car would likely be valued the same as a poverty spec diesel come sale time. My car is only five years old so I have a few years to wait but I'm not convinced Maserati will sort itself out in that time. Looks like I will be getting new brakes all round and a valet on my car this year!

PS washed it yesterday and you can't beat the sound of the V8 at start up/idle.