Advertisement

Maserati planning Porsche rival

 
6 2,109 views Jan 31, 2008
Follow Viknesh

Maserati planning Porsche rival

Maserati planning Porsche rival

Enlarge Photo

Related Photo Galleries


See more photos »
Last year Maserati recorded its first profit in 17 years, posting a €1 million trading profit for the second quarter, but according to officials this is only the tip of the iceberg. Early last year the boss of Maserati’s parent company, Sergio Marchionne, made the bold objective that Maserati would deliver up to 12,000 units in 2011, and we suspect that he’s not one to back down on his claims. This year Maserati is on track to sell 9,000 vehicles, up from 7,500 last year, and if it hopes to come near the 12,000 target a new model is a must.

In March, Maserati CEO Roberto Ronchi revealed to Reuters his desire to expand the current lineup, with the most likely option being a small coupe rather than the speculated SUV model. Now, once again, Ronchi has told reporters that Maserati is considering developing a new model. In order to achieve Maserati’s desired sales and profit growth it will need a new model, he said. “We want to make a decision on the new model in the first quarter of this year. The market launch for the car will take place 18 to 36 months later. An SUV model has been ruled out because the segment is declining and is already too crowded. We want to target Porsche with a sports car priced around €80,000 to €90,000,” Ronchi detailed

Insiders suggest that, if given the green-light, the new sports car would likely receive a revised version of Maserati’s 4.2L V8, detuned to around 350bhp and mated to a semi-automatic gearbox with paddle-shifters. With the GranTurismo growing in size to rival mega-coupes like the Mercedes CL, there’s definitely a gap in Maserati’s lineup for a new smaller performance model.






Posted in:
 
 

Have an opinion?

  • Posting indicates you have read this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Notify me when there are more comments
Comments (6)

  1. CK Posted: 1/31/2008 10:07am PST

    When the Gran Turismo was introduced, back last year around IAA time, Maserati Germany said that they will focuse on gran turismo cars and sporty luxurious saloons as the Quattroporte. Leaving the sports segment to Ferrari within the Fiat group. But this sounds like a big change of plans.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  2. Strada Auto Store Posted: 1/31/2008 10:53am PST

    Great information as usual...Thank You
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  3. Gus Posted: 1/31/2008 12:47pm PST

    I dunno about all that, but that car is fierce looking!
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  4. germandude Posted: 1/31/2008 2:27pm PST

    I'm very happy to see Maserati doing better. And at least there's one car manufacturer out there that doesn't follow the stupid SUV trend - a Maserati SUV just wouldn't be right.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  5. Alan Posted: 2/1/2008 1:10am PST

    It's the obvious step to have a sports car under the Gran Turismo, however 350hp seems too little nowadays. V8 Vantage has 380hp and some has said it's lacking in power. With the Germans punching out 400, 500hp, Maserati really needs more power in this car. Unless they can be like Porsche and keep the car lighter than the rival. If this car is to weight over 1500kg, which i suspect it will, then 350hp is too little
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  6. ma_porsche1 avatar porsche1 Posted: 2/2/2009 10:56am PST

    I'm a big fan of some of the most recent Massers, the GranTurismo looks and sounds fantastic however performance and handling is lacking. I have always dreamed about owning an Italian sports car, Ferrari's are out of my reach at the moment so the next best thing would be a Masarati.

    I have been waiting for Masarati to bring out a coupe which will rival the 911, R8 etc for some time. I own a 997 2S so any new masarati which is going to rival the 911 would really have to be a bit special for me to change my alegence. It will have to have more under the bonnet than 350 horses for it to even start to get my attention even if its the best looking/sounding car around.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

Contribute
Send us a tip Comment Contact the editor
Follow Us

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Research New Cars

Go!


More from High Gear Media

 
 
MotorAuthority
  • Follow Us
  • Twiiter
  • Facebook
 
 
© 2013 MotorAuthority. All Rights Reserved. MotorAuthority is published by High Gear Media. Stock photography by Homestar, LLC. Send us feedback.