Nothing about a new GT announced on Maserati's website. Nothing announced or revealed by Maserati at this year's New York Auto Show.

The GT was discontinued after the 2017 model year.


Fake News once again....

 

Nope,you are not dealing with the current administration. If you would like to email me at rjscharer@aol.com,I would be happy to email you the 28 page factory advisory to dealers.

 

Photos? Videos? Announcements? Why does it have to be so "secretive?" Maserati told their dealers and the press last year that the GT was going to be discontinued after 2017. So, are you saying now that they lied?! The GT hasn't had an update in over 4 years. If this information is true, it would be all over Maserati's website and an announcement or a demo would've been revealed at the New York Auto Show. Not one car magazine or car-related press has any hint of news of an imminent updated GT coming out.

Unless we see an actual, in-the-flesh car with all those updates, it's all just speculation.

 

I was told something simular on friday also. I was like why would they update it again, and they just were like i dont know also.

 

Reading this, no wonder why maserati is so unsuccessful in the market place car value compared to their competition. Keeping customers on their toes and off balance with contradicting information to their network is not the best way to build a striving business but again, may be I am old fashion and surprises is now the way to go to sell stuff.

 

You know... that may just be wrong.


Maybe they are actually Really good at keeping us wondering, keeping the hype and curiosity with a thousand rumors but no final details. It sure has me coming back wondering what the next model will be

 

I would have thought that Maserati would have had, at least, some info in regards to this at the past week's NY Auto Show. To my mind this is bigger news than the puffery they released on their site in regards to the limited black-out package for the Ghibli.

That being said... who knows? If true it's the most comprehensive update to the model in years and will likely add at least a few more sales to this incarnation until they decide whether they'll be a re-design in the near future.

Seems as though FCA has their hands full at the present time and simply can't commit the necessary resources to a GT replacement.

 

I just spoke to my local dealer and general manager and they said they don't know anything about an updated GT being released for sale for 2018. They and I agree that, for the time being, the GT is being discontinued after 2017.

They also said that there's a lot of rumors and speculations floating around but not to put too much weight in that until Maserati officially makes an announcement.

 

I have been told personally by a top executive at Maserati, someone I personally know and trust, that it has indeed been decided to upgrade the Granturismo and to keep it in production. The main reason was that the investment capital required to develop the Alfieri is not available yet, but as Maserati could not be seen as falling out of the GT market which must remain a fundamental part of its heritage, they decided to upgrade the Granturismo with a smaller investment and to keep it going.

I didn't hear about any limited production numbers, actually anything like that would be very counterproductive as they would never recover their investment by building only 400 cars, since they have to remain aggressively priced.

The two disappointments from my side are the failure to implement the excellent new generation ZF 8-speed gearbox and the equally wonderful 3.9 twin-turbo V8 of the Quattroporte GTS. A 600HP Granturismo would have been a dream come true for so many enthusiasts (and would have taken a lot of sales away from cars such as the BMW M6 or the various AMG Mercs), but apparently fitting the new V8 would have required an enormous structural redesign work for which there simply wasn't enough budget. So, the Granturismo will live on, with the venerable 4.7 normally aspirated V8 (perhaps with a minor power increase) and the outdated 6-speed gearbox.

 

psb1013..once again glad to email you the document the dealers got this week.
Rjscharer

 

..........and that proves what? Nothing's been officially announced yet and there is no actual car or prototype.

Until I see an actual 2018 GT revealed and being sold in a showroom, it's still all speculation.

 

Well, let's say that an updated GT does come out next year or in 2019. Will it be worth it? Heck no! Who's going to pay $160K+ for a car with the same engine, the same transmission, the same interior but with new Chrysler bits and pieces? So, Maserati is going to charge more for essentially the same car with tech which should've been included more than 4 years ago....lol. If they're going to update the GT, they should've done it right (or not at all) instead of a half-ass attempt to milk more sales. First the "Special Edition" GT, then the "Nerissimo" Ghibli, and now this......Maserati is falling fast.

.....new headlight finishers!.......oooohhhh

.....a rear-view camera!........oooooohhhh

......dashboard with new clock........ooooohhh.....ahhhh! :thumbsdown:

 

This document came from the US dealer who sold me a 2017 Granturismo Sport Coupe 2 weeks ago. Since I anguished over buying a car that could be in its final stages of production,he was reassuring me the changes were minimal and that it's life goes on. It was accompanied with a cover letter to the dealer from the head of Maserati NA. I did not think I was authorized to release that letter. I would not have wasted my time posting a false document. Trying to mislead my fellow enthusiasts is not an entertainment outlet for me. This is a genuine piece of internal correspondence. With leftover 2016 and 2017 models it would make sense to keep this information under the covers for as long as possible.

 

Well why the secrecy? Especially since the update is so "minor." It's not like the GT is selling so well that an update will cause an uproar or something. Maserati had no hesitation releasing the Nerrisimo to the masses as soon as it was ready. The only negative I see is that an updated model will accelerate the already pathetic depreciation levels. The 2017 GT's will feel it worse I imagine. The excuse of not upgrading the engine, the transmission, or the chassis is just that--an excuse. They have the necessary parts and engineering, but they just won't do it because they feel the GT at this point is a lost cause. They can't compete with BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, and Jaguar which offer better performance, better reliability, better engineering, better efficiency, and better value. This is also why the Alfieri is dead. But they won't kill off the GT completely because then they won't have a sports model to honor what's left of their dying heritage. So, they slap some new parts from their Chrysler bin to make the GT look less old.

What's keeping the brand alive is the Levante, plain and simple. You go to any Maserati dealer nowdays and you see their lots filled up with Levantes. It's what Maserati is pouring all their time, effort and money into. The GT is the neglected child that Maserati wants to get rid of but can't.

For a company that was founded by building racing cars, the Alfieri brothers would be turning over in their graves if they could see what's happened to their company.

 

I am fairly new here but have participated in other high-end auto forums. I have never seen such vitriol directed at a car manufacturer where the writer owns, likes and intends to keep the car. This is just so odd to me.

 

Just because you like the car doesn't mean you have to like the brand. I've owned dozens of cars from many different brands in my lifetime and been critical of any brand which I felt deserved it. For example, I was very critical of BMW during the early-mid 2000's when they hired Chris Bangle to design their cars. I thought it was the worst decision the company had ever made. And I thought for sure it would ruin the company. Thankfully it didn't. And I still bought BMW's.

For me, the GT is the last true Maserati. Anything that came afterwards is an abomination. The reason why Maserati has been floundering is because they did not stay true to its heritage. People still line up to pay a quarter of a million dollars or more for a new Ferrari or Lambo. (And used ones still keep going up or at least retain their value). Why? Because those companies don't compromise. They stayed true to their heritage.

 

With due respect,I have had a new Lamborghini,Ferrari,Z8,several Porsche turbos and others. Relative to the Granturismo,these are higher priced cars with a smaller production run. This is why they keep their value. I agree with you that Maserati could have been more aggressive in improving the GT content over time. I think we also have to keep in mind that the Granturismo is a 4 place GT and can't be
compared to an out and out performance car. The market is smaller for this type of vehice. Aston is not doing so well for this same reason. They are buying engines from Benz now.

 

Thanks for the info. The posted document, along with the link someone posted a while back showing a new infotainment system on a test mule, appears to confirm that the GT will indeed live on for the foreseeable future.

Though the current platform and engine remains the same I'm curious to see a review from a current owner once he/she moves up to a MY2018 to see if there's a significant improvement in driver experience.

One note: the document references only 850 coupes and 625 verts for the model year.

 

interesting discussion. Again it amazes me that in mid 2017 there is so much conflicting info about a 2018 model and that situation also was the same in 2017 and speculation of a 2 years gap in GT production.

Clearly the company Gt plan is ailing as pointed out here.
The company could have had some real hitter, like that Bora concept from a couple years ago which apparently was hushed and buried for whatever reason. that concept was gorgeous for a GT.
Finally I agree that keeping the Gt on life support just to stay in the GT market seems ill conceived.It is like not saying no to stay polite (read this staying in the GT market for the sake of staying in the GT market)
IMO at least they should have used the 8 speed. Aston has had success doing this on the new VQ. Also without going 600hp, may be to 500 hp would also have been appropriate. 500hp, new A/V and 8 speeds would have differentiated 2018 to the earlier car.

 

Who doesn't want to bet they will graft on a Levante style grill on the 18's? It will be like putting buck teeth on Mona Lisa's smile...;

 

Here you go.......The 2018 Maserati GT finally revealed: Enjoy

 

I want one damnit!!!!!!

 

I ordered 2 - MY18 GT's for inventory a few days ago and I look forward to it arriving whenever it does. That said, there's no secret here. Maserati still has MY17 cars in dealers lot that they want to push before announcing the MY18 in June. I believe Maserati is headed in the right direction but they need to go through the bumps and bruises before seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Working for a dealer that sells the most GT's than any other dealer by far, I can say customers biggest complaints is that of the technology or the lack thereof. I would have preferred no face-lift and just the tech upgrade but I'm sure this will suffice until we inevitably get the all new GT in 2019/2020.

 

I think tech update is actually a never ending tail chase. It changes so fast that by the time the car is released the tech is obsolete. I would prefer getting the soul of Maserati back in order and not worry much about the iphone compatibility. Actually a good set of speakers with decent amp and bluetooth connectivity would do. Let the cell phone makers worry about the gadgetry...Give the beast the power, agility, roar and looks.
There is a saying in the race car circles "you can make a great race car or a shitty running street car" This saying applies here perfectly...>:wink2:

 

Anything that Chrysler touches is doomed to failure. Look at what happened with Daimler. Maserati is slowly becoming another "Buick".......building big, plush, boring cars for the retirement community. When I took my GT in to my dealer for warranty repairs a couple weeks ago, all the customers in the waiting room were over 70 years old. Maserari has lost touch with who they were and what they should be. The company was built by people who produced racing cars....same as Ferrari. Throughout its long and storied history, the company has produced some of the most beautiful and thrilling cars in automotive history. They were coveted by enthusiasts and valued dearly. Now look at them today. These cars sit on dealers lots with prices slashed almost 30% off MSRP in some cases and they still don't sell. It's truly sad.....The Alfieri brothers are turning over in their graves.

And speaking of Ferrari, I'm so glad they finally divorced themselves from FCA. At least one Italian company knows about sticking true to their heritage.

 

Agree that chasing tech is a never ending endeavor. This week GM annouced it wold no longer put GPS in the new Volt. This because so many use thier cells for this task.

 

Putting computer tech of that kind into a consumer durable has always been utterly mad in my view. It's *always* going to be out of date by the time it gets 5 years down the line. Who year has a 5 year old phone, laptop or PC

(OK I do actually have a 5 year old laptop, but it's Mrs Catman's Macbook Air and still runs the latest greatest software perfectly fast)

C

 

The cost of re-tooling is why they held so long. They will re-invest in the brand but it would not survive as a two car brand standing alone, thus the other models came first.

I have met Bigland at a few FCA conferences and he is excited about the future and believes in the brands heritage in both sport and luxury. They production number s are still low overall and just from manufacturers overview very small with huge technology investment on the plants. Maserati value as a brand has grown and today could be sold as a valuable company, 10 years ago it was not. They cannot afford to spin out new platforms every two years though at the size they are now. FCA has invested in them and AR. I think the re sale will be stronger in the future if the brand looks like it is stable. The past history is what I think hurt it. I agree though face lifts only work for so long.

Ferrari still has FCA involved in the car side of the business. Same stockholders so to speak and board. Common supply base, etc.

 

Good post.

I don't really agree with the 2-3 posters in here being so hard on the brand. Yes, some mods are needed but it's just a 2018 model... the brand is still extremely strong and exciting. The GT is still in a class of it's own and an amazing car. I don't buy the doom and gloom of a few posters in here. I'm excited for what's to come and understand they needed to increase sales to keep the brand alive.

In fact, the only thing that frustrates me about Maserati is Ghibli. I don't think they ever should have released that car but I know they needed money. It's not a true Maserati to me. The GT, especially with it's technology quirks, is as true GT as it seems.

It's not fun if it's like everything else. It's the beauty and sound that makes this brand and make what it is, and it still has both of those with a pretty fast engine to go with it.


I can still think of many reasons that I'd prefer a GranTurismo over a Ferrari. Is it as fast as a Ferrari or Lamborghini? No, but then again it's half the cost. On top of that, Ferrari and Lamborghinis are too fast to enjoy on every day roads, you have to really nail it to hear the exhaust notes. GT doesn't need that. It's perfect unless you're a track guy. Looks wise, it's up there with the best and still exotic. It needs an updated transmission, a bit more speed and updated infotainment system but it's primary features that make it so amazing are still here. What's the problem? (outside of Ghibli)

 

For the life of me I can't understand why Maserati is trying to be like Aston, Bentley or Porsche(and MB and BMW). Aren't there any Italians on the board?
Maserati will never be like those companies because its roots are different, its customer base is different and that's not easy to change. It took Bentley a 70 year association with RR to change their perception. Still "Bentley Boys" have a lot of say. Why are they trying to please the wealthy so hard? Wealthy are very hard to please, and won't settle for any perceived inferiority (be it tech or otherwise) because they are used to it, they are entitled to it since they pay for it. Hence the depreciation. "keep doing what you doing and you keep receiving what you receiving" another cliche that fits perfectly here....
Maserati needs to look to the past to see the future more clearly....

 

I don't think they were given an option. Probably going back to when Citron took over, Maserati was already limited to producing GT cars. They did not compete with Ferrari in the exotic sports car market when in reality that IS the foundation of the marque. I'm sure all the Maserati brothers (except for the painter guy) would be rolling over in their graves right now to see what modern day Maseratis have become. Those guys were just like Enzo. Produced a few road cars to fund passion for racing.

As long as Ferrari is in the FCA family , this Italian stallion will never play in the same field. We are regulated to GT's and now SUVs. But that begs the question what Alfa is? Alfa competes with BMW and Mercedes apparently. Then our brand goes for Aston, Porsche and Bentley? It's weird having Porsche in there as they make much sportier cars then Aston and Bentley. Bentley is also a bit too luxurious leaning to be a direct competitor. So that really only leaves Aston Martin. Alfa targets the more mainstream brands and we are left with a half assed sports brand that depreciates just as bad. The only thing we have going for us is that we are sold in the same stores as Ferraris. If it wasn't for that I'm sure our street cred would have dwindled long time ago.

 

I didn't mean literally but jut wanted to say that Maserati tries too hard and desperately to be all these things it is not. Just like facebook ;-)
BTW I love my spyder- absolute thrill to drive. It got better when I swapped the seats for harder racing ones- Now it feels almost right. It just needs the screen and the NIT unit and the cd changer removed, nice set of speakers and BT amp installed and voila!! I'm thinking about nice classy way to do that...