One needs to understand that Sergio M. is a bean counter, not a car enthusiast. To him a car is a car is a car is a car. Profitability is what matters to him not aesthetics, or performance or tradition. And yes, I think he believes luxury car buyers are idiots.

 

All your concerns are well stated and shared by many on this Forum. As an owner, there is so little info that you can actually rely on at this stage, but I share your concern. I think we will have to wait and see how Maserati integrates systems from other car makers in its new products. I have to think they know that this strategy, while used by other car makers, is frought with challenges and can sink the brand.

The reality that we're in today is that the high-end luxury car market has changed dramatically since 2007. This is not necessarily so at the very top end of the market. The super wealthy are doing fine and they will continue to purchase the limited number of Rolls, Ferraris and Astons worldwide. However, as you drop down to the high income households that Maserati depends on, those numbers have contracted significantly and Maserati and others are adjusting to this new market reality. One way to adjust is by expanding your product offerings and making them accessible to people at lower incomes.

While I'm not wild about the strategy, if it's executed properly it could be successful. I think the comparable model they're trying to copy is Porsche. While I could be wrong, this doesn't appear to be a strategy designed to elevate Maserati's luxury car status, but rather to sell more cars.

 

While I'm not wild about the strategy, if it's executed properly it could be successful.

I agree, though I'll remain skeptical until I can judge for myself on the showroom floor and on a test drive.

 

And how many of you blasted me when I complained about a Maserati SUV built in Detroit and did I not say we were witnessing the ruination of one of the greatest marques in automobile history and I still say I am right! Can't wait for the hybrid, followed by an all electric GT-should be fun! 0-60 in 3.8 I hear (minutes that is)

 

Unfortunately, muich of the Kubang discussion focused on individual owner's sense of self-worth based on Maserati's perceived status. I think the discussion here is more about the future quality of the vehicles Maserati is producing. At this stage it's too early to say what the impact will be.

 

I dread that in a few years the true enthusiasts among us will find themselves populating the Porsche and Lamborghini forums...

 

Not me, I will be found on the LEMON Prius forum!

 

There is a lot of nonsense written about platforms. How the car turns out is much more important. Remember that the Bentley Continental is a VW Phatom , or whatever it is called. The Porsche Cayenne is a VW Toureg etc etc.

 

Neither Bentley nor Porsche has the same heritage as Maserati, IMHO....

 

Agree on Porsche but Bentley has heritage to dwarf Maserati.

 

the bentley is built on a vw chassis, but this chassis was designed for the phaeton, which in its own right is a luxury car of the highest level. It is not like they built the bentley on a jetta or passat chasis. If the reports are true that is what Mas will do with the Qp build it on an old chassis from a car of much lesser quality. Whereas the quality of the phaeton was on par or close to the bentley. Mas might become what lincoln is to ford. Tarted up and overpriced badge engineered crap.Especially if they use the same engines from current Chrysler products. Man am i glad i got a true italian cruiser with a ferrari sourced engine and f1 tranny, looks i will be keeping her for a while.

 

Someone please define heritage?

 

And after doing so, please illustrate specifically how it is pertinent.

 

You got it all wrong about Porsche-VW-Bentley.

Within VW Group, the MONEY comes from VW but the ENGINEERING comes from dedicated product teams that specifically develop high end platforms, engines and gearboxes.

The risk with Maserati is that it will simply inherit cheap old platforms scavenged from the Chrysler parts bin. Now, this is very different from having an engineering team designing new products to be shared by several high end brands.

What is going to happen to Maserati is more like Bentley adopting a stretched VW Passat platform and a bored-out Audi V6 engine. Now, THAT would have Bentley buyers heading for the door! But the truth is, as long as the VW-Bentley (and now throw Porsche in as well) platforms are specifically built for high end vehicles and therefore are perfectly suited to the expectations of the high end market, everything is ok.

Which is why Maserati thrived while it shared technology with Ferrari. Maserati will die if it is forced to use stale old Chrysler technology. Again, it is BOTTOM-UP synergies that can kill a premium brand. TOP-DOWN or even TOP-TOP synergies like those used by VW group are fine.

 

Well said-you have it 100% correct!

 

how about this... if maserati produces an inferior product i won't buy one... there i think i solved the "problem".

 

gtlex - yes, it really is that simple

 

It's only a rumor in a magazine, not shared by other media and not confirmed by Maserati.

I am expressing serious doubts about it. Fiat has come a long way: they build much better cars now and they were smart enough to allow great products and developments for Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati.

I doubt that they are going to go backward and use a chassis that is 15 years-old for a Maserati QP. It does not make sense, they already have a great chassis and they can borrow from the newest models from other Italian brands.

Now, let's just see a new gorgeous QP in the next years: a mix of the current QP and GranTurismo would be wonderful (why change something that has been proven a timeless success; Porsche, BMW and Mercedes all take their clues from past successful models), and of course more horsepower and higher performances.

 

Now, let's just see a new gorgeous QP in the next years: a mix of the current QP and GranTurismo would be wonderful (why change something that has been proven a timeless success; Porsche, BMW and Mercedes all take their clues from past successful models), and of course more horsepower and higher performances.

Based on their new profit goals, neither the current nor past technologies could be considered successful by Maserati.

 

well lets hope all this new money will also have an upward spread on the maserati brand. I would love to see a gransport replacement, something sportier than the gt.That would give us a halo car to derive future advancements from ala SLS for merc. Now if they can keep the high end vehicles high end ,and add a high end sports car, the two lower end cars will be easier to swallow.

 

The Continental's platform is VW. Please look it up before posting misinformation.

 

That is irrelevant! The point is that the supposedly "VW" platform was designed for the Phaeton, a very high end car itself. Therefore it is a platform perfectly suited to a high end Bentley, from a technology point of view.

And for those saying that Lamborghinis are full of Audi switches - and so what? These are high quality parts shared between premium brands. Lamborghini even "donates" its trademark V10 engine to the Audi R8, and the R8 platform IS the '04 Gallardo platform!!

But as I repeated, all this is IRRELEVANT. As long as it is premium brands sharing high end technology, all is good. These are Top-down and Top-top synergies.

What I object to, is the risk for Maserati to be sucked by the Fiat bean counters into the idea that you can build high end cars by gluing together a mixed bag of bits from inferior brands, and polishing them with a fancy brand name. This strategy has never worked, and will never work. This is the same strategy that killed Alfa and Lancia (yes, killed: Alfa has completely exited the Audi/BMW segments and has only a couple of small Fiat clone models in its line-up; Lancia was destroyed in the mid '90s when its cars became more and more like cheap nasty rebadged Fiats, and the brand lost whatever equity it still had).

Believe me, this is potentially very serious for Maserati. Fiat has already destroyed so many premium brands, and without the protection of Ferrari I fear Maserati could be next.

 

I'm not sure that's a fair statement. Maserati, until now, has been based on a limited product line and production model. Historically, I don't believe they've had the horse power or inclination to make and sell tens of thousands of cars. However, I believe they are coming to a new market realization (through their Fiat affiliation) that this approach will no longer work. Let me check that, either it won't work or they simply think there is a greater potential to sell more cars. In either case, the current product is simply too limited to achieved the desired sales targets. I don't think it has that much to do with the viability of the current models.

 

I'm not sure that's a fair statement.

Fair enough. I'll swap a word for a few that are a bit more precise:

Based on their new profit goals, neither the current nor past business models could be considered successful by Maserati.

 

Oh please......... VAG cars share so much technology and parts and nobody screams and moans about. Audi, Bentley, Volks(Seat, Skoda) and for heavens sake even Lamborghini share parts, and people still buy into the whole idea of super German engineering.

Ever sit in or drive a Gallardo?........Audi switches everywhere and the engine is shared on the more competent and agressive R8, not to mention the RS6. Does that make sense to you?........Yet nobody is bashing Lambo as they seem to be considered far more reliable and are now German engineered, thus automatically better.

Last time I checked, VAG products were well below the industry average when it comes to reliability and quality. Nice plastics don't equate to a well engineered automobile with quality secondary parts.

People should wake up and stop believing the marketing hype.

 

Doesn't Fiat own Ferrari as well? Nobody on the F-car forums are worried about them ruining the Ferrari image, even with a 4 wheel drive hatchback as the latest!
Platform sharing does NOT mean putting one car body on another's platform, only components of the platform are shared, most are re-sized or re-positioned, or re-tuned or even have some different parts. I think we'd all be a bit shocked to see how many parts are shared in the auto manufacturing business. Wait to see what the new QP looks and drives like before condemning it!
Now if we were to see a return to the Chrysler/Maserati of the past, yes, I'd be horrified, but I personally am holding out hope that all we be just fine with Maserati!
Oh by the way, Porsche is bringing out new products, such as a re-badged Audi Q5 and Audi's new Q3 is basically a rebadged VW, just like the R8 is a rebadged Gallardo. These new cars are all fine and NOT just a rebadge, even though there are plenty of parts shared.
Of course, all of this is only my opinion and should be taken as such, I have no facts other than my online and magazine info.

 

Wait to see what the new QP looks and drives like before condemning it!

+1 :thumbsup:

Especially that this platform is only a rumor. No one knows what the new car will include.

 

"What is a platform"?

Having worked 12 years in the auto industry before a career change, I can answer that easily:

A platform is the basic set of drawings, 3D models, 3D structural calculations for torsional and longitudinal stiffness, calculations for NVH, which include the definition of key parameters such as a min-max range of allowable wheelbases, a min-max range of allowable width, the definition of the structural points where suspension can be attached to, where engine mounts can be located, the definition of the structural cross-sections and of the materials to be used, and so on.

A platform defined as above defines all-important parameters such as weight distribution, polar center of inertia, center of mass (on the vertical as well as on the horizontal axes), stiffness and elastic response of the chassis to lateral acceleration and sudden changes of load distribution, ALL OF WHICH direct affect the fundamentals of ride quality and handling, before you have even added the suspension!

And when you DO add the suspension, you will realize that your PLATFORM (as above defined) limits what kind of suspension you can fit and where you can fit it, what kind of geometry and characteristic angles you can set, and so on. And of course - if your platform is designed to be made of thick, heavy steel, it will be heavy no matter what you do to the rest of the car, and you will not be able to convert it to lighter materials such as say, aluminium (that would require new calculations and de facto the definition of a new platform).

TO SUMMARIZE - A PLATFORM DEFINES THE BASIC FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURE THAT DEFINES A MOTOR CAR WITHIN A SET OF QUANTITATIVELY DEFINED PARAMETERS.

So, back to my original argument: if my Bentley or Porsche or Audi or VW uses a platform that has been designed specifically for a high end car, it will be a good platform, and customers will be happy with it!

Same thing if my Maserati uses Ferrari underpinnings - great, these are fantastic platforms!! But I have my serious doubts that a 16-year old recycled Chrysler/Mercedes platform or even a heavy, old fashioned Jeep Grand Cherokee platform will ever fit the expectations of a Maserati driver.

 

"What is a platform"?

I appreciate that detailed response but that wasn't my question. Not exactly. You used the word "platform," but nothing has come down from Maserati which states that the new QP will use the 300 platform. I think the term is being used generically here; certainly very loosely.

What we'd all really like to know is: what existing components will be used, and will those have a positive or negative affect on the car? Or no appreciable affect at all?

I'm relatively certain that no one here yet has this answered.

This came from a magazine -- which magazine? I'm sure we could find it. Let's get the proper syntax.

 

I think the 2005-2012 Maserati's will be ultimately be considered the best and most "true" Maserati exotics in the years to come.

I will be holding on to my 2007 for a long time...

 

On the bright side

Look at it this way...the current and previous models are true Maseratis and should sell rather well in the used car market duo-select included.

 

Mercedes turned into big piles of junk when they got involved with Chrysler. Some of the Benz models got cheapened, while Chryslers became better cars. I too am concerned about Maserati's being turned into Mopars (anyone remember the early 90's??)...I sure as hell don't want to be working on LeBarons or Grand Cheerokees!

Unfortunately, reality is that Fiat was the ideas of large scale production to be more integrated in their brands like Maserati and Ferrari. Fiat is beginning the idea that the only way any of these brands will survive into the future is by making them more accessible. For brands like Ferrari, it simply means making the cars less maintenance intensive and increasing production numbers.

No one has given up on Porsche as an enthusiast brand, even though it's made Cayennes, Boxsters and now Panamaras. They still build phenominal cars like the GT3 and GT3RS...Alfa for all it's been watered down for has the 8C currently on the roster. What we really need to hope for is that Maserati takes advantage of the Chrysler resources in a positive manner that makes owning GT's, QP's (and QC's) easier and less maintenance intensive, while producing the "special" models like the MC Stradale for those who want a serious driving car.

 

Let's not set off a mass panic guys. It's only from a magazine and its from a rumor. Not proven. Also if anything Maserati should stick with it's own technologies and derive from Ferrari. Ferrari sales have gone up significantly in the past two years. Fiat is also bringing the Abarth 500 over stateside so perhaps Maserati's future depends on how well their products do here because. If Chrysler's new platforms sell well here and elsewhere they may very well share the platform but if not they might just scrap the whole idea and make a new platform entirely. Let's stop jumping guns and wait =)

 

Let's not set off a mass panic guys... Let's stop jumping guns and wait =)

You must not be familiar with MaseratiLife if you think that's possible.

 

Will history repeat itself?

 

Will history repeat itself?

NO!! It was a long time ago and nothing recently or currently done by Maserati brings us back to this.

Our beloved brand has come a long way and is now offering out-of-this-world vehicles. This will go on, times have changed. We may not like a particular future model (SUV, "baby qp", ...) but it will certainly be a high-quality vehicle in its category and that's what matters. As long as sexy and wonderful QPs and GranTur. exist in one form or another, we will be happy too.

This platform thing is only a rumor in a magazine. I trust the executives at Fiat, Ferrari and Maserati (they are all entertwined) to keep on offering fantastic cars by taking great components from different sources (exactly like EVERY brand is doing). Let's not jump to conclusion when there is NOTHING that has been confirmed or proven about going back in time.

Optimistic Sunshine

 

Did the sketch look anything like this?

http://www.stylelimousines.co.uk/gfx/chrysler_300_02_lrg.jpg

Just kidding...

 

I eagerly and very patiently await the final product, which I will then drive vigorously, examine thoroughly, and judge appropriately. I hope that it's worthy of the Maserati name and not an atrocious anchor which drags the whole marque downward. I feel entirely unqualified to rate it at this point. In fact, I'm entirely unsure what it is, but it'll be fun to watch "it" develop.