2008 Maserati Quattroporte on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Only best-performing US Fiat dealers to get Alfa Romeo franchises

Alfa Romeo has been rumored to return to the US market so many times for so many years, it's hard to keep count. This time, though, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne promises that it's for real. Alfa is scheduled to reappear in the States this summer with its 4C sports coupe as its introductory model. However, buyers won't be able to pop into just any Fiat showroom and leave with a 4C – it's planning to only sell Alfas at its best-performing dealers, according to The Detroit News. In fact, the first 4Cs sold here won't be sold at Fiat dealers at all. Instead the first shipment of cars in June will go to Maserati dealers, not unlike the handful of Alfa 8C Competizione coupe and convertible models that trickled in starting in 2008. According to Fiat Chrysler spokesperson Rick Deneau, the company is still deciding which Fiat retailers will participate in Alfa's reentry. Many of Fiat's US dealers are apparently not happy with the meritocracy approach. They built Fiat showrooms partially on the promise that Alfa would enter the US market in 2012, then 2013, and now later this year. Even worse for them, the prospects for more mainstream Alfa Romeo models in the US are still questionable. This isn't the first time that we've heard that Fiat plans to keep Alfa Romeo exclusive in the US. Still, Fiat only plans to export about a 1,000 4C sports coupes a year here. If Alfa wants to be a legitimate player in America and be a money-making concern globally, it will need far more sales than that. Featured Gallery 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C: First Drive View 57 Photos News Source: The Detroit NewsImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Matt Davis / AOL Earnings/Financials Marketing/Advertising Alfa Romeo Fiat Maserati Coupe Performance Sergio Marchionne alfa romeo 4c fiat dealers

2021 and 2022 Maserati models recalled over fuel leak risk

Maserati is recalling a handful of 2021 and 2022 models to fix a problem that can cause a fuel leak. While the number of cars included in the campaign is relatively small, it covers every member of the company's lineup ranging from the entry-level Ghibli to the MC20 supercar. Documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explain that about 409 cars sold in the United States are fitted with a fuel line sensor housing that can crack and leak. It adds that this problem can reduce the engine's performance by not delivering enough fuel to the cylinders; alternatively, the leak can cause a fire, though the notice says that's only in "rare circumstances." There are 274 units of the 2021 and 2022 Levante, 88 examples of the 2021 Ghibli, 43 2021 Quattroporte sedans, and four 2022 MC20s affected. Maserati estimates that the Levante models included in the campaign were built between September 18, 2020, and October 4, 2021. For the Ghibli, the date range provided by the Italian firm is November 3, 2020, to June 7, 2021. Quattroporte models were built from October 28, 2020, to June 7, 2021, while the four MC20s were manufactured between July 12 and September 29, 2021. Maserati notes that it acted quickly: it found out about the problem on October 8, it opened an internal investigation into the part's supplier the following day, and it issued the voluntary recall on November 4, 2021. As of writing, there have been no accidents, injuries, or fatalities linked to the problem.  Maserati will replace the fuel line sensor housing in all affected cars free of charge. It will begin notifying owners on December 27, 2021. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Maserati Ghibli & Levante F Tributo View 14 Photos Recalls Maserati

Maserati marks centenary with 50,000th unit at Grugliasco

Maserati is celebrating its centenary this year, but if that wasn't enough of a milestone, the Trident marque has reached another, completing its 50,000th unit at its plant in Grugliasco. Whether 50,000 seems like a lot or a little depends largely on your perspective. Toyota, for example, sold over three times that many cars in the United States alone just this past month. But for Maserati and the Grugliasco plant, it's an awful lot. The plant was acquired not long ago from the failed Bertone coachbuilding operation to bolster the principal site in Modena. It just kicked off production barely two years ago in January 2013 and handles assembly of the Quattroporte and Ghibli – Maserati's top sellers, but hardly what you'd call "volume models" by any means. The landmark 50,000th vehicle was a Quattroporte S Q4 in dark grey with a red and black interior, bound for the US market that's reaching new sales records for the ambitious Mondenese automaker.