20" Neptune Wheels, Front & Rear Parking Sensors, Granturismo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Leak confirms Maserati product plans, five new models

It isn't a secret that Maserati is planning a product expansion in an attempt sell 50,000 units annually by 2015, but the automaker hasn't officially announced just how it plans to do so. Yes, we've seen (and driven) the 2014 Quattroporte, checked out spy shots for the smaller Ghibli sedan and Maserati even confirmed the Levante name for its SUV, but a leaked document reported by CarScoop could shed some light on how the Italian automaker intends on carrying out its rapid growth.
According to the image, the new Ghibli and Levante models will considerably lower the entry price point for the Maserati brand with the sedan having a price range from around $72,000 up to just over the $100,000 mark, with the SUV starting at close to $80,000 and topping out at almost $200,000. It also looks like the GranTurismo and GranCabrio will be getting redesigned in the near future at which point the new Gran Sport model will be added to the mix - otherwise known as the which often-rumored sports car with which Maserati will do battle with the Porsche 911.

Maserati orders triple on strength of Quattroporte demand in China

Considering Maserati sold all of 6,300 cars globally in 2012, its goal of selling 50,000 by 2015 seemed like a bit of a stretch to say the least, but it turns the Fiat-owned automaker was on to something. Reuters is reporting that Maserati has already received about 17,000 orders for cars this year, with help from the new 2014 Quattroporte and strong demand in China.
The US continues to be the top market for Maserati sales, but the report quotes Harald Wester, brand chief executive, as saying that China is now the top market for Quattroporte. As big of an improvement as this is it bears mentioning that the Ghibli isn't even on sale yet and the Levante SUV, a redesigned GranTurismo and a new 911-fighting coupe are still waiting in the pipeline.

Electric Maserati GranTurismo Folgore will have over 1,200 horsepower

Maserati is in the midst of a renaissance. It released the MC20 in 2020, it's preparing to unveil the Grecale, and it confirmed that its first electric model will be an evolution of the next-generation GranTurismo with over 1,200 horsepower from three individual motors. Speaking during a press conference, company boss Davide Grosso shared official details about the second-generation coupe due out in 2023. The electric model called Folgore in Maserati-speak will offer "way over 1,200 horsepower" from three electric motors linked to what the carmaker calls a "bone" battery pack. We're guessing that means the unit will feature internal structure similar to bone, or be centrally mounted along the transmission tunnel, and not that it will be made with actual bones. Regardless, an 800-volt charging system and Formula E-sourced technology will be on board as well. Maserati also published additional images of the second-generation GranTurismo. It's still covered in camouflage, but we can tell that the front end borrows a handful of styling cues from the MC20 while the overall proportions haven't significantly changed. It's still a big coupe with sporty lines characterized by a long hood and a short decklid. The GranCabrio convertible is scheduled to make a comeback as well. The electric Folgore model will be positioned at the top of the line-up, but it won't be the only version available at launch. Maserati revealed that at least one V6-powered variant will be offered as well, a comment which hints (but doesn't confirm) that there will be no V8. "The market for a gasoline-powered version is still there. It's absolutely still there. What we want to do with Folgore is to give customers a choice: V6, or electric? In five or 10 years we likely wouldn't have developed it, but customers still enjoy these cars today," said Francesco Tonon, the firm's global head of product planning, during a conference call. He stopped short of providing details about the V6, though it's not terribly far-fetched to assume that it will be at least related to the excellent twin-turbocharged Nettuno unit that powers the MC20. Numerous other electric cars will join the Maserati line-up in the coming years, and the firm's full range will run on batteries by 2030. EV variants of the Grecale and the next-generation GranCabrio are scheduled to make their debut in 2023, and they'll be joined by an electric version of the MC20 in 2025.