No future Maser Coupe or Spyder?

if true, it is probably good news for the owners of the current model, from a devaluation perspective, at least.

 

Not for this owner. My plan was to trade in my 2004 this fall for the anticipated spring 2006 arrival of new model. Hoping it will still happen as it seems they were pretty close to production status on them

 

Can't quite understand this...

perhaps they are going down the Porsche route - keep the same basic car for the next thirty years or so but changing the headlights every few years

 

I sure hope the Article is incorrect.

I've been reading all the Horror stories about Low Mileage 355s with Valve & numerous exhaust manifold replacements. I like the 355s appearance over the Maser, but i feel a $130K Car should be nearly Perfect.So i'm definitely leaning to the "New" Spyder.

 

Utter crap. Not true and these dumb rumours are getting ever further from the truth. Spyder and Coupe confirmed for next year.

 

not sure who to believe. honestly if they have something at least we would see more prototypes testing pics?

scott61, may be time to look into something else? i am on the wait list for an aston martin V8 volante. for sure that one is coming and at least i have seen pictures of the coupe.

resale will continue to depreciate. Maserati NA needs to put in a Factory Extended Warranty Program asap to keep the owners.

 

Guys, I posted the article below a few weeks ago from Automotive News. Says next generations are coming but based on the Alfa platform not the other way around.

Since Fiat joined with General Motors in 2000, Alfa has had three false starts toward the United States. But there are two advantages this time:

1. Marchionne has moved Maserati's ownership from Ferrari to Fiat Group so Maserati and Alfa can share platforms and the costs of federalizing cars for U.S. standards.

2. In the breakup of the GM/Fiat Group alliance, GM agreed to provide Northstar V-8 engines to Alfa and help federalize the cars.

Alfa executives plan to recruit established U.S. dealers. They believe Maserati's U.S. network is too small and too upscale.

Maserati will base its next-generation Spyder and its Kubang crossover on Alfa's Premium platform.

"The Premium platform has to be federalized, and Alfa could now share these costs," a source says.

Marchionne hopes to send Alfa to America with four models on the platform:

1. The Brera 2+2 coupe, which debuts next week at the Geneva auto show.

2. The 159 lower-premium sedan, also debuting at Geneva.

3. A Spyder derived from the Brera, expected to debut at Geneva next year.

4. The production version of the Kamal concept SUV with Northstar.

The Kamal is expected to go on sale in Europe in mid-2007. Until it left the U.S. market in 1995, Alfa Romeo had sold cars there since 1952.

 

I don't see where Maserati fits into this at all. Sounds to me as though they are being sidelined by Alfa and this will do the brand no good whatsoever. Switching the platform for the next spider will delay introduction by several years thus dissipating any momentum gained by the Ferrari tie up. Maserati needs great new models to keep consumer interest up and develop the brand to the point that it will survive on its own. There is not doubt in my mind that there was a halo effect from the Ferrari connection and it seems unbelievably stupid to throw that away.

In the UK Alfa are sold by Fiat dealerships, god forbid that Maserati are sold there also as if they go down this route there will be no Maserati in five years time.

 

I wonder if the next generation Maser coupe and spyder are being re-engineered for the Northstar V-8's. This would save a bundle over using the Ferrari V-8.

 

> In the UK Alfa are sold by Fiat dealerships, god forbid that Maserati are sold there also as if they go down this route there will be no Maserati in five years time.

Come on guys, next someone will be suggesting Masers will fall out of Xmas crackers.

Again, for sales everything stays the same. Cars will be sold thru F dealers. Cars will have F/M motors.

 

The Gransport and 90th Anniversary Spyder will be built in '06 as the only Coupe/Spyders available until the redesigned cars are introduced in late '06 as '07s. That is the latest word...this certainly could change.

 

Spyder will be launched in Geneva March 06, Coupe in September 06.

 

is this a speculation or where is the source?

that would be a lie to those who bought these cars and thought they are limited production cars (1000 GS for the world, whatever # (?350) of anniversary spyders).

 

source? spyder before the coupe??

 

Any ideas on how the new maser spider/coupe will be priced?

 

Maserati is cutting back production to meet with demand, the GS and 90th Anniversary will be built in very limited numbers.

 

Does this mean that they are gearing up for production of the new models at some point in the near future?

 

I read a rumor that the next generation coupe is going to be reworked to be the new entry-level Ferrari (like a new Dino). Now, I don't like the idea of this, but :

Considering that Ferrari was originally going to use Maserati models to increase their sales and profits without sacrificing the exclusivity of their supercars, now that they don't own Maserati anymore, this rumor does make some sense. Especially as their small V8 model's price has been increasing (as the F430 has to match the Lamborghini Gallardo), it leaves the 'fat' segment dominated by Porsche 911s and now, Aston Martin also enters it with their V8 Vantage.

Add the other rumor that the next generation Maserati sports model is going to be available in Spider only (for huge sales in the U.S., the market Maser/Alfa are targetting).

Not to mention that if Ferrari is going the V10 route for the F430's replacement (and match the Gallardo), they would need a new V8 as their entry-level model.

Oh, the horror...

 

The Ferrari factory is already working at 100% capacity with its existing cars, where would they be manufacturing another 5000 vehicles as Maserati was making? I doubt they would build another factory but that is aalways possible. Could they team up with another manufacturer? They had Maser but spun it out.
Maserati was supposed to be the tamer and more luxurious GT sports car, too bad they are no longer part of Ferrari directly.

 

> source? spyder before the coupe??]

This is what I was told and is the same as the current car's rollout... the 4200-based Spyder was available way before the 4200 Coupe.

 

fwiw..
automobile magazine page 18 states that "the italians have just thrown out $90 million out the window by killing the next gerneation Maserati coupe and convertible. Instead, Maserati will get all wheel drive versions of the Alfa Romeo Brera and the Shamal Crossover. Whatwill this move do to the Maserati Image? You don't really want to know.

But it could at least clear the road for a profitable and desirable front engined Ferrari in the $135,000 bracket."

Can't say if its true that the coupe and convertible thats been rumored to date is truly history...but according to this automobile magazine article..

its not looking good..

 

I still think this is good for current owners. No new model to make ours looks dated and everyone will want the Maserati with the Ferrari running gear.

I did my own updating....I just got the trident put on my C pillars and had the V8 badges glued on by the marker light, $33 and $11 each. Just a little extra jewelry that appears on the 05s, anyway...

 

We have been told by Maserati that we will not see the new models or automatic transmission till 2007. The new Maser Spyder will be a retractable hard top.

 

What has been your customers reaction to no auto in the QP? My wife passed because of that.

Why is it taking them so long???