1st fantastic car, glad Maserati built it. Here’s the dilemma, while it’s a limited production track only car, who’s going to service and handle the logistical end of it? Considering that probably 85-90% of the Maserati dealers in the US are part of the CDJR network with Zero experience in this area. The logical outlet are Ferrari dealers that have the customers and the support infrastructure to service such a car. Unfortunately most of the old Ferrari/Maserati duals have given up their Maserati franchise.
These will be bought by Europeans, I don't see anyone in the US for them. FYI it was introduced some months ago.
High end track driving is still growing and although not competitive, the competitiveness is intense. Ferrari and Corvette guys got pissed when RS's started showing up on slicks and then Radicals started showing up. I think there is some market for the Ferrari and Maserati track only cars. Probably not out driven except when an instructor gets in, but they will win the paddock.
I would be happy if some sell in the US but doubt it...but yes egos can be huge purchase motivators in such cases.
It's already happened here in the 2010's with both Ferrari and Maserati having extreme models, but it was pretty extreme and at the events I participated in we weren't out on the track at the same time
No one said there is a problem. FYI this version is not for racing but a pure track day car, it cannot be homologated for road use either, just a sharp track day weapon as was the case for the MC12 Corsa version the Ferrari FXX etc. There is also a GT racing version, the MC20 GT2, presented a few months ago which has already competed, competitively, in a few races.
which goes back to my original post, the majority of Maserati dealers in NA are clueless when it comes to track events and don’t have the customer base for such a car. Any sales in NA will come through the few remaining Ferrari duals.
Id like to see something like this as a street car you can drive to the track like a Gt3rs, its styled for purpose which is ok. . Instead of just the cool looking limo like heavy MC20. Or at least could we get a really lighter mc20. teh track day market continues to grow. Thsui car is at the high end, will be great as this thinking migrates down the food chain. We have the Honda CTR currently in the affordable range. Maybe with the flattening of the BEv dream well see more truly track capable street cars being productid. i know this a masser is not a street car, but its based off one, and aimed at the track day market, so maybe manufactures are waking up a little.
Funny thing, in my town there is a alfa maser dealer. They also happen to service the local Ferraris, as those cars dealer is and hour away. But that may be an anomaly. Im not in the poche track word so cant comment on that marques dealer abilities. But from Ferrari experience Id say most Ferrari dealers are not really up to managing track cars. Track cars are usually best managed by experienced track shops not dealers, although some dealers of some marquees seem to have the requisite track experience, to your point prob none at masser..
Like they woke up with the MX12 corsa and FXX all those years ago. They sold bucket loads of those ... Ferrari at least has the resources to do stuff like this. Maserati still has to borrow resources. They need to make money so it will be more SUVs and Xovers I'm afraid. They're not going to Re-engineer the MC20 so soon after it's debut. From what I read and hear it's the price of the car and potentially poor resale that plagues it. Their Ferrari V8 (borrowed cachet) Levante suffers from the same issues. The actual reviews for the MC20 are smashing, aside from yours. Maybe if you keep crapping on it you'll get one at sub $100K by year's end. It's worth a try, give it a go.
The Levante looks like crap which is imo its main issue anbd why they gace them away at low lease prces. The grecale looks really nice until you get to the television screen interior and it costs more than a macan, is basically a Stelvio that does not drive as nice. Thye drawback to the MC20 is weight and maser clearly lied about tis weight because whoever has weighted one came out a few hundred lbs more than advertised. z06 Vette gets away with slightly less weight because it has a cracker of a motor and is 100k less plus its vette that exceeds expectations whereas the NMc20 dosent quite met expectations. Yeah the mc 20 puts out the hp, but another ok sounding turbo motor meh. So we have a stunning looking cf tubbed car, that they allegedly built really heavy because there is an electric version coming and it has to carry 1000lbs more in batteries? Impressive would be a cf tubbed car that weighted what a metal car weighted, like 5-700lbs less. That's the thing with this car, besides styling whats standout, its an exotic looking Gt. the Italian corvette. If youre going to build an italain corvette, maybe it should cost 160 not 260. Yeah youre right, with depreciation these will maybe be a great buy, if theyre somewhat reliable 5-10 years on, which so far a modern maser has not really been according to my alfa maser dealer. I do think the prior gen qp with the ferrari v8 and at is great looking n and performing sedan, but apparently pretty hard to keep going, those would otherwise be an awesome buy at 35-45k. In any event imo all the bits in the mc20 are there, beautiful shape, cf tub, but then as alfa did with he 4c they sort of dropped the ball. really nice car, not a superlative one, and the build if you look close isn't no better than a vette. If its not selling well, then maybe they got some thing wrong and its not just em thinkign so, perhaps then they should develop it further. Personably love the car for what it is, and awesome looking street car. . Yeah theyre depreciating already, under 1000 miles on bat cant crack 200k on a 300k sticker. Ironic that a used 1 yo 911 turbo sells for more than sticker. If youre going to take on ferrari or porche, in cars or suvs you got to be standout, better and well priced. Harrys garage on YouTube has a great review. i think theyre way better built and looking than Maclaren, and will prob depreciate the same way. Mc20 shoud have cost 160 out the gate, they got greedy.
Did you ever drive one? I found them quite nice to drive. Saying it looks like crap belies your unreasonable bias Sean. The Stelvio is to small for my needs whereas the Grecale is larger and while I agree with you on pricing the Grecale Trofeo seems to have found fans on the Smoking Tire podcast as did the Levante Trofeo. They compare the cars directly with the competition extensively. They thought both drove very well. Early Porsche Cayene https://www.motortrend.com/vehicle-genres/porsche-cayenne-history-generations-specifications-photos/?galleryimageid=72dada7b-5860-402e-b5d0-bbed062359e0 Giugaro's proposal for the Maserati Kubang https://www.carpixel.net/wallpapers/12372/2003-maserati-kubang-gt-wagon-concept.html Interesting no? Neither are great looking cars. Fortunately Maserati was in no position to build a vehicle like that at the time. So which high end SUV do you think looks good? I would posit none but the ugliest tend to be the Asian ones IMHO.
An awful lot of magazines and reviewers adore the MC20, which is not at all typical of brand new Masers out of the gate so it’s tough to say where it will sit in 5-10years. Everything is turbo v6 now with hardly exciting sounds, and all are please-arrest-me level of fast yet incredibly boring to drive so I have to wonder where all current market sports cars, regardless of manufacturer, will sit in 5-10 years. That said, my local dealer(s) have stated they have zero issues moving MC20s
the issue with the Levante was never about its styling, which many like with its aggressive face. The biggest issue is its size in that it’s too small. Maserati should not have targeted Porsche but instead went after Range Rover with the Levante. As far as the Gracale vs the Mecan goes, yea the Grecale is more expensive but it’s larger all around and is significantly more powerful than Mecan across all engines offered. While the Gracale is built in the same plant as the Stelvio and rides on the same basic Giorgio platform, it is a modular platform that is dimensionally different, which btw is the same platform used on the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
the Kubang had something to it, but as we know styling concepts hardly ever translate to production. In production we get some elements but not the form. As to good looking SUVs. IMo there are two, the Aston and the grecale. The stelvio imo drives great, I've heard the gracale less so, and then there is the interior. Not hard for an overpowered suv for a big price to find fans but imo those vehicles are kinda pointless and you usually give up ride to contain the power, range rover is a serial offender here as is porche, btw every cayenne ive driven drove like crap. Masser could really have something if it knew what it wanted to be. the recently departed Granbrturismo seemed to hit the spot well, covered the bases as a great Gt, comfy lux interior a useable back seat and a great motor, there is a reason it was around so long. Levante looks like it was styled by Chrysler, what's aspirational in its shape. And yeah grecale shows you can do a nice suv, but the prius dash ruins it. Once again they get it part right and then go out to sea instead of being stylish. So on to the mC20. Were in an era where many build a way too heavy car and then just fake it with excess hp and big tires, mercdes amg two seaters being the most obvious example, but even mustangs. Nothing clever in that, and go to the track and these heavy cars eat themselves up. If youre not taking it to the track, yeah its fine as a Gt in a world of Gts from porche mercdes ferrai vette etc, so the mc20 stands out on stying. The MC20 shows that you can still design a great looking sportscar these legislation days, its modern with classic form 10/10. Notable metion in the 2ks also goes to the ferrari 458 and prior gen aston vanatge which are the two other cars of the 2ks that have harmonious form/lines and look really good. 296 is nice, but put one next to a 458 speciale and no cigar. The vette looks to be drawn by a child and there is little harmony of line, but I guess its dramatic in alambo sort of way. So the mc20 takes it on the styling stakes of cars in production today. Pity they then dropped the ball on the rest. Its not a bad car, simply not one of the greats. Yeah the magazines love every latest greatest. Evo made it their car of the year for good reason, and they weighted it 200lbs over maser's claimed weight. Now you can look at Harrys garage on youtube(he of evo fame), he had one for a few weeks, and even on road he comments that the weight became an issue, along with eps. My issue is its a Gt car more than a drivers clothed like a drivers car, with nice sounding spec esp the cf tub but then lardy lard lardy. Imo it falls between two stools, whereas it could have been the second coming of the 288 Gto., Thats the thing with Masser and alfa, they get most of the way there and then drop the ball. The 4c could have been something, but hen they did strut suspension. Like they were trying to fool buyers with a cf tub, when the critical bits were not there, or they ran out of money. By contrast in the same space reault hit it out the park with the a110, they got it all right. over at alfa they got themselves back on the map with he Gulia and Stelvio which are great riding and superlative steering cars. I think the tubo 4 puts out the power, but otherwise feels and sounds like a diesel at low revs, Ill give them a pass on that cause mercdes does the same. There simply is no modern sedan ive been in or suv that rde as resolved and steer as nice as these alfas, its their usp. But hen alfa comes up with the tonale, and its no alfa, rather a cynical redo of a doge hornet. To sit in or drive it feels like a cheap car with some lipstick on. Youd think they would have learned after the multiple failures of alfas being rebadged fiats. Getting back to masser, they get some of their own engines (is that a necessary place to spend the $ when there is also the great alfa v6) a platform for the levante? but it looks uninspiring inside and out. I have no idea what they were thinking with the Ghibli. So now we get the grecale which looks great outside but uninspiring inside, and if you're going against porche you got to look better and cost less not more or the same. Maybe if they had just kept the alfa v6 it wouldn't need to be so expensive. As it tis the digital interior made it a hard no for me Maybe there is hope for masser since stelantis seems all in on killing alfa between the rebadged doge hornet and the rest going all elctric. I have not driven a MC20 but have ridden in one. Its fast. I love the minimalist purposeful interior, too bad its so heavy and Gt like, not really live feeling. I just think they could have done better, way better. They could also figure out how to lose some weight and make something truly great. Hopefully with no tacky ad on spoilers. The extrema shows the way. Being an italian car man Id buy one for 250k, but not at one. Last comment. i was wrong on current market pricing. i see on bat that a 2023 porche turbo with 297 miles didnt get to its sticker prce of 248K. Thats indicates a yuge market shift taking place. Hopefully the flippers are fleeing, and those who really wat the cars to drive and use can now buy. I also know that my local masser dealer tried putting a brand new mc20 on bat and couldn't get to msrp. In the land of dreams the Mc20 would have the z06 motor and cost under 200k. Im guessing used ones are realistically 175 now. Would one take a used Mc20 over anew z06, interesting question.
i like the Kubang, porche poorly copied some elements but lost the essential form shaping and proportions. As an aside I test drove that generation of v8 cayenne, it felt pretty crappy. Thats whats weird about the whole suv thing. Many ride like crap and the expensive one don't ride much better but they have lots of power and luxury. If they are the high power versions the the ride tend to be brutal. Just goes to show how many rich folks dont have clue when it comes to vehicles but love status and perceived luxury. Some of the newer ones though do steer nicely and have resolved ride, stelvio as the standout. And their dynamic limitations compared to a car are moot as the good modern suv will have abilities well beyond what can sanely be deployed on road. Im sure the pursonge drives great, in the flesh looks like meh to me though, still sells well.
As events would have it, miller mortars sent me an offer on the grecale. A new 23 78k msrp 12k off or lease for $750 per month 48 months 4.5k down. Not a bad deal upfront I womder if one will be able to get a stelvio quad for similar Money soon
Are you always write something when you are in a hurry to catch the bathroom..? Your writing is full of errors... Again: C`mon - Sean, you can do better.......
