Ok so it's easy to bash but how about submitting some evidence of hopeful signs? 1. Did any one notice that in the last two issues of Autoweek they took a full page ad on the first page opposite the table of contents page? The ad is pretty descent too except the part about a 400HP Ferrari-derived 4.2-liter V8 being a "technological first". That's pretty lame. Skip the Ferrari part it makes you appear to be the poor relation. The ad is good placement for them and their potential customers. Now if they could do a video like the current Mercedes one featuring their cars evolving into street cars it would be a smashing success. Note to Maserati: see Victory By Design! Ok so add 2, 3 .... Bob S.
Maserati really needs to get their name out there more with the more "ignorant" people. Everybody knows who Ferrari is, everybody knows who Lamborghini is. But 9 out of 10 times when I tell people I have a Maserati they have a blank look on their face. These cars are in a price range by themselves in the U.S. You cannot get an Italian sports or luxury car in the same price range. The Quattroporte with enough advertising on Television and magazines has so much more potential (not that it's not selling like hotcakes now). The Gransport/Coupe/Spyder would appeal to alot of people looking for a reasonably priced weekend driver.
Why wouldn't you advertise the fact that the car has a Ferrari powerplant??? I don't think there is any shame in an owner saying "check out my new maserati, the car has the same transmission and motor from a $200,000 Ferrari" at the country club.
Good I'm glad you asked that question. The obvious move is to say the car has a Ferrari motor. Seems like a no brainer. Ok then, just when are you going to claim that you have a Maserati motor as if that's a negative? Maserati's have always had enteretaining and great motors. The current one shares the block with the Ferrari and very little else. The Maserati and 430 motor are designed for different purposes. I'll go out on a limb here and bet that the Maserati version will last longer because it is a lower stressed engine. That's what Maserati always did with their "street" cars. I suggest that they stress this long tradition in engine design and add that this was then the basis for the new Ferrari motor. That way it seems as if Maserati has helped Ferrari and it gives them a segway to their own path for engine development. It may in fact be bullsh*t but it's also proper marketing. Otherwise they will always appear to be Ferrari's ugly step sister and that helps neither marque. Bob S.
I see nothing ugly about this "step sister" and given the motor and transmission being Ferrari sourced I think they are blood relatives and not step children. The sedan is a monster to be compared with the M5 and S55 and the competition stresses the performace of their motors. NAperformance reply is the reason the Ferrari lineage must be stressed, aside from the gear heads like us, very few people know the racing history of Maserati. There are only so many "car guys" out there shopping for a "4 door supercar" and the rest of the buyers just want a car they can brag about and the Ferrari block gives them the ammo. Your average Maserati buyer...... investment banker, movie star, athlete, etc aren't interested in talking about the history of maserati racing.
i love the coupe, i see people in SL500's and i feel bad for them, for almost the same price they could be driving a much better car. they really should start comparing the coupe and convertable to the SL500 and cars in that class.
They need to make their cars sharper. While I think the Spyder/Coupe/GS look nice, they don't look spectacular. The Qporte just has an awkward design IMHO, and my opinions are shared amongst alot of people. People in America seem to be more concerned with image rather than racing history etc..etc.. Why by a Maser Coupe when I could have this pimped out 6 series or the exotic looking Viper? Another thing too, is that the Qporte isn't offered in an automatic yet. I have a feeling once they do that there will be many more buyers.
Then they don't understand the car, it's heritage and don't deserve it. You can't be successful by pretending you're something else. In the end you have to be yourself. I sugested how to do the Ferrari linkage without being a slave to that marque. Maserati has to be distinct from Ferrari not a subset. Bob S.
Amen. It is an enthusiast's car. It is not a 7 series, an S class or an A8, all of which are interchangeble for the most part. It is a Quattroporte. There is nothing else like it. I have yet to drive mine in automatic mode, even in traffic. They have had some great placement of the Quattroporte lately, on TV shows. I knew about the show "Entourage" because people at the gas station told me I had the same car as they did in the show. They loved it. (Truth be told, I had mine first!) It truly is in a class by itself and Maserati is doing the right thing by not bowing down to pressure to bring in an automatic transmission. I know many owners, myself included, who love the gearbox the way it is IN SPITE of it's quirks.
the newer and better thing to say is, the F430 engine is dervied from the QP's V8. educating the public about the brand is good but i think those who are interested in the brand can find out themselves. their current promo on the GS MCV showing their racing heritage is good, and i think their current efforts with the races in MC12 is quite well.
Is there an echo in here? It also happens to be the truth. Of course the Maserati version was designed to share some things with the upcomming next model of Ferrari but we don't have to talk about that. Another thing, it took Maserati to make Ferrari get rid of the cam belts and finally send valve train maintenance into oblivion. Every future Ferrari owner should get down on their knees and kiss Maserati's tailpipes for that alone! Bob S.
According to a local dealer (LFSC in Chicago) they are actually going to be putting in a full automatic. And the answer would be 5 cars a month to a customer who has no idea what the hell they're buying.
I bet 9 out of 10 Maserati salesmen point to the 430 and say "this maserati has the engine out of that $200K Ferrari and it has 4 doors".
Maybe we should go on a test run of the local Maserati dealers and test the salespeople(PC) out? Who cares what the facts reveal it could be fun! Bob S.
