Maserati's $100,000 sedan helps automaker turnaround in North America
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Quattroporte Leads the Way
Maserati's $100,000 sedan helps automaker turnaround in North America
By DIANA T. KURLYKO | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
AutoWeek | Published 01/23/06, 9:25 am et
AT A GLANCE:
MASERATI RETURNS
Maserati's U.S. sales
2005: 2,006
2004: 1,043
2003: 917
Maserati's $100,000 sedan helps automaker turnaround in North America
By DIANA T. KURLYKO | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
AutoWeek | Published 01/23/06, 9:25 am et
AT A GLANCE:
MASERATI RETURNS
Maserati's U.S. sales
2005: 2,006
2004: 1,043
2003: 917
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. -- Maserati ended 2005, its fourth year back in the United States, on track to sell about 2,100 cars in North America, says its new North American president.
James Selwa, 55, who became president of Maserati North America in July, says Maserati has found a niche where few players compete: the $100,000 sedan.
With its $106,850 Quattroporte sedan leading the charge, Maserati sales grew sharply in 2005. In 2004, the Italian maker sold 1,144 cars in North America.
The year-old Quattroporte was expected to account for about 1,500 North America units in 2005 -- about 60 percent of Maserati's anticipated total. The sport sedan debuted in the 2004 Neiman Marcus Christmas online catalog and sold out in 36 seconds.
Maserati also sells the less-expensive Coupe and Spyder models, which were launched in 2002.
Selwa tested his formula when he headed marketing at Land Rover and Rolls-Royce Motors Cars N.A.: increasing marketing, targeting only buyers who can afford the cars and fine-tuning the product to the United States.
This year Maserati will increase the number of variants it sells from four to eight. These include adding two trim levels to the Quattroporte, basing the U.S. Spyder on the upscale Gransport Coupe rather the base Coupe model, and bringing in a stripped Coupe.
Selwa's long-term mission is to relaunch Alfa Romeo with a new vehicle in the United States.
Ferrari lineage
Until last summer, Ferrari owned Maserati and developed the Quattroporte's powertrain. Ownership of Maserati was transferred to Alfa Romeo on June 1. All three brands are owned by the Fiat group.
Ferrari took control of Maserati in 1998. Three cars were developed by the supercar brand. The Quattroporte is the first Maserati styled by Italian design studio Pininfarina in 50 years.
Selwa says when he arrived at Maserati, the Quattroporte's assets weren't being touted. The Quattroporte has a Ferrari-designed 4.2-liter, V-8 engine with 400 hp.
Having Ferrari engineering is a key selling point, Selwa says.
For instance, when Maserati sells against the Jaguar XJ range, Selwa tells salespeople to ask: "'Would you rather have a Ford-developed V-8 or would you rather have a Ferrari-developed V-8?' It is a no-brainer."
The Quattroporte lacks a true automatic transmission, a disadvantage in the United States. It has a Ferrari F1-style, six-speed electrohydraulic transaxle that is basically a manual transmission with no-clutch pedal. Gears can be changed by using paddle shifters on either side of the steering wheel or by selecting automatic mode, which shifts the gears without driver input.
Selling out
Tom Heffernan, president of Ferrari Maserati of Central New Jersey in Edison, N.J., says his dealership has been able to sell every Maserati it has received. The transmission isn't a big drawback, he says.
"However, when they do come out with an automatic, it will definitely enhance the market," Heffernan says. "People coming out of Mercedes-Benz and BMW are used to a pure automatic."
Heffernan says his dealership, which opened a year ago, sold 55 Quattroportes and 90 Maseratis in 2005.
Jean Jennings, editor of Automobile magazine, says the manual transmission "is more automatic than manual." But Jennings questions why a buyer would purchase a Maserati "when there is an Aston V-8 Vantage -- a really spectacular car -- and the Mercedes-Benz CL class?"
"The exterior is somewhat bland for Pininfarina," Jennings says. "Its main attraction is the living room of an interior."
Selwa says Maserati will eventually give the car a true automatic, but won't say when.
Dealers say they've been told the transmission will arrive in 2007.
$150,000 ceiling
Despite its Ferrari powertrain, there's an acute awareness that Maserati can't and won't be a Ferrari. Selwa believes the highest price Maserati can charge is about $150,000.
"Our sweet spot is about $115,000 to $120,000 -- that is where we dominate," he says. We have 40 percent of the share in that category."
Maserati can go down in price. Its cheapest car in 2005 was the Coupe at $87,983, including shipping. Selwa will launch a stripped version of the Coupe for $84,559, including shipping, in 2006.
"We have to get into that market with a six-speed bare-bones car without even a paddle shift," Selwa says. "We'll build 50 of them, build them to our specs and test the market."
For the 2006 model year, Maserati also is adding more variants of each model, including two pricier Quattroporte models with more luxurious interiors. This will position the top-priced car near $120,000.
Despite talk of giving Maserati a wagon based on the 2003 concept car Kubang, Selwa says there are no plans for a fourth vehicle. There is discussion about a cheaper car for Maserati based on the Alfa Romeo Brera Spider.
Selwa says Maserati plans to sell 10,000 cars worldwide by 2010, with half of those sales in the United States. He says the target can be reached by adding models and renewing the present product range.
Getting to 6,000 annual sales will increase return on investment, he says.
"When you see an organization like us and say we're going to turn the corner at 5,000 cars, when you sell 6,000 cars (worldwide) it makes a hell of a difference. There is just more revenue on all the same space. It starts to get just a little more magical when you get the volume up to 6,000 cars."
James Selwa, 55, who became president of Maserati North America in July, says Maserati has found a niche where few players compete: the $100,000 sedan.
With its $106,850 Quattroporte sedan leading the charge, Maserati sales grew sharply in 2005. In 2004, the Italian maker sold 1,144 cars in North America.
The year-old Quattroporte was expected to account for about 1,500 North America units in 2005 -- about 60 percent of Maserati's anticipated total. The sport sedan debuted in the 2004 Neiman Marcus Christmas online catalog and sold out in 36 seconds.
Maserati also sells the less-expensive Coupe and Spyder models, which were launched in 2002.
Selwa tested his formula when he headed marketing at Land Rover and Rolls-Royce Motors Cars N.A.: increasing marketing, targeting only buyers who can afford the cars and fine-tuning the product to the United States.
This year Maserati will increase the number of variants it sells from four to eight. These include adding two trim levels to the Quattroporte, basing the U.S. Spyder on the upscale Gransport Coupe rather the base Coupe model, and bringing in a stripped Coupe.
Selwa's long-term mission is to relaunch Alfa Romeo with a new vehicle in the United States.
Ferrari lineage
Until last summer, Ferrari owned Maserati and developed the Quattroporte's powertrain. Ownership of Maserati was transferred to Alfa Romeo on June 1. All three brands are owned by the Fiat group.
Ferrari took control of Maserati in 1998. Three cars were developed by the supercar brand. The Quattroporte is the first Maserati styled by Italian design studio Pininfarina in 50 years.
Selwa says when he arrived at Maserati, the Quattroporte's assets weren't being touted. The Quattroporte has a Ferrari-designed 4.2-liter, V-8 engine with 400 hp.
Having Ferrari engineering is a key selling point, Selwa says.
For instance, when Maserati sells against the Jaguar XJ range, Selwa tells salespeople to ask: "'Would you rather have a Ford-developed V-8 or would you rather have a Ferrari-developed V-8?' It is a no-brainer."
The Quattroporte lacks a true automatic transmission, a disadvantage in the United States. It has a Ferrari F1-style, six-speed electrohydraulic transaxle that is basically a manual transmission with no-clutch pedal. Gears can be changed by using paddle shifters on either side of the steering wheel or by selecting automatic mode, which shifts the gears without driver input.
Selling out
Tom Heffernan, president of Ferrari Maserati of Central New Jersey in Edison, N.J., says his dealership has been able to sell every Maserati it has received. The transmission isn't a big drawback, he says.
"However, when they do come out with an automatic, it will definitely enhance the market," Heffernan says. "People coming out of Mercedes-Benz and BMW are used to a pure automatic."
Heffernan says his dealership, which opened a year ago, sold 55 Quattroportes and 90 Maseratis in 2005.
Jean Jennings, editor of Automobile magazine, says the manual transmission "is more automatic than manual." But Jennings questions why a buyer would purchase a Maserati "when there is an Aston V-8 Vantage -- a really spectacular car -- and the Mercedes-Benz CL class?"
"The exterior is somewhat bland for Pininfarina," Jennings says. "Its main attraction is the living room of an interior."
Selwa says Maserati will eventually give the car a true automatic, but won't say when.
Dealers say they've been told the transmission will arrive in 2007.
$150,000 ceiling
Despite its Ferrari powertrain, there's an acute awareness that Maserati can't and won't be a Ferrari. Selwa believes the highest price Maserati can charge is about $150,000.
"Our sweet spot is about $115,000 to $120,000 -- that is where we dominate," he says. We have 40 percent of the share in that category."
Maserati can go down in price. Its cheapest car in 2005 was the Coupe at $87,983, including shipping. Selwa will launch a stripped version of the Coupe for $84,559, including shipping, in 2006.
"We have to get into that market with a six-speed bare-bones car without even a paddle shift," Selwa says. "We'll build 50 of them, build them to our specs and test the market."
For the 2006 model year, Maserati also is adding more variants of each model, including two pricier Quattroporte models with more luxurious interiors. This will position the top-priced car near $120,000.
Despite talk of giving Maserati a wagon based on the 2003 concept car Kubang, Selwa says there are no plans for a fourth vehicle. There is discussion about a cheaper car for Maserati based on the Alfa Romeo Brera Spider.
Selwa says Maserati plans to sell 10,000 cars worldwide by 2010, with half of those sales in the United States. He says the target can be reached by adding models and renewing the present product range.
Getting to 6,000 annual sales will increase return on investment, he says.
"When you see an organization like us and say we're going to turn the corner at 5,000 cars, when you sell 6,000 cars (worldwide) it makes a hell of a difference. There is just more revenue on all the same space. It starts to get just a little more magical when you get the volume up to 6,000 cars."
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05/18/2006
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., May 18 -- Maserati North America
is proud to announce that the Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT has won the
prestigious Robb Report Best of the Best competition for sedans. Robb
Report chose the Quattroporte Sport GT over several high-profile and
higher-cost competitors including the new Bentley Continental Flying Spur
and the new Maybach 57S. The Quattroporte Sport GT also defeated the new
Audi S8 and the BMW M5.
Scheduled to hit newsstands on May 23, Robb Report magazine's 18th
annual "Best of the Best" offers readers an unprecedented selection of new
products and services that exemplify the very finest that the luxury world
has to offer.
The culmination of a year's search for the most extraordinary new
products and services, "Best of the Best" features premium-quality
automobiles, yachts, jewelry, vacations, wines, and fashion, and other
exceptional items.
The Quattroporte is now the first two-time winner of Robb Report's
"Best of the Best," having also taken the award at its 2004 launch. The end
of the review sums up the Quattroporte Sport GT in near perfect fashion:
"The Quattroporte is a styling masterpiece ... the unpretentious
Pininfarina shape will continue to turn heads when other sedans have become
yesterday's styling fad. It is these concours-winning looks, underpinned by
performance and fit and finish that are world-class, that make the
Quattroporte Sport GT our favorite new sedan."
ABOUT THE QUATTROPORTE SPORT GT
"The Sport GT version of the Quattroporte was created to further
enhance the high performance spirit that sets the Quattroporte apart from
any other luxury sedan," commented Maserati North America President and CEO
James Selwa. "We appreciate this award as the Robb Report is noted for
their expertise in fine goods."
Features available only on the Sport GT include a black chrome trimmed
grille and side air intakes which take their inspiration from Maserati's
race cars, and a red striped Trident typical of Maserati competition cars
of the past. The car's overall sporty character is also enhanced in the
interior by the carbon fiber center console, sport steering wheel and
hand-brake grip and lightweight aluminum pedals.
The performance of the transmission has been increased: the Sport
button allows the driver to significantly cut gear change times up to 35
percent thanks to enhanced software in the electro-hydraulic transmission
syst***s CPU. At high engine speeds, the 4.2 liter Ferrari engineered V8
growls an even more sonorous basso thanks to a specially tuned exhaust
system.
Particular attention was given to the programming of Maserati's
renowned Skyhook adaptive damping software to provide a higher level of
dynamic handling, while still allowing the driver to set the system for
comfortable cruising. Sculptured 20" wheels communicate immediately the
car's great sporting ability and feature specially produced tires with a
pressure monitoring system. The high performance Brembo braking system now
features metal weave tubing and cross-drilled discs with titanium-colored
calipers.
MASERATI POSTS RECORD YEAR IN NORTH AMERICA
With 2,100 cars delivered in the twelve months of 2005, Maserati North
America achieved an over 90 percent increase in volume compared to 2004.
1,550 were the Maserati Quattroporte, the high-performance sedan that
quickly became the leader in its market segment. In fact, for 2005, the
Quattroporte topped all competitors with over 40 percent share of the
market for individual sedans between $100,000 and $170,000.
For 2006, the Maserati range has been broadened to eight highly focused
and exciting models. New for 2006 are the Quattroporte Sport GT and
Executive GT. The Sport GT offers the highest level of performance while
the Executive GT embraces exquisite luxury. The two door line now features
a thrilling 400 horsepower open air Spyder based on the GranSport, a
limited edition GranSport and the MC Victory, which honors Maserati's
capture of the 2005 Manufacturer title in European FIA GT competition.
SOURCE Maserati North America
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., May 18 -- Maserati North America
is proud to announce that the Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT has won the
prestigious Robb Report Best of the Best competition for sedans. Robb
Report chose the Quattroporte Sport GT over several high-profile and
higher-cost competitors including the new Bentley Continental Flying Spur
and the new Maybach 57S. The Quattroporte Sport GT also defeated the new
Audi S8 and the BMW M5.
Scheduled to hit newsstands on May 23, Robb Report magazine's 18th
annual "Best of the Best" offers readers an unprecedented selection of new
products and services that exemplify the very finest that the luxury world
has to offer.
The culmination of a year's search for the most extraordinary new
products and services, "Best of the Best" features premium-quality
automobiles, yachts, jewelry, vacations, wines, and fashion, and other
exceptional items.
The Quattroporte is now the first two-time winner of Robb Report's
"Best of the Best," having also taken the award at its 2004 launch. The end
of the review sums up the Quattroporte Sport GT in near perfect fashion:
"The Quattroporte is a styling masterpiece ... the unpretentious
Pininfarina shape will continue to turn heads when other sedans have become
yesterday's styling fad. It is these concours-winning looks, underpinned by
performance and fit and finish that are world-class, that make the
Quattroporte Sport GT our favorite new sedan."
ABOUT THE QUATTROPORTE SPORT GT
"The Sport GT version of the Quattroporte was created to further
enhance the high performance spirit that sets the Quattroporte apart from
any other luxury sedan," commented Maserati North America President and CEO
James Selwa. "We appreciate this award as the Robb Report is noted for
their expertise in fine goods."
Features available only on the Sport GT include a black chrome trimmed
grille and side air intakes which take their inspiration from Maserati's
race cars, and a red striped Trident typical of Maserati competition cars
of the past. The car's overall sporty character is also enhanced in the
interior by the carbon fiber center console, sport steering wheel and
hand-brake grip and lightweight aluminum pedals.
The performance of the transmission has been increased: the Sport
button allows the driver to significantly cut gear change times up to 35
percent thanks to enhanced software in the electro-hydraulic transmission
syst***s CPU. At high engine speeds, the 4.2 liter Ferrari engineered V8
growls an even more sonorous basso thanks to a specially tuned exhaust
system.
Particular attention was given to the programming of Maserati's
renowned Skyhook adaptive damping software to provide a higher level of
dynamic handling, while still allowing the driver to set the system for
comfortable cruising. Sculptured 20" wheels communicate immediately the
car's great sporting ability and feature specially produced tires with a
pressure monitoring system. The high performance Brembo braking system now
features metal weave tubing and cross-drilled discs with titanium-colored
calipers.
MASERATI POSTS RECORD YEAR IN NORTH AMERICA
With 2,100 cars delivered in the twelve months of 2005, Maserati North
America achieved an over 90 percent increase in volume compared to 2004.
1,550 were the Maserati Quattroporte, the high-performance sedan that
quickly became the leader in its market segment. In fact, for 2005, the
Quattroporte topped all competitors with over 40 percent share of the
market for individual sedans between $100,000 and $170,000.
For 2006, the Maserati range has been broadened to eight highly focused
and exciting models. New for 2006 are the Quattroporte Sport GT and
Executive GT. The Sport GT offers the highest level of performance while
the Executive GT embraces exquisite luxury. The two door line now features
a thrilling 400 horsepower open air Spyder based on the GranSport, a
limited edition GranSport and the MC Victory, which honors Maserati's
capture of the 2005 Manufacturer title in European FIA GT competition.
SOURCE Maserati North America
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I saw a Quattroporte in person last week and had a chance to talk with the owner.
It's absolutely beautiful in person. The quality and details are gorgeous. You can really
appreciate the subtle curves in the design up close.
The owner said the transmission is the only thing he wasn't 100% happy with. He did say
it was like driving a sports car. Also one of the reasons he got the Maserati was because
you don't see one everywhere like BMW and Mercedes.
If I had $100K for a luxury sedan, this one would be one I would consider.
It's absolutely beautiful in person. The quality and details are gorgeous. You can really
appreciate the subtle curves in the design up close.
The owner said the transmission is the only thing he wasn't 100% happy with. He did say
it was like driving a sports car. Also one of the reasons he got the Maserati was because
you don't see one everywhere like BMW and Mercedes.
If I had $100K for a luxury sedan, this one would be one I would consider.
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