Maserati Alfieri stars at Geneva Motor Show
GENEVA: Maserati unveiled the Alfieri, a 2+2 concept car to celebrate the brand’s centenary at the Geneva Palexpo last week.
The Alfieri is an exciting but realistic and 100 per cent functional prototype that says much about the design DNA of future Maseratis. In fact, the Alfieri could well be a door to the future of Maserati, says a press release.
The striking new concept bears the name of Alfieri, the most prominent of the Maserati brothers, and the engineering genius who founded “Officine Alfieri Maserati” in Bologna a century ago. The Alfieri was created at the Maserati Centro Stile in Turin by a small group of talented young designers led by Marco Tencone. The project was masterminded by Lorenzo Ramaciotti.
In this, its 100th year, the Maserati company is in fine health. An ambitious plan that took off in 2013 with the presentation of the Quattroporte and Ghibli models is transforming the Italian manufacturer into a serious player in the premium sports car segment. In just one year, from 2012 to 2013, sales increased by 150 percent, from 6,200 to 15,400 cars.
Today Maserati is a global automotive player with a complete model range made up of two four-door saloons, two GT sports cars, four engines (a V8, a V6 Twin Turbo, a V8 NA and a turbo Diesel), and two different architectures (AWD and RWD). And there’s an SUV coming soon.
The Alfieri is being unveiled at just the right time to re-establish Maserati’s true orientation in terms of design and production. If the new Quattroporte and Ghibli gave the impression that Maserati was becoming oriented towards sporty, upper class four door saloons, this new concept is striking back and reminding everybody that the brand has a remarkable racing heritage and a unique tradition in exotic GT cars.
There is no doubt that the Alfieri concept represents the true essence of the Maserati brand. It is a sleek, Italian style 2+2 like the 1957 3500 GT, the 1959 5000 GT and the 1969 Indy before it, and clearly affirms Maserati’s racing DNA. Sportier in character than the GranTurismo, the Alfieri boasts proportions that might well be archetypal for a future true sport car and certainly hint at the brand’s stylistic intentions for the near future.
“Maserati doesn’t change. Maserati is always Maserati,” as Ramaciotti puts it.
As with all concept cars, there is a strong desire to turn the Alfieri into reality. Though not yet at the final prototype stage like tomorrow’s grand touring, it has nevertheless been conceived, de- signed and created in an approach aimed at 100 per cent realism.
According to Lorenzo Ramaciotti, “The Alfieri is a transition point between 100 glorious years of history and the future that is opening up before us. I sincerely can’t say that we’ll see this car in production in two years-time, but I’m certain we’ll see something very similar.”
The Alfieri’s designers have developed a streamlined, uncluttered form where the only decorative elements — the restyled triple air ducts on the wheel arches - are finely integrated. This eye-catching silhouette almost entices you to caress it.
The wheels have been specially designed for the Alfieri concept. Forged from single aluminium elements, the 21” diameter rear and 20” front wheels feature integrated decorative spokes that wink at the classic spoke wheels of the 1950s. Though form is the dominant element, colour and detail play a key supporting role. A liquid metal colour called “Steel Flair” has been chosen for this Maserati 100th anniversary concept.