Maserati Mostro Zagato Coupe - A concept with history

 Developed to celebrate the centenary of the House of the Trident. What a "monster" this Mostro!

If you're into old school, chances are you are aware of the 1957 Maserati 450S Costin Zagato Coupe and its marvelous styling. A thoroughbred racing car turned grand tourer, chassis #4501 and Stirling Moss were a great team back in the 1950s.

Based on the racing pedigree and bewitching lines of the 450S Costin Zagato Coupe, the Italian marque and similarly Italian coachbuilder joined hands yet again to create a venerable successor to the veteran 450S.

The jaw-dropping gorgeous Maserati Mostro is the latest creation of Zagato's "Iconic decade," whatever that means. Don't try to look for a meaning to those words because it's a typically Italian thing. Slated to premiere at the Concorso d'Elegance Villa d'Este, this partnership between Zagato and Maserati will spawn 5 examples of the Mostro breed, all of them already spoken for.

Developed to celebrate the centenary of the House of the Trident, all Maserati Mostro units will be delivered before December 2015, at the end of the automaker's anniversary year and just in time for Christmas Eve.

A track-only machine with monstrous (no pun intended) performance, the two-seater super GT uses a carbon fiber chassis coupled to a mid-structure made of steel tubes and a subframe that sustains the fuel tank, rear suspension, transmission and exhaust. The body shell of the Italian GT is 100% carbon fiber.

The Engine

Animated by central-front mounted Maserati V8 with dry-sump lubrication, the Maserati Mostro's naturally aspirated tower-of-unspecified-power is mated to a semi-automatic six-speed transmission.
Chassis-wise, the 19-inch alloy wheels hide a track-focused pushrod suspension. If you're remotely curious about the pricing of this thing, tough luck with that. Told you this is how the cookie crumbles in Italy.

 

Zagato confirms that the Mostro is designed for the track, but will be "ready for street homologation." While its makers promise that like the original "il Mostro" it will dominate a racing circuit, it will be totally road legal too and it’s understood that the huge, fixed rear wing is removable for a better cruising aesthetic. The carrozzeria will build five examples before Maserati's current centenary year is over. Each has already been spoken for, though none are headed to customers in the US. Coachbuilders seldom reveal pricing for this type of project (particularly when they've all been pre-sold), but we're told that "none of Zagato's atelier cars exceed 1 million. As collectible cars, the value of a Zagato typically overcomes the purchasing price within a few years."

 The Interior

Sources: http://www.maseratimarin.com/blog/2015/may/22/maserati-mostro-zagato-production-limited-to-5-units.htm and http://fabwheelsdigest.blogspot.pt/2015/06/2015-maserati-mostro-zagato-coupe.html

Alfieri will be the first all-electric Maserati

 

The design award

According to Maserati, the driving design influence for the Alfieri tribute vehicle was the company’s legendary A6 GCS-53 (shown below). Designed in 1954 by Pininfarina, the A6 GCS-53 was one of those beautiful ground-breaking GT designs that remains an iconic, influential piece of automotive history. The acronym, by the way, stands for Alfieri 6 cylinder / Ghisa/ Corsa/ Sport.

The Alfieri Concept was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 2014; a striking 2+2 concept car celebrating the brand’s centenary, with the name Alfieri commemorating the most prominent of the founding Maserati brothers. The concept car was designed at the Centro Stile in Turin, masterminded by Head of the Centro Stile Lorenzo Ramaciotti and led by Marco Tencone, who proudly accepted the Car Designs of the Year award on Maserati’s behalf.

Due to the overwhelmingly positive reaction when it was first shown, the Maserati Alfieri is now confirmed for production in 2019/2020 followed by a cabriolet version later on.

Maserati Alfieri Concept was then announced as ‘2014 Concept Car of the Year’. The Car Designs of the Year Awards are completely independent in that the judging panel is made up of a truly global cross-section of professional designers from carmakers, educational establishments and suppliers from major players.

Owen Ready, Editor Car Design News said, “The design of sports cars with fine volumes and beautiful proportions is something Italian car design has long excelled at, but the Alfieri’s more contemporary design elements have been executed with impeccable judgement. The result is a classic Italian sports car which is utterly modern.”

Plans for production

Speaking on the sidelines of the UK launch of the Levante SUV, Peter Denton, who is Region Manager for North Europe, said an electric version of the  Alfieri sports car is planned.
When pressed for a release date, Denton said the variants with combustion engines would come first, followed by the BEV. This would be in "2019/2020, with the full electric in 2020" he believes.
Asked why a battery electric vehicle and not a PHEV, Maserati's man maintained that by the early part of the next decade, the taxation advantages for plug-in hybrids will most likely have been removed in many countries.

The same platform would then be used by the next GranTurismo and GranCabrio. Using the same platform as an electric vehicle would make these cars suitable for plug-in hybrid versions, as well as for offering them in all-electric variants. This is not necessarily going to happen, especially for the GranCabrio, but the possibility exists on a theoretical level.

Maserati has now confirmed the pure-electric model as the second powertrain of the new Alfieri, to be launched a year after the twin-turbo petrol V6-engined sportscar makes its debut in 2019.

The petrol engine 

This 3.0-liter dual-turbo V-6, previously uncovered in the Ghibli as accurately as Quattroporte, discovers an additional property from the Alfieri. The base track will begin all around 410 horsepower through an alternative to up class to 450, as the top rated performer may need a displacement hit to suit its 520 horsepower. Only the 410-hp engine is expected to drive the rear rims; far more highly efficient models may come familiar with several tire produce. All Alfieris utilizes ZF’s eight-speed electronic.

The first electric Maserati

The first electric vehicle sold under the Maserati brand will be the production version of the Alfieri concept. The Italians want to launch it in 2020, shortly after the introduction of conventionally-powered versions. The Alfieri might also get a plug-in hybrid option, as the brand is also considering implementing a few of those in its portfolio by the same date.

We also know that the Alfieri will not get a V8 engine, but a twin-turbo V6 unit. We believe the power plant might be “borrowed” from the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, which would make it more beneficial for both brands of the Italian-American corporation.

According to Autocar, the decision to implement a V6 engine came after CO2 emissions figures of the V8 were considered for this model within the fleet average, and the answer was unfavorable for the eight-cylinder mill.

The price will be around 150.000 USD.

The Interior (from the concept-car) 

Sources: http://www.maserati.com/ and  https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/all-electric-maserati-alfieri-coming-2020

Maserati Levante

High-specification features for new heights of luxury 

Luxurious and adventurous, the Levante provides the highest levels of comfort whilst delivering outstanding performance even in the most extreme conditions. There’s no shortage of space or performance either. All versions come with an eight-speed gearbox, Maserati’s sophisticated intelligent Q4 AWD and a torque vectoring system for a truly exhilarating drive. 

The Levante is an SUV like no other, embodying the passion, the sophisticated engineering and exclusivity that have distinguished every vehicle engineered and crafted by Maserati in the heart of Italy since it was founded in 1914.

Powered for performance 

The Levante is a genuine SUV that performs under pressure and responds to your every need. Innovative, cutting-edge technology and engineering sophistication are the cornerstones of the outstanding 3.0 Twin Turbo V6 petrol engine, delivering incredible levels of performance and a max of 350 HP, while providing reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

 

The Interior

Comparison with rivals from BMW and Porsche? Check it here: https://www.crankandpiston.com/editors-picks/maserati-levante-vs-porsche-vs-bmw/

Source: http://www.maserati.com/maserati/international/en/models/levante