[ghibless]

So Maserati is looking to bring us an entry level sports car in 2016, something to fight of the 911's as well as launch its own Halo car based of the LaFerrari. Now where it gets interesting is when we get to the GT. Maserati said the GT will be replaced for 2015.

What Maserati has said to date about a new GT is that it will continue to be a 2+2 coupe, may use V6's exclusively (not likely) and would settle in at $80-100K, and will share its architecture with Ghibli and QP. Now, why cant this be the Ghibli Coupe? Maserati is also developing a small sports car along the lines of Alfa's 4C to compete with the Cayman, so why not move the GT up to compete with the 911, have the baby coupe at the low end (for Maserati) and then have the Ghibli coupe smack in the middle taking sales from the M6???

I just hope Maserati doesnt get lazy and only lops 2 doors of the Ghibli...

I could be so on board with a reincarnate of the classic Ghibli, it would also shut the purists up....

Imagine how sexy the new Ghibli coupe would be in fastbackish form??

 

[pitchfork]

Maserati isn't going to cut the Gran Turismo

It's one of their most iconic models.

 

[ghibless]

Maserati isn't going to cut the Gran Turismo

It's one of their most iconic models.

we'll its up for replacement and its a piece of wood. Ghibli GT then if you really want the name to stay.

But rumor has it Maserati is looking at using the Alfa 4C for something with Maserati blood. Maserati already builds the 4C for Alfa so it would be a relatively seamless transition for Maserati. Plus doubling the investment would bring production costs down. But im wandering from my point.

Downsize the GT into the little 4C maserati, Ghibli coupe steps into the hole the GT leaves. Besides, the M3 was one of BMWs most iconic models but they chopped that up into 3 series sedan and 4 series coupe. So the legendary M3 is now only available as a sedan and the coupe has to build its own legend as the M4. Besides the Ghibli was iconic until maserati went and welded two extra doors to it. So shifting GT to Ghibli Coupe is just shuffling icons.

If you mean iconic by most bought I'll agree, its cheaper than a QP, and at a time when Maserati had only 2 models yes it was definitely the most iconic of the Maseratis considering you only see about 1 QP a year, theres 3 GTs wandering in the vicinity of my office. Nothing is sacred in the auto industry anymore.

 

[pitchfork]

Where does it say they are replacing the GT?

 

[ghibless]

Where does it say they are replacing the GT?

All over, you just have to look.

From CarMag:

Maserati will replace the current GranTurismo in 2015. It’ll share its underpinnings with the Quattroporte and Ghibli saloons, and Maserati targeting an 1850kg kerbweight, down from the 1955kg of the current car.

Sources report the 2015 GranTurismo will stick to front-engined V8 power only – though the rear-mounted transaxle gearbox is for the chop. The powerplant is a 4.0-litre bi-turbo unit designed by Ferrari, and will develop 460bhp in the GranTurismo S, 530bhp in the GTS at 530bhp and a whopping 600bhp in the range-topping MC Stradale – plus heaps more torque than today’s normally aspirated motor.

and from Motor Authority:

During the same interview, Maserati styling boss Lorenzo Ramaciotti revealed that the replacement for the GranTurismo (and GranTurismo Convertible) would be smaller than the current car, explaining that its dimensions would be more akin to the Jaguar XK rather than the portly model on sale today.

If you read the two articles the word on the street is that Maserati is planning a 911 fighter, making the GT in its current form redundant. With the GT replacement switching to Ghibli architecture its entirely plausible GT becomes Ghibli Coupe or Ghibli GT...

 

[ratti]

If they replace the GT I doubt it will be Ghibli Based, My guess is that it will be on a whole new platform, maybe even the next gen quattroporte platform.

 

[ghibless]

If they replace the GT I doubt it will be Ghibli Based, My guess is that it will be on a whole new platform, maybe even the next gen quattroporte platform.

Maserati will replace the current GranTurismo in 2015. It’ll share its underpinnings with the Quattroporte and GHIBLI saloons....

the Ghibli rides on the QP platform, whatever replaces the GT will share its architecture with Ghibli...

Besides what cost/benefit is there for Maseratti to develop a whole new platform when they have perfectly capable chassis sitting around the shop? If they develop a whole new platform that eats into margins...

 

[anderson_b76]

Latest I'm hearing is the GT will be a new model in 2015 for Model Year 2016. It will remain a true 4 seater grand tourer. Additionally, Maserati will re-launch a new Grandsport that will be a true 911 competitor 2 seater and be based off of the Ghibli.

 

[MMG]

What can we expect the next generation GT to be like? Engine? Suspension? design?

 

[ghibless]

Latest I'm hearing is the GT will be a new model in 2015 for Model Year 2016. It will remain a true 4 seater grand tourer. Additionally, Maserati will re-launch a new Grandsport that will be a true 911 competitor 2 seater and be based off of the Ghibli.

From what I've heard you have that backwards. The 4 seater GT successor will be based on the Ghibli while the Grandsport would be based off something from Ferrari, 458 is the rumor...

 

[anderson_b76]

I've specifically heard the GS will be based off of the Ghibli and priced lower then the GT. Nothing I've read or heard has said anything about a Ferrari platform for any Maserati.

To put this into perspective, think about it.

Why would Maserati be spinning up a car based off of a Ferrari and potentially infringe on the marketshare of Ferrari? They are not going to encroach on the California territory, but Fiat knows they need to compete with the 911 market driven by price around $100K USD so how do they do that. What better company to do that then Maserati versus swimming downstream with a Ferrari. The GT was never that car as it is a "Grand Tourer". Maserati has a niche with the GT that they will continue to exploit it competing with the new Mercedes S coupe, and Bentley GT...whether this is built off of the Ghibli, tbd, but I doubt it as they will keep pricing i'm guessing in the $150K range for the new one. A new Grandsport would be the 911 competition for around $100K USD. In order to do that financially, it is easy to see why they would use a shortened version of the Ghibli platform versus borrowing from a $300K Ferrari.

 

[ghibless]

I've specifically heard the GS will be based off of the Ghibli and priced lower then the GT. Nothing I've read or heard has said anything about a Ferrari platform for any Maserati.

To put this into perspective, think about it.

Why would Maserati be spinning up a car based off of a Ferrari and potentially infringe on the marketshare of Ferrari? They are not going to encroach on the California territory, but Fiat knows they need to compete with the 911 market driven by price around $100K USD so how do they do that. What better company to do that then Maserati versus swimming downstream with a Ferrari. The GT was never that car as it is a "Grand Tourer". Maserati has a niche with the GT that they will continue to exploit it competing with the new Mercedes S coupe, and Bentley GT...whether this is built off of the Ghibli, tbd, but I doubt it as they will keep pricing i'm guessing in the $150K range for the new one. A new Grandsport would be the 911 competition for around $100K USD. In order to do that financially, it is easy to see why they would use a shortened version of the Ghibli platform versus borrowing from a $300K Ferrari.

That doesnt make sense. If Maserati wants to compete with the 911 they're not going to chop up a saloon car to do it. Maserati has a past of borrowing from Ferrari, that's not expected to change either. Remember the MC12? It was Maseratis Enzo, and it was better..

Grand Tourer is more fitting to the Saloon platform Ghibli and QP ride on than a 911 hunter. As you said, for it to compete with S class coupe and Continental GT, all based off saloon platforms.

from CarMAG

Under the skin, the new car will use a lightweight modular aluminium structure

that doesn't sound like whats riding under the Ghibli.....

FIAT has always used Ferrari as supervisor for Maserati and Alfa, there has always been trickle down. There will continue to be trickle down.

 

[anderson_b76]

No doubt Ferrari trickles down to Maserati, but it is RARELY in a platform with the exception of the MC12 which is way beyond the price of these cars we are talking about. More likely is borrowing the Alfa 4C platform for a 911 competitor.

 

[ghibless]

No doubt Ferrari trickles down to Maserati, but it is RARELY in a platform with the exception of the MC12 which is way beyond the price of these cars we are talking about. More likely is borrowing the Alfa 4C platform for a 911 competitor.

thats ruled out, too snarly for typical Maserati clients

 

[rsm]

A little late here but:

From car:

Maserati will replace the current GranTurismo in 2015. It’ll share its underpinnings with the Quattroporte and Ghibli saloons, and Maserati targeting an 1850kg kerbweight, down from the 1955kg of the current car.

Maserati may not call the next GT a Ghibli GT, but it will indeed be a Ghibli GT. The Ghibli is in many ways more advanced than the next gen QP. It's only logical that they should build the GT using the Ghibli platform. Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[pitchfork]

well only time will tell.

Why is the 4C too snarly?

 

[ghibless]

well only time will tell.

Why is the 4C too snarly?

because of how light it is. Maserati was thinking of using the 4C chassis with one of the Ghibli 6's in it but the extra heft of 2 cylinders would of made the 4C platform to rear heavy, snarly, sharp and demanding of typical Maserati clientele. the 6C as it would of been called is more typical of the Ferrari experience.

Plus the 4C competes with the Cayman its much to small to satisfy the needs of replacing the GT or competing with the 911....

CarMAG:

Why isn’t Maserati making a hotter Alfa 4C?

Aside from the cost of building Alfa’s carbon tub, the real headache was the extra weight and power of a V6 twin-turbo engine spoiling the chassis’s balance. Maserati was worried the resulting car would be too tail-happy and hardcore for Maserati’s traditional buyers – our insider source admitted: “We probably could teach this [car’s] layout decent road manners, but the result would always be an extremely sharp-edged and excessively raw driving machine”.

but the rendering is certainly something nice to look at....

 

[ratti]

because of how light it is. Maserati was thinking of using the 4C chassis with one of the Ghibli 6's in it but the extra heft of 2 cylinders would of made the 4C platform to rear heavy, snarly, sharp and demanding of typical Maserati clientele. the 6C as it would of been called is more typical of the Ferrari experience.

Plus the 4C competes with the Cayman its much to small to satisfy the needs of replacing the GT or competing with the 911....

CarMAG:



but the rendering is certainly something nice to look at....

If it turns out to be like the car in the rendering above, that will be interesting. Even more interesting if it's based on the Ghibli platform, it will just go to show how amazing of a platform we have with the Ghibli