[HarvardLlama]

Indeed, it's true. Ferrari (NYSE:RACE) CEO Louis Camilleri confirmed this week that they will no longer be supplying engines to Maserati (NYSE:FCAU). I won't get into the details as to why (lots of financial considerations), but here are a few takeaways:

- this will happen 2 years from now (so around 2021/2022)
- it was Maserati's decision. However, Ferrari was happy to accept, saying it could use the resources on it's own cars/products.
- again, this is CONFIRMED (not speculation)

I've been talking to lots of car enthusiasts, and it's difficult to predict exactly who will be Maseratis next engine supplier. The company is certainly too small (and sales too weak) for Fiat Chrysler to develop a bespoke engine.

My personal prediction-- It's widely rumored that the next-generation Dodge Charger will receive the chassis from the current Ghibli/QP4/Levante. So I wouldn't be surprised if Maserati used some form of a Hemi engine from Dodge/Jeep. Of course, it wouldn't be labeled Hemi (and would be specially tuned by Maserati), but the engine block/internal components would be very similar.

I'm so glad I bought my 2018 SQ4 new. As someone who babies and keeps cars for 10+ years, this is definitely good news.

What are your thoughts?

 

[NYCSQ4]

I personally don't think the value is going to shoot up on our cars. Way to many were produced. I could see them taking the Hemi engines like you mentioned. What about Alfa? the QVe engines are Ferrari as well..

 

[UsernameIsValid]

Not going to buy another Maserati without a Ferrari engine.

 

[edh13]

I thought FCA had just discovered that they’ve cheapened the Maserati brand and are looking to return it to exclusivity. With that in mind I doubt a regurgitated Hemi is going to be on the menu.

Unless they were just full of BS. In that case I’m saving-up for my new Maserati NASCAR edition. Complete with Hemi and a rebel flag on the roof!

A more likely scenario is FCA will drop or sell the whole line. When manufacturers drop primary suppliers or primary suppliers drop manufacturers it’s usually a precursor to doors closing.

 

[BeerGuy]

I'm sure now that the companies are no longer under same ownership with only a supply agreement holding the relationship in place there are a couple thoughts ...

1) Ever wonder why the supplied engines in Maserati's are "de-tuned" compared to their full potential.
2) Price ... I suspect Maserati is trying to hold the line, while Ferrari is looking to improve profit ... over the former cost model. And maybe there was some minimum / maximums set in the contract ... clearly Maserati volume is no where near what they tried to achieve.
3) Rumor has it there are on-going unresolved issues with the Ghibli engine supplied by Ferrari ... those seized engines and repair costs are being covered by Maserati ... not Ferrari.

Ferrari has done well since they became independent ... you never know about Maserati as a standalone ... they need proper funding and high end partnership to properly make the leap into the 2020's.

 

[NYCSQ4]

Sad. Always wanted a Maserati, Finally put myself in a place to afford one, i buy one, i love it and now the brand is just going ****. Wild how much hate these cars get from all these youtubers and exotic/luxury car guys. Imagine the hate when they no longer have Ferrari sourced engines in them. Oh well.

 

[edh13]

Not just You-Tubers killing the brand. This exact forum has done a lot of damage. On the bright side, it allowed me to just buy a pristine 1 owner lease return 2016 S with 19k miles for only $37k from Penske Ferrari. Includes full CPO warranty, fresh service, new tires and complete brakes.

Gonna drive the crap out of it for the next 3.3 years and unload it just like my last 3 Jaguar CPO’s.

 

[Shaummy]

Not just You-Tubers killing the brand. This exact forum has done a lot of damage. On the bright side, it allowed me to just buy a pristine 1 owner lease return 2016 S with 19k miles for only $37k from Penske Ferrari. Includes full CPO warranty, fresh service, new tires and complete brakes.

Gonna drive the crap out of it for the next 3.3 years and unload it just like my last 3 Jaguar CPO’s.

What makes you say that this forum has caused damage to the Maserati brand?

 

[toshy]

As I said on other forums: I am glad that Maserati finally ended this toxic relationship/ownership with Ferrari.


It might have made sense 20 years ago when Ferrari took control of Maserati, but years have proved that it wasn't the best decision in long term.
Maserati - a company with a rich heritage - had nothing to gain from this relationship. They've been downgraded to nothing more the "poor's man Ferrari" status, inheriting all the bad parts - reliability, price, service, and almost none of the good ones - except sound, everything else, performance, handling, quality, has been shadowed by Ferrari. This really attracted the wrong crowd of customers, which were mainly posers without enough money to afford a Ferrari.
I mean, since the late 90's when Ferrari took ownership, the company was barely alive until the 2013 introduction of new models which had less Ferrari tech. After the 2015 Ferrari's spin-off from FCA, which was nothing more than one of Marchionne's financial swindles, it made even less sense. They started paying Ferrari retail price for engines that literally make half the cars' value and they got a bad deal with the warranties - Ferrari was making double digits percentage profits from the engines they were selling to Maserati and Alfa. This couldn't go on, so they made the right decision.


I really hope their new plan of bringing the company more upmarket, as it should be, and starting their own line of engines - which they are perfectly capable of designing, will help them find their lost identity.

 

[toshy]

Also, as far as reliability is concerned and the damage some dumb Youtubers have done, Maserati suffers from the same problem Apple does.
Objectively the new Siemens designed factory and quality control procedures, are probably on the cutting edge of automotive manufacturing, and the quality is better than ever, but, the sheer volumes they sell nowadays, coupled with very picky owners (I really should say dumb posers), made this a problem. Just like Apple when they sell so many units, a defect affecting 0.01% of all their phones, suddenly turns into a "gate" scandal, simply because how much 0.01% means out of total production.
Maserati has jumped from a few hundred to a couple of thousand cars sold yearly before 2012 to almost 60k. Couple that with the "picky owners" that bought the cheapest entry-level spec cars just to get the badge, knowing nothing about boutique companies, expecting the be all and end all of automotive industry, and there goes the brand image. Something not even return customers on this forum, people who are now on their 4th or 5th Maserati or 2nd Ghibli, can fix.

 

[daewalker]

I can see them utilizing viper and pentastar twin turbo, Given a few tweaks those two platforms I think would be awesome.


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[massi2015]

Shocking news. I love my maserati. And i also have a SRT8 for years now. I can say that Maserati should build their own engine, bring the ghibli entrance line with a lower price, so the cars dont drop in value so fast. I hate it that i paid so much for mine but now its worth half.
That said: In Love w Maserati and love Mopar.

 

[toshy]

bring the ghibli entrance line with a lower price, so the cars dont drop in value so fast

Quite the opposite. They should drop the entry level Ghiblis and bring the starting price back to 130-140k, just like the old Quattroporte. Cheap, unoptioned 80k Ghiblis might have got them some quick profits, but they're what ruined the brand image (and their value) in the long run.

 

[Shaummy]

Quite the opposite. They should drop the entry level Ghiblis and bring the starting price back to 130-140k, just like the old Quattroporte. Cheap, unoptioned 80k Ghiblis might have got them some quick profits, but they're what ruined the brand image (and their value) in the long run.

Sounds like the perfect plan to kill sales and drop the Maserati out of existence...

 

[toshy]

Sounds like the perfect plan to kill sales and drop the Maserati out of existence...

You don’t know how luxury market works, do you?

 

[tommylotto]

I do not see Maserati becoming a Ferrari, Bugatti, Mclaren or whatever again. I see FCA using Maserati in conjunction with Alfa together to cover the market otherwise occupied by the German brands. Alfa makes the Italian 3-series competition, and Maserati makes the 5 and 7-series competition. People will pay a premium for a better looking car with a little Italian pizzazz. However, the product has to be comparable/competitive. That was the biggest problem for the Ghibli at launch and Doug's review didn't help.

Concerning the Ferrari engine: Yes, being able to say it has a Ferrari engine is cool (to toshy's posers), but in the end it is inconsequential. They made the blocks in Kokomo, Indiana. So, they are not that exotic, really. IMO the Ghibli is "made" by its sheet metal, not its engine. It is a freakishly good looking car, and its performance from its Ferrari engine from Kokomo is really only average. I would drive a beautiful Ghibli regardless of what engine it had as long as it had enough push for the luxury segment. IMO a V-8 Hemi would be bad ass in a Ghibli. I'm sure they would not just shoe-horn in an engine from a Dodge Charger. For the base model, they could give the 3.6L Pentastar a Maserati face-lift by turbo charging it, or be still my heart, tweaking the big V-8 Hemis. God, would that be a great sounding car. Remember, Hemis are nothing to sneeze at. Think they could get a Hellephant to fit in a Ghibli?

 

[seandex]

Since the main reason was the negotiation (price) no one knows until the contract ends date.

 

[Emathieu]

Since the main reason was the negotiation (price) no one knows until the contract ends date.

True. For all we know, they could come to new terms that are at least slightly more favorable to Maserati.

I personally would love to see a return to Maserati engines and something closer to a return to the Maserati of old. I have a feeling that no matter what lip service we get - unless they get from under the FCA umbrella that won't likely happen. We'll just have to see how this plays out. I have a feeling Maserati will be put up for sale in the not so distant future. FCA trying to turn it into a volume brand was a huge mistake.

All that said, I still love my two FCA Maserati vehicles (Ghibli SQ4 and QP GTS).

 

[daewalker]

MC12.... just saying


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[UsernameIsValid]

I feel they'll develop a new in-house engine. It would be a nail in the coffin to take an engine out of an FCA car. Maserati also should consider getting rid of the FCA parts - but keeping UConnect. They do not have the resources to develop their own navigation.

Doug ended up having good things to say about the Levante Trofeo, but it's 180k. he was right - it was what a Maserati is supposed to be. Great interior, looks good, fast as ****.

The internet troll camp believes even a Gran Turismo is a dodge caravan now. Maserati really hurt its brand image a lot with all the base Ghiblis. A Gran Sport is a nicely appointed vehicle, but that isn't what butters FCA's bread - the base Ghibli did.

I'd buy another Maserati, but I definitely would not pick up a first model year and wait to see how the quality plays out. FCA seems pretty intent on working with the Maserati brand. It still has a ton of cache outside car circles.

Just my 2cents.