SHOT IN THE DARK
MOTOR Magazine Australia|February 2022
MASERATI SHOVES IN THE CHIPS ON A LONG-ODDS BET BUT WILL THE INTRIGUING MC20 REAP THE RETURNS?
ANDY ENRIGHT
SHOT IN THE DARK

MASERATI IS A company without any great track record in building mid-engined sports cars. No, really. Prior to the arrival of the MC20, there were easily more mid-engined Renault 5s built than mid-engined Maseratis. Of more than 100 models the storied Italian manufacturer has built, only three featured the engine behind the driver.

Production of the Bora, built between 1971 and 1978, totalled a mere 564 units. The biggest contribution came from its junior sibling, the Merak, which saw 1830 cars roll from the plant at Viale Ciro Menotti in Modena between 1972 and 1983. Fifty customer MC12s were built between 2004 and 2005, with another 12 constructed as pure race cars. A total of 2444 cars doesn't seem much of a legacy to hang a halo from.

And yet here we are, standing on the roof of a car park in Melbourne, with Maserati's mid-engined flagship, the MC20, wondering quite what to make of it all. In many ways, the MC20 is a bold move. It sports a V6 beneath its rear deck in a market that, for the time being at least, still offers a number of very accomplished rivals with eight, 10 and 12-cylinder engines.

Then there's the fact that this undeniably niche model is being launched at a time when the one thing Maserati desperately needs is volume. At Maserati's centenary celebration in 2014, then-Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne took to the stage in trademark knitwear and made a bold prediction. In 2018, annual sales for Maserati will be 75,000 units or about five times what they are today,” he told a black-tie gathering of Maserati owners at the Reggia di Venario Reala. Maserati will not be the biggest luxury brand, but the best.” For a while it looked as if his claim was about to come true.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 2022-Ausgabe von MOTOR Magazine Australia.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 2022-Ausgabe von MOTOR Magazine Australia.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS MOTOR MAGAZINE AUSTRALIAAlle anzeigen
Ged Bulmer
MOTOR Magazine Australia

Ged Bulmer

THE ACCOMPANYING YARN WAS A RIB TICKLER, BUT THE SUITS AT PORSCHE DIDN'T SEE IT THAT WAY

time-read
5 Minuten  |
July 2022
Dylan Campbell
MOTOR Magazine Australia

Dylan Campbell

WE WERE LIVING THE DREAM. WE ALL WANTED TO WORK FOR MOTOR AS TEENAGERS

time-read
5 Minuten  |
July 2022
HONDA NSX
MOTOR Magazine Australia

HONDA NSX

Honda's alloy missile - a friendly firecracker

time-read
8 Minuten  |
July 2022
TESLA MODEL S
MOTOR Magazine Australia

TESLA MODEL S

Looking back on the automobile's iPhone moment | TESLA AIMS TO ELEVATE THE ELECTRIC CAR FROM INTRIGUING CURIOUSITY TO A VIABLE MEANS OF EVERYDAY TRANSPORT

time-read
5 Minuten  |
July 2022
PORSCHE 959
MOTOR Magazine Australia

PORSCHE 959

Weissach rethinks the supercar

time-read
6 Minuten  |
July 2022
PCOTY LEGENDS - 1996-2022
MOTOR Magazine Australia

PCOTY LEGENDS - 1996-2022

HOW THE ANNUAL QUEST FOR AUSTRALIA'S BEST PERFORMANCE CARS HAS DELIVERED A ROLL CALL OF EXCELLENCE

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
July 2022
THE UNDEFEATED
MOTOR Magazine Australia

THE UNDEFEATED

HONDA'S FK8 CIVIC TYPE R IS OUR LINEAL CHAMP, WINNING EVERY MOTOR COMPARISON AS WELL AS BOTH PERFORMANCE CAR OF THE YEAR AND BANG FOR YOUR BUCKS. WE PAY OUR RESPECTS WITH A FINAL DRIVE IN THE END-OF-THE-LINE LE SPECIAL

time-read
6 Minuten  |
July 2022
THESE ARE OUR PEOPLE
MOTOR Magazine Australia

THESE ARE OUR PEOPLE

IN A CULTURE OVERFLOWING WITH POSERS AND TRY-HARDS, WE FIND A HAVEN FOR THOSE THAT LOVE DRIVING ABOVE ALL ELSE

time-read
8 Minuten  |
June 2022
OPEN WIDE, SAY R
MOTOR Magazine Australia

OPEN WIDE, SAY R

VOLKSWAGEN'S GOLF R LANDS IN AUSTRALIA AND IT ALREADY HAS THE SWAGGER OF A GIANTKILLER ABOUT IT. WE LINE UP SOME ASYMMETRIC ALTERNATIVES TO SEE IF THE GOLF HAS THEIR RESPECTIVE TALENTS COVERED

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
June 2022
SING FOR YOUR DINNER
MOTOR Magazine Australia

SING FOR YOUR DINNER

As the motoring world undergoes seismic shifts in focus, Rob Dickinson's vision for Singer remains clear

time-read
3 Minuten  |
June 2022