Maserati had been losing their direction for a long time. Maserati holds incredible potential when it comes to the brand value they hold. Somewhere along the way, perhaps fuelled by the higher-ups at Stellantis (formerly Fiat-Chrysler), Maserati began chasing sales pretty hard!
Chasing sales is not a bad thing. More profits equal better for any business. However, the way Maserati did it was certainly self-destructive. Primarily, in the USA, Maserati wanted to position itself as a mass luxury carmaker. Essentially like the Italian version of Audi/BMW.
They offered financing options after financing options and pushed the car from an advertising point of view as a mass-market car rather than an elite Italian sportscar.
Also, their cars were not that good! Who can forget Doug De Muro famously sticking a tube of toothpaste in a panel gap between the door and the sill? The cars were not very good value for money, and they weren’t built that well either.
This, coupled with the fact that in the eyes of the enthusiast, Maserati was losing its sheen, meant that the Levante, which was Maserati’s answer to the Urus, Benteyga, Cullinan and so on, did not do very well. Once again, many reviewers felt that the product was overpriced and did not offer the exclusivity that the other SUVs managed to deliver.
Even Ferrari, Maserati’s cousin, felt the sales pressure. However, they did the expansion right. They stuck to their fundamentals and did not lose sight of the brand’s name and value. Even now, they are expanding their sales numbers, which are climbing yearly.
Coming back to Maserati, I feel that the company has understood its mistake, and the MC20 seems to be an honest attempt at redemption.
Maserati represents Italian racing heritage for many. Finally, the organization seems to have realized that and are pushing the company forward in the right direction to reinstate that emotion. These brands live off of that adrenaline rush, that emotion that arises from winning in racing. Just look at the age-old debate: “Does F1 need Ferrari, or does Ferrari need F1?”
This Project24 is a very wonderful step in the right direction. No matter how it performs on track, I think that the very existence of such a machine from the house of Maserati shows that they are thinking in the right direction.
This car looks absolutely amazing. Even from the press pictures, which have clearly been rendered, you can see how aggressive Maserati is aiming to make this car. The front seems to be sat very low and looks menacing. The rear taillights remind me of Volvo/Polestar cars, but they suit the look nonetheless. The top picture shows that there is a shark fin that extends until the rear wing, kind of like the 2017 F1 cars.
I really hope the Project24 is as fast as it looks. If they manage to pull it off, then it is not only rock-solid proof that the company is on the right track, but also the fact that the people that form the company are passionate and full of energy. Because cars like this that go fast simply cannot be made by people who are not passionate. It might not be a Valkerie AMR Pro, but it surely is a Halo car that would set the record straight as to the intentions of the company. Till then, let us gaze at these wonderful renders of this car!
