Believe it or not, you'll soon be able to buy a Maserati Alfieri. The sports car has reportedly been greenlit for production for 2016, and we expect most of the concept's sensual design to remain intact.
Riding on a shortened Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale platform, the Alfieri's wheelbase is a hair over 106 inches long, placing it within 4 inches of the similarly-size Jaguar F-Type's wheelbase. No surprise, as the Alfieri will have the Jaguar sports car, as well as the Porsche 911, in its crosshairs.
Like the F-Type, the Alfieri will rely on its striking exterior design to differentiate it from the venerable Porsche. Inspired by the Pininfarina-designed 1954 Maserati A6 CGS-53, the Alfieri's wide and deep-set grille, low-mounted headlights and wide haunches give the sports car concept a distinctly Italian look.
While the Alfieri concept car sources its 4.7-liter V8 engine and six-speed semi-automatic transmission the European GranTurismo MC Stradale, the production car is expected to use multiple versions of the V6 engine found in the Ghibli sedan. Base Alfieris will be rear-wheel-drive and will reportedly produce 410 horsepower, while higher-end all-wheel-drive Alfieris will offer customers 450 and 520 horsepower, respectively.
Inside, the Alfieri is textbook concept car. The 2+2 sports car's minimalist interior is a mix of new-age technology and old-school simplicity. A large display screen dominates the center stack of the Alfieri, while classic touches like imitation oxidized steel for the car's floor, a material the company notes was commonly found in racing cars of the 1950s, and a chronograph-style clock maintain a connection to the brand's storied almost 100-year-old history.
With stiff competition from Jaguar and Porsche, we think the Maserati's sexy Italian looks, high-performance V6 engines and expectedly rich interior will help the Alfieri adequately battle its competitors when it comes to market in 2016.
Photos: Dave Pankew
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Image Credits: AutoNation
