{"id":8370,"date":"2014-09-16T17:00:01","date_gmt":"2014-09-16T15:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autodesignmagazine.com\/en\/2014\/09\/maserati-alfieri-matrice-sportiva\/"},"modified":"2020-04-09T09:54:24","modified_gmt":"2020-04-09T07:54:24","slug":"maserati-alfieri-matrice-sportiva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/autodesignmagazine.com\/en\/2014\/09\/maserati-alfieri-matrice-sportiva\/","title":{"rendered":"MASERATI ALFIERI, RACING ROOTS"},"content":{"rendered":"

From a blank sheet of paper to production certainty in less than a year, the Alfieri \u2013 named in homage to one of Maserati\u2019s two founding brothers \u2013 was created in an unprecedentedly short space of time.<\/p>\n

The manifesto of the new face of Maserati, the car is the next step in the evolution of the DNA at the heart of the iconic Trident marque. After its clamorous reception at the Geneva Motor Show, where it met with universal acclaim, the production car will probably reach showrooms before the end of 2016.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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\u201cWe wanted to mark the brand\u2019s centennial with a concept with powerful visual impact \u2013 explains Fiat Chrysler Global Design director Lorenzo Ramaciotti \u2013 and we initially considered ideas for futuristic, pure dream cars. But Marchionne asked us to change direction, and to focus instead on something that truly portrayed the future of the brand. So we opted for a more conventional configuration for Maserati \u2013 the 2+2 compact sports coup\u00e9. The result was such a hit that it will become reality \u2013 an object that our customers will actually be able to buy.\u201d This is not the first time that a \u201cone-off\u201d created by the Turin-based Centro Stile has spawned a production model: other cases were the Trepi\u00f9no, which led to the 500, and the Alfa Romeo 8C and 4C. This magnificent sports car, however, was turned into reality in an even shorter period of time. On 23 October 2013, Ramaciotti presented drawings of the Maserati to celebrate the brand\u2019s centennial to the Group Executive Council \u2013 the decision-making board of FCA – in Brazil, and met with unanimous approval. Four months later, the prototype \u2013 built on a shortened version of the GranTurismo platform and measuring 4.6 metres in length and 1.3 in height with a generous 2.67 metre wheelbase \u2013 was ready for its debut at Geneva. The next challenge is to put the car on the road with as few modifications as possible relative to the concept: with very few changes to the exterior, and minor changes to just a few functional elements in the interior.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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While brimming with cues citing the brand\u2019s history, the Alfieri is anything but retro. The car is mainly inspired by the A6GCS of 1954 that eventually earned praise for its sheer beauty \u2013 for its perfect proportions with a very long bonnet, a cab pushed far back towards the tail and perched on a central body flanked by sweeping fenders, and a low-set grille framed between the front fenders. Some of these elements \u2013 albeit in a contemporary key \u2013 have been applied to the Alfieri.<\/p>\n

Maserati Design Director Marco Tencone oversaw every stage in the styling process together with his second in command Alberto Dilillo. \u201cOur goal \u2013 he says \u2013 was to implement modern concepts but without being influenced by fashion and popularistic trends. We wanted to accentuate the \u2018italianness\u2019 of the car, with its soft lines and decisive but pure graphics.\u201d The classic DNA of Maserati is apparent in every element, including the three lateral air vents, but in a futuristic perspective. The original personality expressed by the tail view is, however, the most surprising aspect of the car.<\/p>\n

Unlike the Alfa Romeo 4C, which is a more extreme car focused single-mindedly on lightness, the Alfieri has no need for ultra-technological structural solutions, although carbon has been used for certain details.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The secret of the car\u2019s character lies in sophisticated combinations of cleverly matched materials, forms and colours. The cabin is an exercise in obsessive attention to detail, with two rear seats which, when tipped forward, increase the size of the luggage compartment while protecting the occupants of the front seats, or, when upright, continue towards the rear window to replace the parcel shelf and create a single volume shooting-brake effect, as in a 1950s coup\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Other bold cues clearly citing the past but interpreted in a modern key appear in the steering wheel, with a dished shape evocative of classic steering wheels in bakelite, in the gear shift lever – a truncated cone as in historic race Maseratis \u2013 and even in the clock situated low down on the centre tunnel console, as seen in the 150 GT.<\/p>\n

Traditional Maserati blue has been used subtly to accentuate certain specific elements, such as the wheel spokes, the flank vents, the Alfieri logo and the tailpipes. Inside the cabin, Luna white and blue are juxtaposed in the exclusive leather trim to highlight the sense of craftsmanship. Anodised copper emphasis the instruments and steering wheel and carbon is used as a material expressing contemporary high performance.<\/p>\n

The article continues in Auto & Design no. 208<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

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