Sergio Mrchionnet, topman of Ferrari owner Fiat, shared recently that it is not Ferrari but Maserati which will challenge brands like the Bentley and Porsche. Maserati has several new models in the pipeline to make it a stronger contender it the segment of luxury sports cars.
According to Marchionne, the Ferrari will never play with the other two brands since it has its own box to enjoy. He also ruled out the possibillity of a Ferrari SUV which was rumored to meet head on the Cayenne from Porsche and the Bentley SUV. Marchionne also confirmed that Ferrari is not looking into 4-door Ferraris just to meet the Rapide of Aston Martin.
Ferrari expects around 7.000 units to go off their showrooms his year and a projecton of around 10,000 by mid term next year. The Fiat CEO also told the press that 15,000 units for the Ferrari is a bad news since they want to keep the brand’s uniqueness.
Marchionne said that Maserati has invested believing that it has all the potentials to over come the presence of Porsche and Bentley in the luxury ride segment. He wants the sales of Maserati to baloon to at least 55,000 units which is really very ambitious considering the numbers for last year at 5,675. He explained that it will be made feasible with the introduction of the new SUV and the two sedans which were previewed back in November. The smaller ride will lsport a V6 engine while the bigger model will get a V8 Ferrari -built powerplant.
The two new Maserati cars will work side by side with the convertible GranCabrio and coupe GranTurismo. The new SUV will take shape from te Kubang Concept displayed in Frankfurt. The new SUV, due for production by 2013, is expected to pull in at least 10,000 to 15,000 more sales annually for Maserati.
I have an uncontrollable urge to go out and fill all my cars with Shell petrol, get Shell oil changes and buy Shell merchandise and all of the overpriced products in their silly little petrol station shops… Hot damn this is one awesome commercial.
WHERE DO I BRING MONEY, MR SHELL?
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I love Top Gear. I love Scissor Doors. I love Lamborghini. And I love, love, love this brand new Murcielago. I’ve never had the chance to actually drive a Murcielago myself, but I can only imagine the pure joy of taking this onto the highway…
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The Italian car maker Ferrari, whose board of trustees are known to turn up their noses on the latest car making “trends” just to keep the great Ferrari heritage, has bowed down to government pressure. As promised, the first ever hybrid manufactured under the supercar maker’s name
will be on sale by 2015. This was announced by CEO and General Manager Amadeo Felisa during an interview with Autocar.
According to Felisa, the company will be forced to come out with a hybrid by the slated year because of certain regulations imposed by the European Union and Italian environmental agencies. While this seems like a good thing for the rest of humanity, Felisa comes off as slightly cynical about the whole thing. He told the press that he doesn’t see the point of these regulations. For him, Ferrari shouldn’t be bullied into following these emission rules.
To quote, Felisa told the Autocar reporter that lowering the emission levels of all Ferrari models can’t save the planet. It will, however, certainly cost the Italian manufacturer a lot of money.
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Concourse auto shows are like a rare meet up of comic collectors who pull out their priced possessions from their protective plastic covers. The upcoming masterpiece
of Zagato is being praised as a real speed monster. The TZ3 Corsa Alfa Romeo is just not a mere reinvention of design lines but a tribute to the centenary of the Alfa Romeo’s racing triumphs.
As you can see in the teaser image, the TZ3 Corsa is a modern interpretation of famous Alfa race cars from whatever angle you look at it. You can never miss though the vents, curves, and other elements which can only be from our time, the twenty first century.
The teaser created some buzz over the internet but we really have to wait until it is officially unwrap this week. But definitely it will be a knockout.
No one’s certain if the TZ3 Corza will let it all out in the race track but we are pretty sure that the German who commissioned the vehicle will want to see what the car can do than being an eye candy.
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You might be wondering what a Bugatti Veyron will be doing at the used car parking of a Chevrolet dealership. Someone must have done something crazy. Everyone must have dropped their jaws when a man walked into a Texas Chevrolet dealer and traded his red-on-black 2008 Bugatti Veyron for a Corvette ZR 1 plus some cash.
It must have been an act of patriotism but not a detail was disclosed for trading a $1.6 million Veyron for an a Corvette ZR 1 worth around $107,000.
The Bugatti is a 2008 car but the tag price for a supercar like a Veyron does not go down that fast. Depending on the car’s condition, you have to deal with a hefty price of $1.4 million to around $3.6 million for a second hand Veyron (that’s obviously for the more exclusive versions like the fbg by Hermes, the blue centennaire or the Sang Noir).
The Veyron can blast from 0 to 60 in just 2.4 seconds and boasts of a top speed of 253 mph compared to a ZR 1’s 3.3 seconds and 205 mph. No matter where you look at it, the Bugatti is a clear winner. Over and over again. But the Veyron doesn’t have an American badge.
The identity of the Bugatti ex-owner was found to be Carlton Beal Jr. who owns a petroleum company in Texas. According to an insider, the man has owned a McLaren F1 and a Lamborghini Diablo before but he remains to be down to earth. Maybe Beal is just interested in trying the American made Corvette after trying an F1, a Diablo, and a Veyron.
My god. Top Gear tests the beautiful Spyker C8 Spyder, and I feel like this shouldn’t be a Dutch car – but an Italian one. We can design sexy cars like this, not ZE DUTCH!
Blegh!
Don’t get me wrong, I really like the Fiat 500, and compared to the new Mini Cooper, it’s so much better value for money. This commercial however is anything but that. Loads of very confusing images – very little focus on how great the car is…
I don’t get it, at all…
November 25, 2009 – 21:05
If you like *porn* on wheels, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is probably the best you can get nowadays. It’s gorgeous, it’s a little naughty, and it’ll leave you feeling a little empty like so many other Alfa Romeo Cars….
Pure. Genius!