The Alfa-Maserati Connection!
Will Maserati build a baby Quattroporte?
Although strictly a rumor at this point, there is a strong possibility that Maserati will build a smaller version of its flagship Quattroporte sports sedan for 2010. But what makes the story more interesting is the source from which the baby Maser will arrive: the all-new upcoming Alfa Romeo 169, which will be part of the Italian marque's US resurgence in 2008 or 2009.
As platform twins, the baby Maserati and Alfa 169 will share similar dimensions, though body styles will be decidedly different. Figure the cars being close in size to, say, a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, while the current Quattroporte is close to the Mercedes S-Class.
Borrowing the most recent design trend, both cars will utilize the Mercedes CLS-like sedan-becomes-coupe styling, with steeply sloping rooflines.
The platform will be based on that of the upcoming Alfa 8C sports car, meaning that, yes, the 169 will be rear-drive as opposed to the front-drive as we originally thought. Both the 169 and the smaller Quattroporte are expected to have stirring performance, as evidenced by their 400-bhp 4.2-liter V-8 engines, taken from the current Quattroporte and the 8C, though the Alfa will come standard with a 3.2-liter V-6 of about 300 bhp.
But lest you think this is a case of badge engineering, think again. Although the two cars will share many underpinnings, the cars' bodies, interiors and suspension tuning will be unique to each brand. Whether this relationship will be a "sharing of equals' remains to be seen, but for sure this Alfa/Maserati association is great news for Alfa fans, as it lends credence to just how good a sports sedan the 169 will be. On the Maser side, a smaller Quattroporte will bring younger buyers to Maserati dealerships, as the new car will actually be "semi-affordable."
- Mike Monticello, Road and Track, June 2007
The images look really great!!
Baby Quattroporte + Alfa 169
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