2018 Maserati Gran Turismo on 2040-cars

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Camal Studio pays tribute to the Maserati GranTurismo

Although the Maserati GranTurismo may have looked pretty hot when it hit the scene in 2007, eight years on, it's starting to show its age. Maserati is focusing its attention on the new Quattroporte, Ghibli and upcoming Levante utility vehicle, but Camal Studio is evidently keen to pick up what Maserati has let fall by the wayside.
The design house, as you may recall, was founded by former Pininfarina designers - the same firm that penned the GranTurimso (among other Maseratis) in the first place. Camal calls its redesign the Tributo (a name which should require no translation) and it draws its inspiration from Maserati GTs past like the original Ghibli, Bora and Khamsin. The resulting design comes across as clean enough, but to our eyes somewhat unremarkable. And if you're going to go to the trouble of coachbuilding a Maserati, you might as well go for a bit more visual impact. But that's judging solely from the renderings, and that's just our opinion - the financially well-endowed customers Camal is going after may feel otherwise once they see it in the flesh.

Alfa Romeo to gun for Jag F-Type with 6C

It has taken Alfa Romeo years of promises to finally, truly return to the US with the 4C sports coupe and its initial 86-dealer network. We already know that the sporty Italian brand has more models on the way in near future, with a midsize sedan, crossovers and more headed our way according to the company's five-year plan. Now, the latest rumor from an unnamed source speaking to Auto Express, claims that Alfa has another, more powerful sports car on the slate to take on an even higher rung of performance vehicles, cars like the Jaguar F-Type. The so-called Alfa Romeo 6C would launch as a coupe with the twin-turbocharged V6 engine from Maserati Ghibli (which makes 404 horsepower in that application) and a convertible would join the lineup later. The Alfa's platform would come directly from the Maserati Alfieri, which is supposed to launch in 2016. In terms of styling, the insider describes the new coupe as closer to the earlier 8C Competizione than the 4C. That suggests a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, plenty of gorgeous curves and the brand's long-lived shield grille flanked by LED headlights up front. Auto Express' source claims a 2017 launch date for the new range, and that could fit in Alfa's already-announced product plan. In its five-year forecast, the company said a specialty car would join the ranks from 2016-2018. At the time, we assumed this would be the sibling to the next-gen Mazda MX-5 Miata. However, the Italian end of the project was more recently reported to be in doubt, with thoughts that the codeveloped model may end up wearing a Fiat badge. The 6C could be an interesting alternative if the project comes to fruition. Featured Gallery 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C: First Drive View 43 Photos News Source: Auto ExpressImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Seyth Miersma / AOL Design/Style Rumormill Alfa Romeo Maserati Coupe Performance

Maserati's Super Bowl spot may have cost more than $700 per car [w/video]

It's no secret that Super Bowl ad time is very, very expensive, with a 30-second spot for this year's game costing around $4 million. For Maserati, which aired a 90-second spot showing off its new Ghibli sedan during this year's game, the price was considerably above $4 million, though.
Automotive News estimates that the spot cost Maserati the equivalent of over $700 for each of the 15,400 vehicles sold last year. That works out to nearly $11 million. It may have paid off, though, as search traffic for Maserati and the Ghibli in particular saw a significant spike following the airing of the stylish commercial, and the brand's total sales were already on target for record levels before the ad aired.
The Ghibli "deserved a wide audience platform such as the Super Bowl," according to Maserati's chief marketing officer, Saad Chehab. The sports sedan is Maserati's most affordable entry, with prices starting around $67,000, moving the brand further downmarket than it's ever ventured before.