Looks like the Maserati Alfieri is happening after all. First announced as a 2+2 concept to rival the Porsche 911 back in 2014, the coupe has had troubles making way to production. However, rather than a conventional internal combustion engine, the Italian carmaker is looking at electrified powertrains for the the model, which will explicitly target Tesla, according to a report by CarAdvice.
Maserati said the production Alfieri will be built on a modular aluminium spaceframe and feature active aerodynamics, which differs from the GranTurismo platform used for the concept. Two bodystyles, a coupe and a convertible, will be made, and both are available with plug-in hybrid and pure electric drivetrains.
The EV variant will get three electric motors, all-wheel drive, torque vectoring and an 800-volt battery. The carmaker said this will allow it to sprint from zero to 100 km/h in around two seconds, and hit 300 km/h. In fact, this drivetrain will be used in future battery electric vehicles from the Italian carmaker, all of which will be parked under the Maserati Blue banner. This includes the next-generation Levante as well as the Quattroporte.
Interestingly, Maserati is also planning on a new SUV that’s positioned below the Levante. Power could come from petrol and plug-in hybrid drivetrains, but a pure electric version is not among the cards. This SUV will apparently be based on a “best-in-class lightweight platform” and boast a 50:50 weight distribution.
The product offensive is part of Fiat Chrysler’s ongoing five-year product plan on through 2020, which sees Maserati introducing a range of new models and drivetrains in order to double to its annual sales. Other models mentioned include a facelift for the Ghibli.
With this expansion, the Italian automaker has grown sales from 6,000 units per annum in 2012 to around 50,000 in 2017. It hopes to sell 100,000 units yearly by 2022. The company also aims to offer Level Three autonomous driving technology in its cars by 2022.
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OMG. Maserati must be very confident to target an EV to sprint to 100km/h in 2 seconds & hit 300 km/h.
Watch out super-car owners, Maserati is saying they have an EV that will smoke you QUIETLY in a race & still come home fresh without feeling guilty of polluting the environment.