Maserati is so proud of its fastback Alfieri concept, it named it for one of the founders

By Stephen Edelstein Published March 1, 2016

Maserati is celebrating its centennial this year. What better way to do that than with a concept car named after one of the company’s founders?

Unveiled at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, the Maserati Alfieri concept is a voluptuous GT car that honors Alfieri Maserati, one of the most prominent of the brothers who founded Maserati a century ago.

All Maseratis are easy on the eyes, but this one more so. Its styling was meant to be sportier and more aggressive than the current GranTurismo, and the concept rides on a wheelbase that is 9.5 inches shorter.

Maserati identifies the classic 1954 A6 GCS-53 as inspiration for the Alfieri but – with its LED headlights and massive grille – it looks like it could have also been inspired by a prehistoric sea creature.

At the back, the Alfieir features three-dimensional “candy cane” taillights, with alternating red-and-white strips. The car also has a unique set of alloy wheels (20-inch front, 21-inch rear) intended to evoke 1950s designs.

Under the skin is a modified version of the GranTurismo’s platform and its 4.7-liter V8. The naturally-aspirated engine produces 460 horsepower, slightly more than the base GranTurismo’s output of 454 hp.

It’s linked to a six-speed MC Shift automatic transmission, and also has a special exhaust system design to produce a signature sound.

Maserati says the Alfieri is a fully-operational prototype, but did not confirm any plans to put it into production. It wouldn’t be surprising to see some of its styling elements end up on future models, though, or for an incredibly wealthy (and well-connected) customer to custom order one.

Topics

Photo Galleries

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Mobile

I reviewed an electric car like it was a phone, and I came to a shocking conclusion

The front of the Cupra Born VZ.

The Cupra Born VZ is not a smartphone — it’s an electric car. Yet, during my time driving it over the last five days, it has reminded me more than once about the device I spend most of my time using and reviewing.

This is not a put-down, nor is it a comment on electric versus combustion-engine vehicles, but more about how I, someone who doesn’t professionally review cars, can still easily recognize what’s good and bad about it. What’s more, the categories I usually break phone reviews down into, and the language I regularly use to talk about them, also neatly applies to the Born VZ.

Cars

Hyundai teases Ioniq 9 electric SUV’s interior ahead of expected launch

hyundai ioniq 9 teaser launch 63892 image1hyundaimotorpresentsfirstlookationiq9embarkingonaneweraofspaciousevdesign

The Ioniq 9, the much anticipated three-row, electric SUV from Hyundai, will be officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week.

Selected by Newsweek as one of America’s most anticipated new vehicles of 2025, the Ioniq 9 recently had its name changed from the Ioniq 7, which would have numerically followed the popular Ioniq 6, to signal the SUV as Hyundai’s new flagship EV model.

Cars

Kia EV5: everything we know so far

Kia EV9 front exterior

Kia is expanding its EV lineup in a big way. The company is currently in the middle of rolling out the EV3, which is now available in Europe and is likely to come to the U.S. next year. Not only that, but it's also prepping the EV4, which it will likely announce more widely in 2025. And it's not stopping there either -- the Kia EV5 is a slightly scaled-back version of the much-loved EV9 SUV, and not only is it a vehicle we're excited about, but it's one that has already launched in Australia.

If the EV5 is anything like the EV9 -- only cheaper -- it'll be an instant success. Curious about whether the EV5 could be your next car? Here's everything we know about the EV5.
Design
Despite the lower number, the Kia EV5 is actually larger than the EV6 crossover — but not quite as large as the EV9 SUV. Kia calls it a “compact SUV” that offersa boxy design that’s similar to the EV9, but with only two rows of seats instead of three.