Maserati Takes Aim at Porsche

When it comes to high-performance coupes, both Porsche and Jaguar have legions of loving and dedicated fans. But now, according to Ronn Torossian, there’s a new player on the scene that should create a rather interesting automotive love triangle. Maserati recently introduced the Alfieri coupe, a 2016 model that seems clearly aimed at stealing market share from Porsche’s vaunted 911 and Jag’s adored F-Type. When Maserati presented a version of the Alfieri at the recent Geneva Motor Show, high-performance car fans ignited.

Some of the reasons to love the Alfieri include 404 horsepower right out of the gate, with options that can crank that power up to either 444 or an asphalt boiling 510. Fortunately, the standard all-wheel drive will allow the Alfieri to hug that scorched asphalt every inch of the way. Not that long ago, Maserati pledged to move 75,000 cars a year by 2018, but brand reps insist the Alfieri is not the car to make that happen. Instead, their new performance coupe is slated to be a low-volume model, more of a shock and awe campaign to illuminate the entire Maserati line.

Take note, brand managers. This is an excellent strategy when you are repping a brand with a perennial seat on the outside looking in. Yes, Maserati has a dedicated core of fans, but not nearly the raving and raging fan base of its closest competitors. This is partly because Maserati has always been about “exclusivity and luxury.” It’s the brand that doesn’t want to be popular with all the people…just all the right people. Still, those “exclusive” people tend to have the cash to be very selective, and they often buy with flash and panache in mind…at least as much as performance. Given that market reality, Maserati has to step out of its We’re For the Select Few mold and aggressively go after those coveted “few.”

The Alfieri should get them looking, more than once, not just at the Alfieri but at the entire Maserati line. Exposing the “right people” to all that you offer can help raise the water level across your entire brand. You will attract potential customers who may not want your “grabber” product, but might fall in love with something else you offer…something they would not have otherwise given a first, much less a second, thought.