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.
