Maserati Alfieri Concept (2014)

Maserati Alfieri Concept (2014)

Maserati Alfieri Concept (2014)

Maserati unveiled the Alfieri, a 2+2 concept car to celebrate the brand's centenary at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. The Alfieri is an exciting but realistic and 100% functional prototype that says much about the design DNA of future Maserati; it could well be a door to the future of the Trident Marque.

The striking new concept bears the name of Alfieri, the most prominent of the Maserati brothers and the engineering genius who founded "Officine Alfieri Maserati" in Bologna a century ago. The Alfieri was created at the Maserati Centro Stile in Turin by a group of talented young designers, under the direction of Marco Tencone overseen by Lorenzo Ramaciotti.

SPORTING-
The Alfieri is based on the GranTurismo MC Stradale chassis with a 24 centimetre shorter wheelbase, giving it the proportions of a genuine supercar. Alfieri is 4,590mm long with a 2,700mm wheelbase, 1,930mm wide and 1,280mm high.

Under the sleek body lies the transaxle platform of the Maserati GranTurismo. This 4.7 litre, naturally aspirated, V8 engine from Maranello develops 460bhp at 7,000rpm and 520Nm at 4,750rpm and gives the Alfieria real driving force. Thanks to a special exhaust layout, this thoroughbred V8 also produces a breath-taking sound.

A six-speed, electro-actuated gearbox (MC Shift) is mounted in a single unit with the limited slip rear differential and connected to the engine via a rigid torque tube. The transaxle layout gives the Alfieri an optimised front-rear weight distribution with a slight predominance to the rear axle.

MINIMALIST INTERIOR-
The instrument panel has a classic layout with two binnacle dials with two smaller ones in between. The edge of each is embellished with a small "Officine Maserati" label.

Rather than analogue binnacle dials, the instrument panel features TFT displays inspired by modern photographic camera menus in the way they indicate km/h and engine rpm. Instead of a rotating indicator, the numbers themselves rotate around the clocks. Current speed and RPM are highlighted by a magnifying glass effect.

There is even a touch of racing spirit inside the Alfieri. The floor is finished in a material that imitates oxidised steel, a material commonly found on racing cars of the 1950s.

The interior has a classic 2+2 layout with an open space luggage compartment. The rear seat backrests have a unique, elongated design. Well visible from the outside, they add a sense of speed to the interior. The rear seats tilt forwards through 90 degrees and also serve as luggage bulkheads.
The three-spoke steering wheel and the deep central crown form a three dimensional sculpture that seems to have been crafted in the workshop of an Italian artisan. Like the remainder of the Alfieri's interior, it too is 100% handmade.

The oval clock with red-blue back plate incorporates two sub-dials and is obviously inspired by a classic chronograph.