Alexandre
Lamborghinithe famous Italian sports car manufacturer, has a very precise view of its market and competitors. In an internal document we were able to obtain, Lamborghini classifies the various car brands according to their positioning: mass market, premium, luxury or ultra-luxury.
And among these categories, there's one that's sure to set teeth on edge at Maserati The brand with the trident is considered as a simple premium brand... but not a luxury one!
What distinguishes a premium brand from a luxury brand, according to Lamborghini? The document doesn't explicitly say, but we can assume that the main criterion is price.
Maserati's most expensive models, such as the new Granturismo or the MC20, are priced at around 200,000 euros, while Lamborghini's least expensive models, such as the Urus or Huracan, are priced at over 200,000 euros. Not to mention the most exclusive models, such as the Sian or Centenario, which fetch several million euros.
But price isn't the only factor that comes into play when defining luxury. There's also performance, design, innovation, history, and especially image! And with today's luxury and ultra-luxury clientele, Lamborghini seems to be one step ahead of Maserati. The brand with the bull has succeeded in renewing and diversifying itself, notably with the launch of its first SUV, the Urus, which met with phenomenal commercial success. It has also been able to innovate and stand out from the crowd, by offering limited edition models, such as the Sian or the Countach LP1.
Maserati, the Italian brand with the trident, is going through a difficult period. It suffers from a lack of range renewal, a lag in innovation and an image tarnished by its previous models positioned in competition with premium brands. Like the Maserati Ghibli Hybrid with its 330 hp 4-cylinder engine.
Since 2020, the company has been relying on its "MMXX: The Way Forward" recovery plan to turn itself around and reinvent itself. It is counting on its new models, such as the MC20 and Granturismo, and its Folgore electric powertrains, to win back the hearts of sports and luxury car enthusiasts.
It also hopes to gain in independence and prestige, gradually detaching itself from Stellantis. Will Maserati succeed in regaining its place among the luxury brands? Will Lamborghini have to review its classification? Time will tell.
When it comes to cars, German opinion doesn't really count.
From a brand that has never been able to make a reliable car, and which makes SUVs on Audi chassis... for luxury, they'll have to do it again, because their products feature a lot of premium features, so apart from the V12 version, it's enough to make you laugh.
They've really fallen behind Ferrari and Maserati, who have their own platforms.
Maserati's brand image is more intact than Lamborghini's, but they don't target the same clientele, who are often Ferrarists or people with exceptional cars who drive a Maserati every day, or businessmen, diplomats... and so on.
Marchionne's mistake was not to offer the Quattroporte 6 with the Ghibli's front end, precisely by offering 2 Quattroporte models of different sizes!
Not having amortized it by keeping the V8 for Maserati, the V6 diesel and petrol Ferrari for a Lancia Thesis (4WD) and the V6 petrol for an Alfa Giuliana/Gianna.
All that was needed was a new body.
But for some reason I can't understand why Marchionne wanted to make volume with Maserati when it's never been in his DNA and 25,000ex should be the maximum (excluding limited series).
I don't see the point of Maserati taking Lancia's place.
The Urus isn't a luxury product, it's an ass-kicker, and they're virtually incapable of making a TRUE sports car without sticking 4WD all over it.
It's only a short step from there to their being sold off to bail out VAG's coffers, like Bugatti.
It's become so commercial that you don't even want to have fun anymore, I've known and used real Ferraris and real Lamborghinis, with quick and easy mechanics, I've been kipping for years, I still have incredible memories, even in a Maserati Granturismo cabrio, or a Quatroporte, it's great, now anyone can buy an Italian sports car, just to show off their success, I maintained my cars, I took them apart, when I was driving, you'd think I had something on top of me, with a soul telling me to speed up, speed up, speed up, and it never stopped: speed, thrills, and shivers as you crypsen in acceleration, something you don't feel even in these new artificial supercars, what a shame!
It's clear that since the advent of excessive electronics and the loss of the naturally-aspirated engine, supercars and sports cars nowadays have a sanitized taste and you can no longer feel at one with them, apart from the MX5 and the GR86 or the Lotus Emira.
Lamborghinis have always been m'as tu vu cars, unreliable but atypical.
Their motto should be:
"marry your gas station attendant or find oil to pay 💰 the bills!"
Maserati's motto is just the opposite: "Weight is the enemy and surface is the obstacle... the same motto as Touring".
Very well said Ced. I would like to add that both lamborghini and bugati are well and truly dead since the takeover by the German group. You don't get that copy paste smell when you look at the audi vw skoda cupra catalog and so on. The same goes for bmw. It's just German rigor, because as for the rest, I'm sorry, but there's no passion (apart from the 911, perhaps, for those who love that thing). Finally, when you look at the historical racing record of lambo vs. maserati, you wonder whether the pot calling the kettle black ....
The most beautiful of all Lamborghinis is still the Miura.
The Countach was impressive, but already foreshadowed the clean-cut lines of today's models.
As for Maserati's track record, it's best not to talk about it.
No Lamborghini will ever look as good as the Miura, and the concepts for the Cala too.
Clearly, apart from the Cayman, Boxster and BMW M2, there's nothing to get up at night for German cars. Bugatti is in Rimac and when you see the weight of the Veyron and Chiron compared to the EB110 and S, you're seriously regressing (they came out at the wrong time, unfortunately, like Artega in Germany). There was Weismann, but they've disappeared!
Maybach, Alpina too.
As far as I'm concerned, a key element of luxury in the automotive sector, apart from price, is a certain idea of "class".
Lamborghinis may be more expensive than Maseratis, but you're out of luck, it's Maseratis that have class.
They've got it right, because Lamborghini don't know how to design cars (it's getting worse with each new model release). Concepts that even look more like cars (the Lamborghini Égoïsta is reminiscent of a corn 🌽 or sunflower 🌻 harvester).
Maserati has a real sporting record, while Lamborghini's is a joke.
What's more, Maserati has had the support of Ferrari for its products... and not VAG like some, so prestige is an issue....👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎
I hear your points of view. Mine is less extreme for two reasons. The first is that on my Italian car outings there's often a Gallardo and a Huracan, and you've got to admit that they sound like hell of a Supercar. High performance, great sound, they're a pleasure to drive. Regarding identity, yes, they belong to Audi (which belongs to Volkswagen), but they are designed and assembled in Italy. I have a friend who worked for years for Maserati/Ferrari and who now works for Lamborghini, and he always works in Italy, with Italians. So I think we need to tone down our rather extreme comments, out of respect for the priority drivers who enjoy this car, and for the Italians who work for this... very Italian brand! (What about the bsuv alfa romeo in comparison?) Finally, concerning history, you're right, Maserati is way ahead, but in contemporary history, Lamborghini is arriving in hypercars and Maserati is in Formula E...
When you have a German V10, a German V8, when the components come directly from a German brand that will soon be made on Chinese platforms, it's only Italian in name. Before you tell us that we're extremists for a lame and bogus brand (it's all very well to talk about the Gallardo and the Huracan... but we're talking about their reliability just for laughs?????), out of respect for guys we don't know from Adam or Eve, it's a lot to take in.
What's more, sharing these elements with a generalist brand doesn't make it a luxury brand, it makes it a (moderate) one.
Yes, Lamborghini is a big scam for brainless suckers 🧠.
Especially since it's this pathetic brand that's looking for trouble.🤣😂
When Lamborghini and its garbage cans have sold as many Maseratis... we'll talk again.
For the moment, Lamborghini has NO track record to prove that this brand is a (moderate).
They don't even have their own sports car (sharing its components with an R8 or a Q7, there's really nothing to open it up to). They've never been able to make a decent automatic gearbox and a V10 that doesn't bang like crystal (which is why the Gallardo's price is dropping like crazy), and a V12 sports car where you have to change almost everything on it every 5,000km... you can't be serious about that!
Lamborghini is coming to hypercar.... They've been saying it for so many years, it's laughable. In endurance racing, they've never been able to do anything, especially when you see the number of times the Diablo has dropped out.
In F1, their engine was one of the worst ever.
Lamborghini is the equivalent of Les guignols de l'info:
They're just there to make people laugh and try to pull the wool over our eyes.
Unfortunately, we've already talked about Formula E.
Peugeot should go back to its cars and make way for Maserati or Alfa or Lancia.
F. Lamborghini produced tractors longer than supercars, then the brand was sold and resold by Arnaud Mimran (sentenced to 13 years in prison for kidnapping), Chrysler, the son of an Indonesian dictator, VAG... It's a bit like the court of miracles... That the brand should then compare itself to Ferrari was the original ambition, except that Ferruccio didn't want competition, and without competition you don't progress, so it's high time. They're powerful, luxurious, but I'm sorry if New Holland decided to produce a supercar with the help of Dallara, an engine builder poached from Ferrari and Touring, they'd probably come up with something decent.
You can't leave with this kind of opinion either, otherwise Maserati is no better, because after losing Maserati and Orca, the Maserati brothers were no marvels in terms of sales and industrial and economic planning.
Maserati has changed owners 4 times in its lifetime.
Lamborghinis, no, sorry, but they're not at all luxurious, or maybe we don't have the same definition of the word.
Ferrari is 100% Italian.
Lamborghini is 100% the Italian disgrace because, like compaq in the past, all their parts come from abroad but are assembled and call themselves Italian luxury cars...(Gallardo, Huracan, Urus) which are just a cover-up for Lamborghini's incompetence.
At least Alfa doesn't pretend to be in the business of so-called luxury!
Not to mention the loudmouth made in VAG who claims Lamborghini won't touch electric until 2030 to 2035.... But they've just presented us with an electric garbage can 🤣
What a bunch of losers this VAG group is 😂
I'm obliged to moderate certain words in your comments. Don't take it the wrong way, it's to protect me as your editor.
Don't worry, I'm not worried because the results are there:
Lamborghini in Endurance... Zero (even Dodge with the Viper nuked them)!
In endurance racing recently, Maserati made a big splash with the MC12!
Lamborghini enters F1... An absolute flop (as does Porsche).
Lamborghini want a car to compete with the F430... morality, we end up with a sports car that has a gearbox worthy of a Ferrari 355 F1 and an engine that constantly fails!
Lamborghini, apart from making the Murcielago's V12 and chassis (just a reworking of the Diablo), they don't make anything anymore, and even the gearbox and drivetrain no longer come from them! Now they're bringing out an Urus that's just a pimped-up Audi.... In short, they've become pathetic.
You're right about the brand's history, but I don't think you're taking into account that more and more supercar customers are under 40, as Ferrari and Lamborghini have announced. Unfortunately, what counts is the present.
The present is clear.
Lamborghini will never have the aura of Ferrari among sports car enthusiasts, or even that of McLaren, which is more recent but already more legendary than Lamborghini.
Lamborghini will never be able to sell its Urus like the Purosangue (not all customers are stupid) and I'd really like to see the exact figures, because when I see all the used ones for sale all over Switzerland, it's got to be no wonder like the Cayenne).
I bet in advance that their SUV sedan coupe that Lamborghini has designed ✍️ in partnership with Peugeot and well won't work, that's for sure!
When Maserati's clientele is the same as Aston Martin's or Jaguar's, then no, it's clearly not young people under 40, but rather those in their fifties.
The only problem with Maserati Alex is that it's absolutely essential to bring out an Alfieri, because who's going to win back the 4200's customers? They're nothing like the Granturismo's clientele, just as the V8 vantage's buyers were nothing like the Vanquish's. And the losses suffered by Aston are the same for Maserati as they are for Jaguar, which, apart from the F-Type, has nothing else to offer.
This Alfieri has been eagerly awaited by dealers... unfortunately it's still not on the program for the moment...
Quite a mistake on the part of these 3 brands:
Aston and Maserati don't have small, luxurious, hyper-sporty coupes, and Jaguar has a small, sporty coupe, but no XK.
Knowing that the other manufacturers are pulling out of this segment (almost even Mercedes), these 3 prestige manufacturers have a huge card to play to regain their respective places at the top of the market, because there's a difference between prestige and sport that Lamborghini apparently has trouble understanding, and every time Lamborghini has tried to enter the prestige segment with its entry-level vehicles, it's been... a fiasco.
It's no scoop = Maserati says the same thing = in the price range, Maserati's top of the range ends where Ferrari and Lamborghini begin.
Hello everyone.
For my part, I don't find this illogical, and even if the brand remains in the common mind a signature of luxury or sport, the product may disappoint.
I had in mind to buy a ghibli last year and was really disappointed with the car during the test drive.
The feeling in the cabin was of being in a (premium) sedan, with the added bonus of the dashboard clock.
So, big disappointment...
So I opted for the Alfa Romeo Giulia.
The Ghibli as it stands today, we expect to see more of this kind of product from Lancia (for V6 4WD) and a sportier, lighter version from Alfa (V6 and V8 rear-wheel drive).
Maserati is to concentrate on a Quattroporte (2 sizes) and a new, more authentic Ghibli (2 sizes) only with Nettuno and an electric version.
The Giulia is a step down in terms of size, and not the same kind of product, since they can be enjoyed both front and rear.
Whatever people say, Lamborghini tried to come to the 4-door... without success. Aston tried to go 4-door... without success. Only Jaguar and Maserati succeeded.
Of course, the Ghibli is very premium, and this was a choice that didn't necessarily pay off. But the price was lower, so you get what you pay for. Jaguar, on the other hand, had the same idea, but it became commonplace.
It's not about one model, it's about a coherent range, and when you announce products that attract customers and then offer them a chance to scratch their itch... you shouldn't be surprised to see them leave for the competition, and if you want to attract the under-40s to Maserati... you can't do it with a Granturismo and the MC20, that's not enough.
Stephan mentioned the disappointing test drive of a Ghibli. But Maserati also offers a Grecale, and as I've already said, the range is certainly being rebuilt. We're now awaiting the arrival of the Quattroporte and Levante II in the coming months, the first of which will probably be the official car of the President of the Italian Republic. Of course, the price tag will easily exceed 150,000 euros...
We're talking about the Ghibli, which must exist alongside the Grecale and in 2 sizes with the same type of engine to create a coherent range with a price tag of not less than 100,000 euros.
Whether it's the Quattroporte or the Levante in 2 sizes, they too can't come out in electric only, otherwise it would be a considerable loss. 150,000 euros is the minimum to make it profitable if the product is well adapted.
But above all, we need to limit the number of copies as much as possible to keep demand constant, and keep evolving every year to keep the product up to date until 2035.
This is the way to take a huge step towards China.
As already mentioned, the Giulia and Ghibli are 2 different products in a different range, and at Alfa this no longer exists since the discontinuation of the 166.
It's not just Maserati that he considers a premium brand, but also Aston Martin.
VAG would do better to shut up and make cars, because when you see how agonizing they are with their electric garbage that nobody wants and are forced to go and ask the Chinese to supply them with platforms for Audi and VAG and are forced to fire the thousands of people who look after their electric cars makes their brands low-cost products!
They are neither premium nor generalists, but producers of low-end cars!
It's time for Lamborghini to review its organizational chart.
I just love seeing French Fiat/Stellantis fans raging about Lamborghini because it's a Volkswagen = German!
What really pisses you off is that the Germans have turned Lamborghini into a brand that outsells Maserati at much higher prices = huge cashflow to invest in future projects and with access to the technological resources of Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche, Lamborghini's future is completely secure.
Unlike Maserati, whose future is constantly called into question at the rate of a new plan every 4 or 5 years, with each one promising tens of thousands that never arrive.
So here you are, whining, trying to find justifications for your argument that are as pathetic as they are ridiculous, denigrating what comes from a German group like Lamborghini to save face for dead brands like Lancia Alfa Romeo and Maserati: "nia nia nia no history" "nia nia nia it's not Italian-owned" "nia nia nia they didn't make F1 in 1953 Maserati did" etc....
The premium and luxury market is very simple to understand:
- Budgets: Premium over +100 K€, Luxury over +200 K€.
- Other premium/luxury brands: Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes, Porsche, Rolls-Royce
When you have more than 100K€ or 200 K€ to put into a car, you don't put it into a Maserati, because this brand has been badly managed and has made crap for too long to still be considered seriously by the customers of the other brands mentioned.
Even the boss of your favorite group, John Elkann, doesn't believe in Maserati in the luxury market, so much so that he preferred to separate Ferrari independently from the Fiat group before cutting ties with Alfa Romeo for the V6 and Maserati for the V8, whereas more than 20 years ago it was Ferrari that managed Maserati.