This Netflix series is Top 10 in 44 countries and features a luxury Italian car that 4 million viewers may not have recognized...

When it comes to spotting an Italian car in a Netflix series, you can count on us. And this time, it's a Maserati who discreetly invited herself into one of the Kdramas of the moment.

The Korean series My Royal Nemesis is currently off to a great international start. Broadcast on Netflix and SBS since May 8, 2026, it has already recorded 3.9 million views worldwide and reached the Top 10 in 44 countries. This success has given unexpected visibility to an Italian car that many viewers probably didn't even recognize: the new Maserati GranTurismo II.

A Maserati discreetly integrated into the Kdrama of the moment

It's in episode 3, at around the 30-minute mark, that we get a clear glimpse of the Italian coupe. The character of Cha Se-gye, played by Heo Nam-joon, uses the new GranTurismo in several scenes in the series. And the choice of model is no coincidence.

In My Royal Nemesis, Cha Se-gye is presented as a modern, wealthy and ruthless chaebol. A figure of the great Korean heir with a discreet, luxurious style, perfectly in tune with the image that Maserati is seeking to project today. In fact, the Italian manufacturer is banking on an even more assertive move upmarket, with models featuring elegant but more discreet design.

In fact, it's been several years since we've seen a Maserati featured so prominently in an international series with high audience potential.

Worldwide visibility for Maserati

With nearly 4 million views since its debut and a presence in the Netflix Top 10 in 44 countries, My Royal Nemesis gives Maserati worldwide exposure that would be difficult to achieve with a conventional advertising campaign.

The Italian brand appears here in a natural way, integrated into the character's universe, without any forced effect (as is often the case in Korean series). And while many viewers may not immediately recognize the model, car enthusiasts will quickly identify the lines of the new GranTurismo. In a market where Maserati is still seeking to raise its profile, this kind of presence in popular culture can have real image value.

The new GranTurismo

The car seen in the series is the second-generation GranTurismo, launched in 2023. This model marks an important milestone for Maserati, as it replaces the previous generation. Under its hood, the GranTurismo abandons the legendary Ferrari V8 of the previous generation in favor of the 3.0-liter Nettuno V6 developed in-house by Maserati. In its Trofeo version, this twin-turbo engine develops up to 550 hp, with a 0 to 100 km/h time of just 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 320 km/h.

However, the car retains what has always made Maserati GTs so attractive: an elegant silhouette, long proportions and an instantly recognizable Italian identity. This product placement also comes at a strategic time for Maserati. The brand is going through a complicated period commercially, with sales volumes down in recent years. But image remains essential in the luxury segment. And seeing a Maserati associated with a Korean series followed in dozens of countries is probably exactly the kind of visibility the brand needed.