Maserati Boss Bill Peffer Refines Two Approaches to Trident

Maserati is at the same inflection point as the rest of the auto industry. But Maserati, the Italian luxury brand with a motorsport pedigree, is doing what no other automaker has done before the centennial of the Tipo 26, which was first raced in 1926: Maserati is changing its product line by making all models internal combustion and battery electric types, thereby revamping its product line. Maserati is also following the trend by strengthening its line of luxury SUVs paired with supercars and high-performance luxury sedans.

Bill Peffer, CEO of Maserati Americas, gave an interview to Motor Authority on a rainy summer day in Chicago to outline and reason for this decidedly different approach to automotive headwinds.

In short, it takes money.

"Without being part of a large group like Sterantis, this would not have been possible," Peffer explained.

"If someone walked into our showroom today, they wouldn't be able to tell it from 12 or 18 months ago," Pfeffer said, showing off the trident-shaped air vents above the 621-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 behind two seats in the MC20.

Named Nettuno after the Maserati tradition of the sea and wind, it is the first engine developed by Maserati in 20 years, following a decades-long partnership in which Maserati sourced engines from Ferrari.In 2016, then parent company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, officially separated from Ferrari, which went public. Ferrari had signed a contract to supply engines to Maserati until 2024, when, as is already the case with many other luxury automakers, the era of the V-8 will end at Maserati after 65 years.

"After 2024, when the last V-8 engines are built, the current generation of Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante will be retired in their current form, leaving the Grecale, GranTurismo and GranCabriolet, MC20 and (MC20) Cielo," explained Pefa

The 2023 Maserati MC20 Cielo

It marks the end of the midsize Ghibli midsize sedan, which, like the Ghibli, was the entry point for the brand before the launch this year of the 2024 Maserati Grecale, which takes its name from the famous wind crest. It also marks an inflection point for the Levante and Quattroporte.

"We have evolved from a luxury performance sedan brand to a luxury performance SUV provider. 'We do SUVs because 80% of the luxury industry is SUVs. But supercars, performance cars, track cars, and race cars are where our history has been made. We think we are in a much better place with that dichotomy."

That dichotomy also applies to the powertrain. Not only is Maserati shifting from a V-8 to a twin-turbo V-6 and from a sedan to a crossover, but its two-pronged powertrain approach will apply to at least five of its eight models.

Coming to Maserati in 2021 after rising through the ranks at Ford, Nissan, Cadillac, and most recently Kia, Peffer acknowledged the changes taking place throughout the industry.

"I've been in this business for almost 30 years and I've never seen a transformation in the last five years like I experienced 20+ years ago. It's amazing how quickly things have changed."

The GranTurismo Forgole, known throughout the brand as Forgole, which means "lightning bolt" in Italian, arrived 90 days after the classic two-door, four-seater tourer arrived at dealers earlier this summer. The brand's first BEV features a T-shaped 92.5 kwh battery pack that fits into a driveline tunnel and stacks behind the rear seats.

Three 300kw motors (including two in the rear) produce 750 hp and 995 lb-ft of torque to propel the all-wheel-drive electric grand tourer from 0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds; the MC20 Nezzuno takes 2.9 seconds and weighs 1,500 pounds less.

"The torque and energy you can bring to these cars is amazing," says Peffer.

Every new car from the MC20 forward will have an electric version or be electric-only. This is a much different and costly approach than many other luxury car makers ringing the bell for the end of the internal combustion engine and ringing a new electric model on a dedicated platform. BMW is doing the same with the 4 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series, and is planning to do the same with the upcoming 3 Series Neutrino around 2025. The next 3 Series Neue Klassen, due around 2025, will all move to an EV-only platform.

Mercedes' EQ lineup and Audi's E-Tron electric family will compete with gas models on aging platforms, with Jaguar by 2025, Alfa Romeo by 2027, and Lotus by 2028, battery electric vehicles have pledged to develop only Meanwhile, a variety of automakers, from Bentley to Volvo to Mercedes-Benz and Lexus, have set 2030 as their development target for battery-electric-only vehicles.

Maserati joined the latter group last year, while at the same time refreshing its existing lineup with new gas models developed on platforms compatible with electric propulsion systems. There are no plug-in hybrid bridges like those of Volvo, Alfa Romeo, and especially Porsche.

When asked when Maserati would roll out its first dedicated EV platform without a gas model, he replied, "In the not-too-distant future."

There are rumors that the legendary Quattroporte, which has existed in some form for over 60 years, will only be offered in an electric version when it arrives in 2024. Pfeffer has not confirmed this.

2021 Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo

As a global brand with a presence in 77 countries, Maserati uses the backing from Sterantis, the world's third largest automotive group, as a competitive advantage.

"Many of our competitors are independent and, frankly, have limited R&D to create these technologies. It's unlikely that a company of our size, on its own, is going to come out with an entirely new showroom in the next 18 months."

Based on recent history, the benefits of bank funding are not evidence of a recession: during the downturn after Fiat pulled Chrysler out of bankruptcy in 2009 and eventually transformed itself into Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the interiors of Maserati sedans were replaced by touch screens instead of power windows and door switches to the touchscreen interface, shared too much with the Chrysler 300.

Obvious cost-cutting tarnished the halo that sat atop the mega-brands, and in 2019, FCA merged with Peugeot, or PSA Group. In addition to Peugeot, Citroen, and DS, FCA integrated more European brands with a distinctly French flair, including Vauxhall in the UK and Opel, the former GM brand based in Germany.

The Sterantis conglomerate's 14 brands now rank third behind Toyota and Volkswagen as the world's largest automakers, with Maserati at the top, as is Bentley of the Volkswagen Group.

Pfeffer made it clear that cost cutting and parts sharing are not part of Maserati's plan to grow into the new space and opportunities presented by electrification. He stated that the brand transformation will be product-driven.

"It's not about adjusting transaction prices to get there," Peffer said. "We are looking at what drives the intenders to Maserati in this space from an emotional standpoint. We know that if we can get them emotionally attached to what we offer, we have a better chance of keeping them."

Pfeffer acknowledged that Italian design and craftsmanship are just as important as respecting the brand's performance pedigree. That is why Maserati is participating in Formula E this year and using data collected from the race to "incorporate that technology into our road cars."

The 2023 Maserati Grecare

has both propulsion systems and in-car connectivity technologies as key focal points.

"Maserati has not always been known for its technology. Technology is an area we've moved rapidly into with this generation of new products."

Pfeffer remains pessimistic about the changes disrupting the auto industry and confident in Trident's revamped product line and dual approach to propulsion.

"We're not for everyone, and that's okay. We're not trying to be the biggest, we're not trying to grow fast, we're just trying to be the best."