Overview & Reviews

Italian sports-car excitement doesn't have to come at super-steep prices. Maserati has made a name for itself as a maker of lust-worthy exotics that, though costly, are bargains relative to their stratospherically priced competition. Maserati cars currently come in a number of configurations that range from an open sports car to a spacious luxury sport sedan.

The company was founded in 1914 by six Maserati brothers: Carlo, Bindo, Alfieri, Mario, Ettore and Ernesto. Based in Bologna, Italy, the brothers were racing enthusiasts and planned to craft racecars for private use. Mario, an artist, was believed to have based the company's trident emblem on a statue of the mythological god Neptune found in a Bologna square.

Throughout the '20s and '30s, the Maserati brothers scored many wins around the globe in their custom-built racecars. In 1937, the surviving brothers sold their stake in the company to the Orsi family, who moved the company's headquarters to Modena. A couple of years later, one of the automaker's cars won the prestigious Indianapolis 500.

Postwar, Maserati continued to rack up impressive racing victories with cars like the famous Tipo 60 and 61 "Birdcage" models. The company didn't start building road cars until the A6 coupe, which was made from 1947-'57. With only 138 cars produced in that long span, most of Maserati's money came from its other products: spark plugs and car batteries. The Maserati 3500 GT, fitted with a double-overhead-cam inline six, debuted in the mid-1950s.

By the 1960s, the automaker had shifted its focus from racecars to road cars. The company rolled out sexy models like the Mistral Coupe and the Sebring. But it wasn't until 1966, with the introduction of the sleek Giugiaro-styled Ghibli, that Maserati fielded a truly powerful (330-horsepower V8) and sexy Italian sports car. In 1968, the marque was purchased by Citroën.

Throughout the 1970s, Maserati made the most of its partnership with Citroën, using some of that company's suspension and steering components in Maserati cars such as the V8 Bora and V6 Merak models. The decade's fuel crisis took its toll, though, wreaking havoc and killing demand for the sort of gas-guzzling sports cars that were Maserati's specialty. Citroën was driven into bankruptcy and Maserati was placed in liquidation. In 1975, the company was purchased by Alejandro de Tomaso, an Argentinean who had a previous life as a successful racecar driver. He quickly rolled out a new model, the Quattroporte III, a four-door luxury sedan.

The 1980s were an especially dark time for Maserati. Its main model for the U.S. market, the Biturbo, was bland and notoriously unreliable. In 1991, the company stopped importing cars into the U.S. Fiat bought Maserati in 1993 and variants of the Biturbo continued to be produced until the factory closed in 1997 for a total refurbishing. During this time, Ferrari bought 50 percent of Maserati and went on to acquire full control of the marque.

After the factory's rebirth, Maserati started production of a pair of world-class cars, the two-seat Spyder roadster and the four-seat Coupe. With powerful V8 engines, the availability of an F1-style gearbox, styling by Giugiaro and vastly improved build quality, the new Maserati cars were introduced to the U.S. market for 2002 and restored prestige to the Italian sports car company.

In 2005, Maserati was split from Ferrari but remained within the Fiat fold. That year also saw the reintroduction of the Quattroporte luxury sport sedan, which was followed a few years later by the voluptuous GranTurismo coupe and convertible. Today's Maseratis may lack the ultimate brand recognition of the marque's main rivals, but they hold the advantage of being considerably more affordable while still offering sexy Italian styling and impressive performance.

User Reviews:

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  1 year of ownership - 2005 Maserati Spyder
  By scortgt - March 1 - 1:20 am

  I have owned my Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa for a year and really enjoy it. The engine is the highlight, 400 horsepower with a Tubi exhaust, sounds great and it is pretty fast. I like the looks quite a bit but that is personal taste. Interior is well done, but fit and finish is average at best. I understand buying a car like this will have some flaws and so far the car has been in twice for issues. I like this ride because you dont see many of them on the roads, like Mercedes SL 500s and Jaguar XK8, and Porsche 911s. This car is understated compared to pricier exotics.

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  I love my maserati - 2011 Maserati GranTurismo
  By slimbob - December 21 - 7:09 pm

  I drive a red maserati s automatic and love it. I also have the cadillac CTS-V wagon, which is much faster, but the maserati blows it away in style, class and fun. No car in this class can match the purrrrr of the ferrari engine and the beautiful lines of this car. Only Italians can build a car like this!

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  The Perfect Italian Saloon - 2006 Maserati Quattroporte
  By Briik - November 8 - 1:06 am

  Title says it all. This car makes me feel like the Godfather every time I drive it. The styling, inside and out, is a perfect creation by the masters at Pininfarina. The seats alone are like $10k Italian furniture pieces! The engine is wonderfully powerful, with a huge torque curve maxing-out at over 7000RPM. The SOUND from this car is totally out of this world and isnt comparable to the noise of any other 4-door on the planet. All of the seats are adjustable with massive leg and head room (Im 65" tall and 250lbs and I fit perfectly). Only complaint is that the head-rests on the seats dont raise up high enough for me. Service is great in general, price for the work is exotic tho.

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  Better than adrenalin - 2004 Maserati Coupe
  By GTC - September 28 - 10:00 am

  This is a very exciting car, whether you drive it or just look at it. The acceleration, cornering, braking, and overall handling characteristics are outstanding. It gets looks even from people who are not "car people."

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  if youre tall - 2009 Maserati Quattroporte
  By anthony - August 4 - 12:26 am

  we all know the pros- stylish, great sound, exotic, head turner etc... however, im 63 230 and its too tight in the driver seat. my legs feel like they are held too close together and i need the seat to extend further back. cant keep it, but the grand turismo fits much better.

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  good - 2004 Maserati Spyder
  By road lover - July 15 - 2:00 am

  awsome to drive. there is a big rush. the best!

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  Most Excellent - 2008 Maserati GranTurismo
  By Palo Alto - July 4 - 12:20 pm

  You must see this car in person. Photos do not due it justice. Rarely does a day go by when someone doesnt stare or yell out the window about my car. This is the ultimate executive car. Comfortable, luxurious and fun. Back seat can fit 2 full size adults but, the car does not look large from the outside. Interior is so Italian. No German car can match. The best part, no one else has one.

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  Bad news - 2007 Maserati Quattroporte
  By philr43 - June 11 - 5:53 pm

  It is with great disappointment that I have to report that a car I have enjoyed greatly for two and a half years was shown upon its 62500 mile service to be suffering from very severe chassis corrosion. The Masarati Quatroporte 2007 is a brilliantly engineered and great looking car but sadly of inferior build quality. Having been so impressed prior to this service inspection I was ready to put in an order for the new Ghibli Maserati however now some assurance that build quality has improved is necessary, also I expect other owners to cars of similar age to mine to be advised to have a inspection done. This may catch corrosion in time and preclude the great expense of chassis replacement.

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  A wonderful convertible. - 2002 Maserati Spyder
  By Raf Aviner - April 19 - 10:00 am

  Pros: This is a car that shows how Porsche cars should have been built post 993 model. Interior is gorgeous, and the performance is immense. The body styling is classic so its looks wont fade. Handling is very good, and many thoughtful designer touches are added. Engineering is excellent. Cons: Why could the engineers not reduced the cowl shake??? Overall Review: A great convertible that would have been perfect had Maserati managed to reduce cowl shake to the level of a Porsche Cabrio.

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  maserati coupe - 2004 Maserati Coupe
  By pnc47 - March 8 - 2:00 am

  New toy. Very fast. F1 transmission is a bit quirky to drive especially at low speed, ie., parking and the like. At speed it is awesome. Dont know how reliable this car will be. Looks good.