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:

• 

  awsome - 2004 Maserati Spyder
  By Master J - March 1 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car

• 

  Maserati Spyder - 2004 Maserati Spyder
  By Clearshot - March 1 - 2:00 am

  Stunning looks and great performance from the other Italian marque at half the price. Remarkable handling, which I think is better than the 360 Ferrari Spyder.

• 

  Id Buy One Again - 2006 Maserati Quattroporte
  By mgold - February 18 - 9:56 pm

  I am a new owner, so my opinion might be tainted by the "new car" excitement, but this is one car that excites all of ones senses. The sound of the Sport GT is spectacular as it reaches the red line. I love my car.

• 

  Awesom - 2002 Maserati Coupe
  By calabro - January 11 - 10:00 am

  Excelllent all around car,,Finally an Italian car capable of being used everyday.The interior is exquisite and every passenger is amazed of ther beauty and luxury of maseratis interiors.The exterior design is also great maybe not as seductive as a ferrari but way more understated and has a more Maserati appeal to it.As far as the drive goes,well wat can i say,when u have an engine that pulls like this one and the sound is great which makes all those racer boys stare in admiration.

• 

  The Trident is Back! - 2002 Maserati Coupe
  By Bagger - December 30 - 2:00 am

  This car rocks! A ferocious Ferrari- designed engine mated to a gorgeously svelte body make for a very rare and exciting fresh car in an age of gawdawful monster SUVs and Porsche everycars. The engine has an incredible Italian growl..sounds even better than the Ferraris..Interior craftsmanship is better than any car I have ever seen, except maybe a $300,000 Bentley. The best part: you get to totally custom order the beast--your colors inside and out..you choose the piping, stitching, rooflining, carpets..the whole damn thing! A true custom-built- to-order GT.Paddle-shift is pretty good and improving as of this writing (2003).

• 

  Best sounding car under $200k - 2003 Maserati Coupe
  By John A - December 19 - 10:00 am

  I was a hard core Porsche person until Driving the 03 Coupe GT. The sounds this engine makes is unparalleled by anything without a prancing horse on it. The low end torque is absolutely amazing. The hand stitched leather is also gorgeous--better than anything else in the market. Performance is all there--zero to 60 in 4.7!!! Also, only 1,000 in the country, so that is about 1 Maserati to every 20 Carreras (not counting past model years!) Buy this car if you have the means

• 

  Maserati just as I thought it would be - 2003 Maserati Spyder
  By James Marshall - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I thought this car was beautiful since the first day I saw it and I have been satisfied with it every since. The car runs great and is a great head-turner.

• 

  Screamin Heaps of Fun! - 2006 Maserati Gransport
  By RocknXJ - October 10 - 9:23 pm

  This little drop top kicks tail. Even with the top down on the highway you can carry on a conversation without raising your voice. Its a one of a kind vehicle that draws a lot of attention. In sport mode, the Cambiocorsa gearshift works beautifully; its a bit sluggish in normal mode. Turn off the MSP and it definitely lays rubber down. The seats are supportive and comfortable. The automatic soft top is a very nice feature. I wish it had a better stereo, thats about my only real complaint.

• 

  My second Q-porte as a daily driver - 2006 Maserati Quattroporte
  By Jay Huffaker - October 8 - 11:56 pm

  This Italian creation is all that style means to the Italians. The car draws admiration from all ages and economic strata. This is my second Quattroporte, the first (84) I drove daily for 8 years. The build quality has improved beyond belief. I drive this car hard and enjoy it the way I imagine it was intended. So far there have been zero problems. The performance is amazing. Once you get a sense of where the limits are you can really have a sports car experience in the morning and enjoy the luxury as you and friends arrive at your favorite 5 star restaurant. that evening. The controls are easy to use and well positioned. But, remember the trany is a standard when on hills.

• 

  ITS BACK..FUN,FUN,FUN - 2002 Maserati Coupe
  By DebbieT - August 18 - 10:00 am

  Simply beautiful car...Interiorcant be beat...Fun to drive...Simply Love It