Maserati has brought a stunning concept model to Geneva in the form of a dynamic new two-door concept. Sharing the same 460 hp engine with the GT, the 2+2 Alfieri Concept just might offer a glimpse of the Italian manufacturer’s future design language.
In addition to Maserati’s signature trident logo, the Alfieri concept also sports the name of one of the company's founding brothers. But whereas Alfieri Maserati founded Officine Alfieri Maserati in Bologna in 1914, the new two-door concept was designed and realized in Maserati’s Centro Stile offices in Turin.
Carrying clear design elements from the Gran Turismo, the Alfieri Concept shares various grand touring features, but does so with a more aggressive and dynamic attitude. According to Maserati, the driving design influence for the Alfieri tribute vehicle was the company’s legendary A6 GCS-53 (shown below). Designed in 1954 by Pininfarina, the A6 GCS-53 was one of those beautiful ground-breaking GT designs that remains an iconic, influential piece of automotive history. The acronym, by the way, stands for Alfieri 6 cylinder / Ghisa/ Corsa/ Sport.
The most obvious design departure for the Alfieri in comparison to the Gran Turismo can be seen in the nose, hood and rear end. Whereas the GT’s design comes off as heavy and perhaps a bit lazy, the Alfieri’s stylistic details are intense, and more evocative of the A6 GCS-53.
According to Maserati, "The Alfieri’s long, low nose is a stylistic evolution from contemporary Maseratis as noticed by the vertically divided grille, twin concave sections and the narrowing DRLs connected by a clear accent line with the iconic 'V' motif in the center." The very angry, narrowing, squinty headlights with bi-xenon LEDs are very different from the GT’s rather bulbous looking lights.
Although Maserati claims to have used the A6 GCS-53 as the concept’s primary design influence, it’s hard to ignore obvious stylistic borrowings from cars like Aston Martin’s One-77, Jaguar’s new F-type, Alfa Romeo’s 8C and most especially, Icona’s toasty hot Vulcano hybrid concept. It’s the latter’s narrowing setback cabin, muscular rising haunches, and rear quarter panel treatment that are most evident in the Alfieri.
But to be fair, the design language Maserati is presenting in the Alfieri concept is a welcome change from the decade-old designs of the company's current offerings. The long sloping tail features some nice details in the inset taillight and the fender wrap around. Forged aluminum wheels of 21 inches at the back and 20 inches out front also hint at design influences from the spoke wheels of the 1950s.
In addition to sharing stylistic similarities to its two-door brethren, the Alfieri Concept also retains near identical performance and engineering details. Running a 4.7 liter V8 with no artificial aspiration, the front-mounted, rear-drive model is reported to develop 460 bhp and 383 lb.ft (520 Nm) of torque. A 6-speed gearbox hooked up to the rear differential via a torque tube is another element borrowed from the GT.
The Geneva Auto Show runs from March 6 – 16.
Source: Maserati
