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Italian <keyword id="19946118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="luxury" source="keywords">luxury</keyword> carmaker <keyword id="20673655" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Maserati" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Maserati" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Maserati">Maserati</keyword> believes <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> has the potential to be among its top ten global markets in the mid term with the country's <keyword id="20041662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="entrepreneurs" source="keywords">entrepreneurs</keyword> driving its sales, according to the company's Head of Overseas Markets, <keyword id="22976712" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="philippe-claverol" source="keywords">Philippe Claverol</keyword>. The company, which on Friday launched its <keyword id="22975850" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="granturismo" source="keywords">GranTurismo</keyword> model with prices starting at Rs 2.72 crore, is also studying the feasibility of introducing its <keyword id="19906970" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electric-vehicle" source="keywords">electric vehicle</keyword> range in India. <br /><br /> "Maserati is a luxury brand, so we don't look at huge volume for us. A big market for us is a market where we sell 500 cars a year... but I think in mid term, in few years, I think in India, we can reach this kind of 500 (units a year)," Claverol told PTI here on the sidelines of the launch. <br /><br /> He, however, said volume isn't "an objective in itself" for Maserati. He further said,"I know who are the top markets of Maserati worldwide. I think India can become one of the top 10 markets for Maserati in the mid term." <br /><br /> Currently, North America, Italy, Switzerland, China, Japan, Australia, Taiwan and the UAE are the top global markets for Maserati and India with less than 50 units sold last year is still a small market, he added. <br /><br /> Yet, Claverol said, India is an important market for Maserati. <br /><br /> "It is a land of entrepreneurs. A vast majority, 80 per cent of our customers in India are entrepreneurs," he said. <br /><br /> Also, India is a country with a lot of appreciation for luxury products, he said, adding "we feel that there is a good match". In order to enhance its presence in India, Maserati is expanding sales network, he said. <br /><br /> Maserati already has a <keyword id="20400384" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dealership" source="keywords">dealership</keyword> in Mumbai and opened a new one on Friday here in the national capital and will open one in Bengaluru later this year, Claverol said. <br /><br /> "We see that the North India market is bigger actually than the Mumbai market and we also think that Bengaluru is the third pillar. This dealership expansion is also because we want to go where the markets are in terms of volume," he said. <br /><br /> Asked about plans for launching electric vehicles in India, Claverol said Maserati has the electric version of the conventional engine models under the Folgore range globally and the company will study the feasibility of bringing it in India. <br /><br /> "We will, with our partners, start to look at how is the market, how to train our people, how to train the technicians, how to analyse, how to build the right offer, the pricing, the charging solution, and so on, and then, once we will be ready, we will look at the pricing, and we will obviously try to launch the Folgore range as well," he said. <br /><br /> Asked about the timeline for a possible launch of the electric range, he said,"The sooner, the better. The cars are available."

India has potential to be in Maserati's top 10 global markets in mid term: Co-official

Maserati is reviving the iconic GranTurismo as a $174,000 beast that'll come in both electric and gas-powered models &mdash; see inside

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/maserati" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maserati</a> GranTurismo is one of the beautiful cars in the world. </strong></li><li><strong>The GranTurismo debuted 2008 and was joined by the convertible variant in 2010. </strong></li><li><strong>Maserati's grand tourer is powered by a 4.7 liter, 454 horsepower, Ferrari-built V8 engine.</strong></li><li><strong>According to Maserati, the Maserati GranTurismo Convertible can do 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 177 mph.</strong></li><li><strong>We loved the way the GranTurismo looks and sounds, but we were less than impressed by its performance and interior. </strong></li><li><strong>The Maserati GranTurismo Convertible starts at $150,380 while options pushed our test car to $158,965. </strong></li></ul><p>Maserati has always been a bit of an oddball to me. While brands like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/ferrari" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ferrari</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/lamborghini" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lamborghini</a> are well defined in their identities, Maserati exists mostly in pop culture as a representative for all things mysterious, European, and very expensive.</p><p>In short, most people know Maserati but have no idea what it really is. </p><p>And cars like the GranTurismo only goes to reinforce the brand's mythical stature. </p><p>First things first, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-beautiful-cars-on-sale-today-2016-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maserati GranTurismo is pretty</a>. Not just any kind of pretty, but the achingly attractive kind where you can't help but stare. The kind of pretty that makes you fall in love with it in spite of all that is wrong with it. </p><p>Incredibly the GranTurismo looks as good today as it did the when it debuted more than a decade ago. That's right, the Maserati GranTurismo we know today debuted back in 2008. Even with a couple of cosmetic updates over the years, it's still the oldest model in Maserati's lineup which now consists of the Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans as well as the Levante SUV.</p><p>Recently, we were able to spend a few days on the roads in and around Los Angeles behind the wheel of a 2018 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Sport in Grigio Alfieri - a shade of gray named after company founder Alfieri Maserati. It should be noted that the  GranTurismo Convertible is sold as the GranCabrio is many markets around the world.</p><p>The Maserati GranTurismo Coupe starts at $134, 300 while the convertible requires $150,380. Our test car's upgraded wheels and interior pushed the as-tested-price up to $158,965. </p><p>Here's a closer look at the 2018 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible:</p>

We drove a gorgeous $160,000 Maserati convertible with a Ferrari engine around LA to see if it's worth the money - here's the verdict

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Mercedes-Benz</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Ever wish you could drive your extremely luxurious German car on the water? If so, Mercedes-Benz has the perfect solution.</p><p>The German automaker worked with the boat builders at Silver Arrows Marine to make a tremendously beautiful yacht that's styled after the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Mercedes has called it the <span>Arrow460-Granturismo.</span></p><p><span>There are beds, a wine-cooler, a bumping radio system, and a specially designed glass dimming function which allows for all-around ocean view sights. So basically everything you need to have a rocking party out on the ocean.</span></p><p><span>Check it out.</span></p>

Mercedes-Benz designed a yacht to be just as luxurious as their top-line car

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container no-rightrail"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Maserati</span></p></div><p></p></div></p><p><span>Maserati unveiled its all-new Levante SUV this week at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. </span><span>The Levante will be the first SUV in the history of the century-old Italian brand known mostly for its exotic sports cars. </span></p><p><span>In recent years, Maserati's parent company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, has worked hard to revive the brand that had all but died out in the US. The company made a big splash in 2014 with the introduction if its Ghibli sedan, but the momentum surrounding the brand has tapered off since then.</span></p><p><span>With the Levante, Maserati hopes to reignite the company's flagging sales by tapping into the surging luxury SUV market. The Levante will join Maserati's existing lineup, which includes the Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans along with the GranTurismo and GranCabrio GT models.</span></p>

The Levante SUV is the most important Maserati of all time

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Maserati</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is holding its annual investors meeting this week, and the company's <a href="http://www.fcagroup.com/investorday/PresentationList/Maserati_Brand.pdf" target="_blank">Maserati brand kicked off the festivities with the news</a> that its sexy Alfieri concept will make it to production. </p>
<p>Named for the most prominent of the five Maserati Brothers who founded the company, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/coolest-cars-at-geneva-motor-show-2014-3?tru=JHG5S#maserati-has-us-hot-and-bothered-with-the-alfieri-a-concept-coupe-that-pays-tribute-to-the-brands-racing-heritage-we-dont-care-so-much-about-the-history-we-just-want-this-thing-to-go-into-production-20" target="_blank">Alfieri concept was introduced earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show</a> to celebrate the automaker's centennial anniversary. </p>
<p>"<a href="http://www.maserati.com/maserati/en/en/index/About-us/news-events/2014/03/The-Maserati-Alfieri-stars-at-the-Geneva-Motor-Show.html" target="_blank">The Alfieri is a transition point between 100 years of history </a>and the future that is opening up before us," said Fiat design chief Lorenzo Ramaciotti in Geneva.</p>
<p>Styling for the Alfieri is exquisite ,with a design that is equal parts menacing supercar and cool Milanese boulevard cruiser. The car's retro coupe form and lush body lines are reminiscent of classic sports cars from the company's past and speaks to designer Ramaciotti's tutelage at legendary design firm Pininfarina. </p>
<p>The production Alfieri is expected to hit the showrooms sometime around 2016 with a cabriolet version to follow a year later. Once expected to be a replacement for the company's flagship GranTurismo, the Alfieri will instead be produced alongside the current model. </p>
<p>According to Maserati's presentation to investors, all production Alfieris will come equipped with a variation of the company's potent V-6 engine. Rear-wheel-drive Alfieris will come with a 410 horsepower unit while all-wheel-drive models will be available with either a 450 or 520 hp powerplant. </p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Maserati</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Interestingly, Maserati announced in the same presentation that it will cease production on its GranTurismo Cabriolet and welcome a new GranTurismo Coupe by 2018.</p>
<p>According to the company's latest projections, Maserati hopes to increase sales from 15,400 units worldwide to 75,000 units by 2018. The luxury automaker's ambitious expansion plans also include a projected increase in revenue from $1.8 million to $8.4 million in the same time frame. With the expected launch of four new models over the next four years, Maserati is well on its way to meeting its lofty goals. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p>Here is a a closer look at the Maserati Alfieri:  </p>
<p></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Maserati</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Maserati</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>

Maserati Says This Car Represents The Future Of The Company

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The MC20 supercar, <keyword id="301878" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Maserati">Maserati</keyword>'s new flagship halo car, represents the first of Maserati’s “new era” of vehicles.</li><li>Following the MC20, Maserati will launch 13 new cars from now through 2024. All-electric versions of those cars are also in the works.</li><li>The new cars will take design cues and technology from the MC20.</li></ul><p>If in the past few years you've found yourself wondering what, exactly, was up at Maserati, you weren't alone.</p><p>For a decent while, the Italian brand only offered four cars: the Levante SUV, launched in 2016; the Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans, launched in 2013; and the <a href="https://www.autoweek.com/news/a2155036/maserati-granturismo-dead-does-it-deserve-successor/">aged GranTurismo grand tourer</a> that <a href="https://jalopnik.com/the-2018-maserati-granturismo-mc-is-a-magnificent-aural-1819625961">launched during the second Bush administration</a>. </p><p>Poor sales have plagued the brand since at least 2018. In November of that year, <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/news/24985/fca-boss-admits-mistakes-behind-maseratis-monumental-sales-slump#:~:text=Maserati%20sales%20fell%2087%20percent%20last%20quarter.&amp;text=Shipments%2C%20meanwhile%2C%20dropped%2019%20percent,to%20mismanagement%20of%20the%20brand.and.">The Drive</a> quoted a story from Automotive News that said Maserati's earnings dropped 87% — or about $17.2 million — in the third quarter.</p><p>Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO <keyword id="688359" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mike-Manley">Mike Manley</keyword> blamed the poor performance on brand mismanagement. He said, "With hindsight, when we put Maserati and Alfa [Romeo] together, it did two things. Firstly, it reduced the focus on Maserati the brand. Secondly, Maserati was treated for a period of time almost as if it were a mass-market brand, which it isn't and shouldn't be treated that way."</p><p>A separate <a href="https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/maserati-wont-see-profits-until-after-product-offensive-starts-2020">Automotive News</a> story in August 2019 said Maserati would not see profitability until it began its new product launches this year. And it desperately needed some new products.</p><p>Now, we finally have some.</p><div type="image" title="Maserati MC20 KL_4" height="1666" width="2500" msid="78076829" hostid="261"></div><p>Enter <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maserati-mc20-supercar-horsepower-specs-engine-price-mc12-sale-date-2020-9">the MC20 supercar</a> — "MC" standing for Maserati Corse and "20" for 2020. Debuting in a Wednesday livestream from Modena, Italy, to New York City in a show of flashing lights, a drum routine (?), and a choreographed choral number (??), the MC20 became Maserati's first entirely new car since the Levante's launch in 2016. </p><p>It was trotted out before an assembly of existing Maserati cars in a big stadium — not unlike the way Simba was presented to the animal kingdom, assembled at the foot of Pride Rock — and marked the brand's first flagship halo car since the prohibitively expensive and rare MC12 from 2004. </p><div type="image" title="Maserati MC20 reveal_1" height="1667" width="2500" msid="78076833" hostid="261"></div><p>While Maserati didn't go to MC12 levels with the new car, it did make an appropriate halo car: Its on-paper performance and sticker price, $210,000 at the lowest, put it side-by-side with McLarens and Lamborghinis. </p><p>It is on the shoulders of the MC20 that Maserati will kick off its new era of reinvention. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fca-ceo-has-taken-a-maserati-ipo-off-the-table-2020-9">Don't expect a Maserati IPO à la Ferrari</a>, but do expect an ambitious plan from Manley: the launching of 13 new Maserati models from now through 2024, led by the MC20.</p><div type="image" title="Maserati MC20 KL_16" height="1667" width="2500" msid="78076837" hostid="261"></div><p>At the MC20's debut on Wednesday, Maserati's director of brand and sales, Andy Love, told Business Insider that a new Quattroporte sedan, Levante SUV, compact SUV, and grand-tourer and grand-cabrio are in the works. He declined to answer specifically what the new, unnamed models in the 13-car launch plan would be, but confirmed that fully electric versions of all would be available.</p><p>Indeed, in <a href="https://www.media.maserati.com/en-ww/releases/1588">announcing</a> the MC20, Maserati said the supercar is "designed … for full electric power."</p><div type="image" title="Maserati MC20 KL_10" height="1667" width="2500" msid="78076839" hostid="261"></div><p>The MC20's positioning is meant to make a "big splash," Love told Business Insider. This is the car to get people excited about Maserati again, the one that's supposed to end up on bedroom posters. It certainly has the looks — sweeping, elegant, refined, Italian.</p><p>"It signals the beginning of a new era of Maserati," Love said. The MC20's design language, engine, and technology will appear in subsequent Maserati models. A particular point of pride for the automaker is the new Nettuno — "Neptune" in Italian, since Maserati's emblem is a trident — engine, nestled between the MC20's two axles.</p><div type="image" title="Maserati MC20 KL_11" height="1667" width="2500" msid="78076841" hostid="261"></div><p>It's a twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter V6 unit that's good for a claimed 621 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. All that power will be sent to the rear wheels via a dual-clutch, eight-speed automatic transmission. It all makes the MC20 sound like it'll be a fast, exhilarating thing.</p><p>Maserati said the Nettuno engine will, like the rest of the car, be built in its home base in Modena, Italy, and is a "patented, 100% Maserati engine." A <a href="https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/a33078911/maserati-nettuno-v6-part-sharing/">Road &amp; Track</a> story from July, however, observed the engine appears to share parts with other engines in the <keyword id="295132" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="FCA">FCA</keyword> family, including ones from siblings Ferrari and Alfa Romeo.</p><div type="image" title="Maserati MC20 KL_18" height="3750" width="2500" msid="78076847" hostid="261"></div><p>Regardless, it's likely that versions of this engine will appear in the upcoming new Maseratis. </p><p>Not much more is known about the MC20 except for the initial release stats and specs, but an emailed press release said the project started in January 2019. </p><p>"The MC20 design was produced in about 24 months, with the involvement from the outset, in an innovative approach, of a team of Maserati Innovation Lab engineers, technical specialists from the Maserati Engine Lab and designers from the Maserati Style Centre," it read.</p><div type="image" title="Maserati MC20 KL_15" height="1667" width="2500" msid="78076851" hostid="261"></div><p>Love confirmed the timeline to Business Insider, saying the MC20 took effectively two years from conception to production.</p><p>It seems short, but Love assured Business Insider that car production these days takes about three years. Also, because the MC20 will be largely hand-built, it won't require a huge production line, he said. </p><div type="image" title="Maserati MC20 KL_8" height="1667" width="2500" msid="78076854" hostid="261"></div><p>In 2015, <a href="https://jalopnik.com/oh-good-alfa-romeo-giulia-developed-in-only-two-and-a-1716998627">Jalopnik reported</a> that, contrary to then-industry standards of new car development taking between four and five years, the Alfa Romeo Giulia was developed in just two and a half years. The story noted that Mercedes-Benz, for example, can spend <a href="https://jalopnik.com/mercedes-put-a-crazy-amount-of-development-work-into-th-859115120">six years</a> developing a car.</p><p>The Giulia's reliability issues are well documented. Car and Driver's long-term Giulia Quadrifoglio seemed like a <a href="https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a23145269/alfa-romeo-giulia-quadrifoglio-reliability-update/">maintenance nightmare</a>. The UK's The Sunday Times suffered <a href="https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/first-drive-review-2016-alfa-romeo-giulia-2/?CMP=Spklr-_-Editorial-_-FBPAGE-_-SundayTimesDriving-_-20160516-_-Driving-_-470274143-_-Imageandlink&amp;linkId=245408570857">three broken Giulias</a>. <a href="https://jalopnik.com/the-alfa-romeo-giulia-is-the-perfect-unreliable-italian-1796883384">Jalopnik's press car broke down on the highway</a>. <a href="https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/03/consumer-reports-2017-alfa-romeo-giulia-ti-basically-lives-dealer-service-bay/">The Truth About Cars</a> reported that Consumer Reports had to go to the dealer three times in the early days of its Giulia ownership. During a track day, PistonHeads' Giulia decided to <a href="https://youtu.be/GKakXkLp8U4?t=650">go into limp mode</a> and stop on track.</p><div type="image" title="Maserati MC20 reveal_2" height="1667" width="2500" msid="78076855" hostid="261"></div><p>That being said, it's also unclear if the Giulia's short development time correlates to issues experienced by journalists. Obviously, they represent a small number of Giulia drivers.</p><p>But it's something to keep in mind, especially since Italian cars <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/gallery/the-10-worst-italian-cars-ever/">have a reputation of being unreliable</a>. </p><div type="image" title="Maserati MC20 KL_17" height="1667" width="2500" msid="78076859" hostid="261"></div><p>But for too long, questions regarding Maserati's purpose went unanswered. It's changed hands many times over in its 105-year history, but has also been known to build <a href="https://www.motortrend.com/news/most-beautiful-maseratis-of-all-time/">some of the most beautiful cars in history</a> nevertheless. Its contemporary-but-aging lineup desperately needs something new. It needs something thrilling. Something to get people talking about it again.</p><p>Finally, in the year of our Lord 2020, there's a concentrated effort to rejuvenate the storied Italian brand. The MC20, for all intents and purposes, seems to be an exciting first crack at things to come.</p><div type="image" title="Maserati MC20 KL_9" height="1667" width="2500" msid="78076860" hostid="261"></div>

Maserati's flashy new supercar is the start of a reinvention — and that's just what the storied Italian brand needs

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Maserati</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Maserati revealed the first official photos of its upcoming Levante SUV on Friday.</p><p>The Levante will be the first SUV in the history of the century-old Italian brand known mostly for its exotic sports cars. </p><p>In recent years, Maserati's parent company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, has worked hard to revive the brand that had all but died out in the US. The company made a big splash in 2014 with the introduction if its Ghibli sedan, but the momentum surrounding the brand has tapered off considerably since then. </p><p>With the Levante, Maserati hopes to reignite the company's flagging sales by tapping into the surging luxury SUV market. The Levante will join Maserati's existing lineup, which includes the Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans along with the GranTurismo and GranCabrio GT models.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Maserati</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Styling-wise, the Levante carries many of the same design cues as other models in the Maserati lineup. The Maserati grille and aggressive headlights bear a striking resemblance to the Ghibli sedan. </p><p>The rear of the SUV features quad-exhausts and a sloping roofline with a partially integrated spoiler. </p><p>Maserati has been coy about the mechanical makeup of the Levante, but the company did reveal that it will be available with both diesel and gasoline engines, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and the brand's "Q4" all-wheel-drive system.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Maserati</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>According to Maserati, the first Levantes have already rolled out of the company's Turin assembly plant. The SUV is expected to launch in Europe this Spring followed by a worldwide launch later this year. </p><p>Maserati has yet to reveal pricing and interior contents of the SUV.</p><p>The Maserati Levante will make its official world debut in March at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ferrari-california-t-specs-facts-video-drive-2015-7">The cheapest new Ferrari money can buy is absolutely gorgeous</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="JleHMzdjpIcJpld5dfaVynKzlNb_4V_q" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

The Maserati SUV we've all been waiting for has arrived

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Maserati" title_caption="Not really fooling around, are we?" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53f21f646bb3f7fe371c5fc2-960/maserati-alfieri-concept.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Maserati</span></p><p class="caption">Not really fooling around, are we?</p></div><p></p></div></div>Maserati is know for occupying a space between the more subdued sport sedans produced by BMW and Mercedes and the bold designs of Ferraris and Porsches (Maserati and Ferrari live under the same Fiat corporate umbrella).</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.maserati.com/maserati/en/en/index/models/quattroporte/quattroporte-S.html">Quattroporte</a> is an excellent example: sleek, stylish, but nothing over-the-top.</p>
<p>That's why the design of the Alfieri concept car (see the photo above) is so striking. Maserati is escalating, with a cluster of design cues that push beyond what's available in the form of the GranTurismo MC Stradale, the carmaker's most aggressive current offering.</p>
<p>Often, the attention-grabbing design of concept cars never makes it to the production model. However, Maserati <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2014/08/17/maserati-alfieri-concept-monterey-2014/">brought the Alfieri concept</a> to the Concours d'Elegance at Pebble Beach last week, which suggests that as the vehicle heads into production, the aggressive look may survive.</p>
<p><strong>As you can see, the Alfieri's front end is pushing the envelope on design for the brand.</strong></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Maserati" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53f2237869bedd426b1c5fb9-960/maserati-alfieri-concept-annotation-3.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Maserati</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>

The Front Of This Maserati Concept Car Is Pure Aggression

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Will Fierman/BI</span></p><p class="caption">The Levante was mobbed at its NY reveal.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Maserati launched its long-awaited SUV, the Levante, at the Geneva Auto Show earlier in March, but the storied Italian automaker chose the New York Auto Show to introduce the vehicle to US.</p><p><span>Harald Wester, Maserati's CEO, enthused over the Levante in an interview with Business Insider, but he admitted that the automaker was late to the SUV game. </span></p><p><span>Sales of SUVs have surged over the past few years, but Maserati didn't have one to sell. Its portfolio consisted of luxury sedans, the Quattroporte and the Ghibli, and sumptuous GT cars like the GranTurismo.</span></p><p>"The Levante name was inspired by a warm, Mediterranean wind that can change from mild to gale force in an instant, mirroring the character of the first Maserati SUV," said the company, part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and stablemate of Ferrari - until Ferrari was spun off in an IPO last year.</p><p>The Levante is part of a wave of SUVs from luxury and high-performance carmakers. Jaguar revealed its F-PACE at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year, and Lamborghini is putting its Urus SUV, shown as a concept car in 2012, into production.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Will Fierman/BI</span></p><p class="caption">It's large but not huge.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Maserati is calling the Levante the "Maserati of SUVs," and up close, it certainly looks the part. Maseratis are all about subtle sex appeal, something that's tough to pull off with a big vehicle. </p><p>"Levante is a turning point in Maserati's history," the automaker said, and it's right. But it was a necessary turn, and in execution, the Levante has what its takes to carry the fight to Porsche in particular, with effectively created the high-performance luxury SUV segment with the Cayenne.</p><p><span>Wester stressed to BI that it's brands clearly located in the luxury market, not the premium segment, that Maserati will seek to take on. In the premium space, the default choices are built by Mercedes, Lexus, and BMW, among others. But Maserati wants to run with more discerning company.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Will Fierman/BI</span></p><p class="caption">The Maserati trident badge.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p>The Levante "was conceived around three main pillars: design, exclusivity and performance," Maserati said. "It represents the optimum blend of these three elements in the SUV world."</p><p>The design is a good evolution of the overall Maserati vocabulary, realized at a heftier scale. The crossover also has the goods under the hood: the twin-turbo V6 comes in two flavors, one serving up 345 horsepower, the other 424. The latter can sprint to 60 mph in 5 seconds, according to Maserati.</p><p>Wester said that 2015 was a challenging year for Maserati, as the global luxury market softened. But he added that Maserati was able to "defend the brand" and didn't resort tom competing on price. In 2016, with a new SUV to sell, he's looking froward to reaching customers to automaker hasn't been able to satisfy in the past.</p><p>The Levante hits showrooms later this year and starts at $72,000.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/volvo-xc90-best-car-of-the-year-2015-12">The best car of the year - the Volvo XC90 </a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="I5cWZseTqid0oDzWA5ccHhkOjjj8S6da" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

The Maserati Levante has finally arrived in the US

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Argentinian football maestro Lionel Messi is up for grabs. That's the rumour that's set the hearts of club managers across Europe racing - and it seems <a href="http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/418676/Barcelona-Lionel-Mess-Chelsea-200m" target="_blank">Chelsea could be first in line</a> to snap up the four-time winner of the Ballon d'Or.</p>
<h3>How much does he earn?</h3>
<p>But he won't come cheap. CIES Football Observatory rates Messi as the most valuable player in the world, with a price tag in the region of £172m. And then there's his annual salary - over $20m. Combined with sponsorship deals for Pepsi, Adidas and Turkish Airlines, <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/08/is-soccer-great-lionel-messi-corrupt.html" target="_blank">The Daily Beast reckons</a> he takes home around $65m a year.<strong> </strong></p>
<h3>Is he a saver or a spender?</h3>
<p>That depends or what you call a "spender." <a href="http://www.bornrich.com/lionel-messi.html" target="_blank">Messi's spending habits</a> are status-appropriate: a Maserati GranTurismo, an Audi Q7, and a Ferrari F430 Spider are three of the cars in his collection. And of course, then there are the holidays in Ibiza, not to mention his luxury mansion in Barcelona.</p>
<h3>Any rich guy hobbies?</h3>
<p>Lionel Messi is a family man. And who can blame him? The 27-year-old lives with his glamorous yet non-famous girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo with whom he has a two-year-old son named Tiago.</p>
<h3>What's been his best financial move?</h3>
<p>From a young age, Messi suffered from a hormone deficiency, which affected his growth. Barcelona promised to cover his medical expenses, and was in such a hurry to sign the child prodigious from Rosario, Argentina, that his first contract was <a href="https://in.news.yahoo.com/top-12-lesser-known-facts-153050659.html" target="_blank">scrawled on a napkin</a>. He's been with the club ever since.</p>
<h3>And his worst?</h3>
<p>An investigation into his finances between 2007 and 2009 turned up accusations of tax evasion. If convicted, Messi faced up to six years behind bars, so it wasn't too surprising he agreed to pay $6m in back-taxes and interest. As The Daily Beast notes, employing his father Jorge as his money manager probably wasn't the best idea.<strong> </strong></p>
<h3>Favourite charity?</h3>
<p>In 2007, Messi foundered the Leo Messi Foundation. Its mission is to help "vulnerable" children gain access to sport and education. He's also been a good-will ambassador for Unicef since 2010.</p>
<h3>Has money made him happy?</h3>
<p>"Money is not a motivating factor. Money doesn't thrill me or make me play better because there are benefits to being wealthy. I'm just happy with a ball at my feet. My motivation comes from playing the game I love. If I wasn't paid to be a professional footballer I would willingly play for nothing." - Lionel Messi.</p>

How Messi, The World's Most Expensive Football Player, Thinks About Money

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>VPN.com</span></p><p class="caption">A protest stunt by VPN.com outside of Facebook's Menlo Park, California campus.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Facebook has an army of valets who park the cars of employees and guests at its California HQ.</strong></li><li><strong>They're witness to a variety of incidents on campus, from employee panic attacks to political protests and disgruntled users.</strong></li><li><strong>Business Insider spoke to some, to hear what it's like working on the front lines at one of the world's biggest companies.</strong></li></ul><p><br />SAN FRANCISCO - At Facebook's sunny headquarters in Menlo Park, California, hidden among the office blocks, shrubbery, and rows of shining vehicles, there exists an army of hundreds of valets hired to park its employees' cars for them.</p><p>It's a little-noticed job that offers valets a front-row view of life at the world's largest social networking company - from mundane day-to-day work to political protests and occasional emergencies like employees of the fast-paced company suffering panic attacks.</p><p>Business Insider spoke to a couple of Facebook valets, to hear about what it's like getting paid to park cars for techies at one of the hottest companies in Silicon Valley.</p><h2>I expected nicer cars</h2><p>The job comes with nice perks, like free food from Facebook's various on-site restaurants, occasional sightings of tech industry celebrities, and relatively good pay. But anyone who imagines they'll be screeching around the company campus in a rotating collection of Lamborghinis and Bugattis will be disappointed.</p><p>"They were a lot less nice than I expected them to be," one of the valets said of the cars. "I honestly expected there to be more really, really nice cars." (Apple's campus, by contrast, apparently has nicer cars.) When Business Insider visited the campus recently, the cars were nice but not ostentatious, including a number of BMWs and a predictably high volume of Teslas.</p><p>Standout vehicles from Facebook's campus include a new Audi R8 V10 and a Maserati GranTurismo, they said. 'VIP's' vehicles are kept "up close" and taken particularly well care of.</p><p>The valet parking service is offered for free to Facebook employees and guests. </p><p><span>Of the 14,000-odd Menlo Park Facebook employees, around 50% use alternative modes of transport - shuttle buses, bikes, car pools, and so on. And many of those who do drive opt to park their vehicles themselves.</span></p><p>Still, with so many employees, often in a hurry, and with open parking spots difficult to find, the valets stay busy. There's a morning rush between around 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., and a corresponding evening rush at around 5 p.m. There have been a few occassions where due to insufficient valets working they've found themselves "straight sprinting the entire day," one of the valets said, but "it's for the most part a great experience overall for everyone."</p><p>The valets are not technically Facebook employees, they're provided by a third-party firm. California's minimum wage is $11, and valets make significantly more, around $16 or so. But they earn far, far less than what most full-time Facebook employees make: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-median-pay-240000-2017-2018-4">The median salary at the company is more than $240,000 a year</a>.</p><p>Whether Facebook employees are good tippers is a mystery. There's no tips - the valets aren't allowed to accept them.</p><h2><span><strong>Angry users, curious tourists, pesky reporters</strong></span></h2><p>Because it's Facebook, the company's headquarters attracts a variety of guests, some of whom have been invited, others not. Whether it involves protestors, tourists, aggrieved users or opportunists, the valets are often the first point of contact between Facebook and the outside world, making them unofficial customer service reps for the 2-billion member social network.</p><p>And with large parts of the sprawling office campus open to the public, it's easy for anyone to wander in.</p><p>On one occasion, a valet recounted, a man came to complain because he believed Facebook had an employee who was stalking him and deleting the posts he made, a valet said. (In reality, they apparently violated the company's community standards.) </p><p>Job-hunters will turn up without invitations, and ask valets if they work for Facebook and what it's like. Other times, people come to complain about the site itself, or to ask to talk to someone about privacy issues. On one occasion, someone turned up to complain that they didn't like their daughter using Facebook.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Merlyn Deng/Facebook</span></p><p class="caption">Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, pictured inside Facebook's offices.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The vast parking lots surrounding the Facebook buildings can also attract problems: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-911-data-1-hacker-way-menlo-park-2018-4">As Business Insider previously reported, there were eight 911 calls for suspicious people or vehicles from Facebook campus over the last year</a>, and in one incident, a security guard was maced.</p><p>In recent weeks, a bright red truck driving around the premises with the hashtag #DeleteFacebook emblazoned on the side has been prowling the premises. The vehicle has been spotted on at least four occasions, a valet said, starting around the time CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified to Congress over the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The rolling protest turned out to be a a publicity stunt by privacy-focused internet firm. </p><h2><span>I don't want to jeopardize my job. </span>I just say 'hello, goodbye' that's it.</h2><p>The valets can also be witness to incidents involving Facebook employees - including panic attacks and nervous breakdowns. On these occassions, valets are told to keep the area outside the relevant entrance clear, so first responders can arrive and tend to the employee. (In one incident a valet saw, paramedics carried the employee out, "kind of like a normal rescue, basically."</p><p>One of the valets said these employee breakdowns were a regular occurrence, happening more than once a month (though the other valet said they only witnessed one such event).</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Justin Sullivan/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Protesters with the group 'Raging Grannies' hold signs during a demonstration outside of Facebook headquarters on April 5, 2018 in Menlo Park, California.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>There weren't major complaints about the Facebook employees themselves, though some are approachable or more talkative than others. "Some people are just very much trying to get to work, but I would say for the most part no-one's unfriendly," one of the valets said. "You just know who's gonna wanna talk and who's not going to want to talk."</p><p>The other valet added: "There's definitely a line drawn between, 'you are here to do this and I am here to do this and you need to do this so I can do this.'"</p><p>Senior staff are seen around campus "on a daily basis," they said, though interactions with them are minimal. "That's purposefully ... I don't want to jeopardize my job, I just say 'hello, goodbye,' that's it."</p><p>And when there the Facebook employees have complaints about the valets, they will generally go the valets' managers, or grouse on Facebook's internal message boards, rather than confront the valets directly.</p><p>And compared to parking cars at a restaurant or a hotel, there's something exciting about being a part of the world's largest social network - even if only in a limited way.</p><p>"It's very easy to forget that you're contributing to something so ginormous because everyone here is kinda like so used to it," one valet said.</p><p>"It's easy to forget you're dealing with the lives of billions of people ... it's like when you know what you're doing, but you're only working such a small piece of it that you don't think of the other pieces that are fitting the puzzle."</p><p><em>Do you work for Facebook? Got a tip? Contact the author confidentially at rprice@<span>businessinsider.com</span>, via Twitter DM at<span> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/robaeprice">@robaeprice</a>, or via Signal at (650) 636-6268.</em></p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/john-carreyrou-how-theranos-deceived-silicon-valley-startup-bad-blood-sample-technology-2018-5">How a $9 billion startup deceived Silicon Valley</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Confessions of a Facebook parking valet

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Maserati, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/coolest-maserati-cars-of-all-time-2014-12">the exclusive and luxurious car maker that is synonymous with billionaire playboys</a>, Monaco millionaires and Saudi sheikhs, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.</span></p><p>But the Italian brand, which also prides itself on being the brand favoured by the likes of rapper 50 Cent, actress Cameron Diaz and footballer Lionel Messi, has widened the scope of its "exclusivity" by offering new car lines that are well below the <a href="http://www.therichest.com/luxury/auto/the-10-most-expensive-maseratis/10/">£1.9 million ($2.85 million) price tag for the Maserati MC12 model</a>.</p><p>That, of course, excludes all the customisation you can add to a vehicle.</p><p>"<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/if-you-want-to-restore-a-classic-maserati-you-can-buy-this-one-for-less-than-1-million-2014-11">Luxury and exclusivity is part of our DNA</a> and that doesn't change. But we're now looking into affordable exclusivity," said Giulio Pastore, European General Manager at Maserati, to Business Insider in South Kensington, London.</p><p>Maserati will also launch an SUV, the Levante.</p><p>"The European SUV market is a strong one to get into and we forecast that this will account for 43% of our global sales by 2018. That's around 30,000 cars. The <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/here-come-the-ultra-luxurious-suvs-2015-2">SUV will be targeting women and familie</a>s, who use the car daily. Women are the biggest decision makers when it comes to buying cars, and this is the next step. This is the luxury car for everyday use."</p><p><strong>"Affordable exclusivity" versus "billionaire toys"</strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Maserati's balance sheet has already felt the weighty difference of offering cars that are around half the price of its most famous vehicles.</p><p>Last year, Maserati launched its first car ever to price at below £50,000, the Ghibli. While the Ghibli Diesel will set you back a little shy of £50,000, the Granturismo MC Stradale will cost just over £110,000. Cheaper models launched over the last couple of years, including the Quattroporte Diesel, are just under £70,000.</p><p>In 2014, sales in Maserati, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-fiat-chryslers-marchionne-got-83-percent-pay-hike-in-2014-2015-3">which is owned by Fiat-Chrysler</a>, topped 36,500, which is an <a href="http://www.fcagroup.com/en-US/investor_relations/financial_information_reports/annual_report/2014/FCA_2014_Annual_Report.pdf">183% increase from the previous year</a>. This is an even more incredible feat of growth because only two years earlier, Maserati sold just 6,300 cars. </p><p>From 2012 to 2013, revenues increased by 120% to €1.6 billion. In 2014, revenues stood at €2.6 billion, which marked a 67% increase from the year before.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>It now has an aggressive sales <a href="http://www.fcagroup.com/en-US/investor_relations/financial_information_reports/annual_report/2014/FCA_2014_Annual_Report.pdf">target of 75,000 annual sales the aim by 2018</a>. Pastor believes that the SUV and Ghibli will be a major part of that growth trajectory.</p><p>"Whenever you introduce a new product to the market, it's always a challenge but the dynamics of introducing more affordable lines of vehicles in our brand is very different," said Pastore. "With the top end of the line sports cars, it is like a toy for the billionaire. Since it's like a toy, they say 'I love it, I need it straight away,' and then you'll see a massive uptake within the first year. However, there is a naturally a drop off in sales on those lines a couple of years later."</p><p>"However, what we've seen with the Ghibli and the Quattroporte lines is that the curve is different. The curve grows with no drop off. I'm not saying the future will be easy [in hitting the 2018 sales target] but I am confident that we are in absolutely the right position to grow even more with our SUV."</p><p>Indeed, Maserati isn't complacent over its growth target for the next three years, even though car sales increased around 480% from 2012 to 2014. As part of its partial reinvention, Maserati will launch the Levante SUV in 2016. It will also launch a new sportscar called the Alfieri, in honour of the brand's founder.</p><p><strong>"Keeping Maserati's DNA"</strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/maserati-hit-a-100-year-high-for-2014-north-american-sales-2015-1">The United States and China provided the biggest boost to Maserati's tremendous sales growth</a> over the last two years. Europe ranked third. The <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> is one of the brand's strongest markets.</p><p>But with a car sales target of nearly double that of 2014, Pastore made it very clear that Maserati was not interested in following in the footsteps of its parent company, Fiat, by manufacturing the vehicles in countries outside Italy.</p><p>"Never!" laughed Pastore. "And I'm not just saying that because I'm Italian!"</p><p>"We always want to <a href="http://www.gtspirit.com/2014/12/03/50000th-maserati-produced-at-giovanni-agnelli-plant/">preserve and protect the 'Made in Italy'</a> part of the brand and all the cars will always remain at our plants in Italy. Sure, it's probably not the most cost-efficient and we all know about the 'employment situation' in Italy, but we cannot justify our luxurious and exclusive tag if we don't have the Italian craftsmanship."</p><p>The "employment situation" Pastore referred to around 200 of its Grugliasco plant employees going on strike in July 2014 over their "working conditions." Maserati's parent company Fiat-Chrysler quickly blasted the striking workers' claims as "<a href="http://www.carscoops.com/2014/06/fiat-chrysler-says-maserati-plant.html">absolutely incomprehensible.</a>"</p><p>But in terms of "where next", Maserati said it is "OK" with the fact that it owns such a small marketshare in the world's car market.</p><p>"When there are 65 million or more cars in the world that is always going to be an itch," said Pastore. "But we're not interested in the mass market. Our 100 years' of existence is testament to our brand and how people want to be part of this exclusive club. We have widened the scope for the customer but we've always maintained a one-to-one relationship with everyone that buys a car with us. All we've done is give people the ability to have that luxury, high performance and exclusive cars on a daily basis."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/largest-ice-glacier-calving-filmed-2015-1">This Video Of The Largest Breakage Of Ice From A Glacier Ever Filmed Is Absolutely Frightening</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="NqbHJucjpzcqR3obKs3FqeMQRi8yolxr" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

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