So Ferrari could build sportscars, while Maserati would offer sports touring cars, a sedan, and maybe even an SUV, though that's looking less likely at the moment. This would save Ferrari from the fallout that dogs Porsche to this day as a result of the Cayenne SUV, but still allow the company to enjoy the profits associated with such popular vehicles.
Clearly, much of the success that Ferrari has as a car company is directly related to its unparalleled success as a racing team. You get the sense that Ferrari sells cars to help it go racing, while the other companies in F1 (BMW, Honda, Jaguar, Mercedes, Renault and especially Toyota) go racing to help sell cars or enliven their image.
Todt made the point that you don't have to have the biggest budget or the most resources to do well in F1, since Ferrari's budget is undoubtedly smaller than that of most of the other manufacturers' teams.
He also made the point that the Ferrari team wasn't made up of superior human beings (though lots of people would make an exception of driver Michael Schumacher), that they succeeded because they were focused and all working toward the same goal.
Todt promised to bring the same kind of commitment to the people who design and build Ferraris, and his demeanor gives you every indication that that's exactly what will happen.
As for Maserati, the current coupe and convertible are excellent entries in the extremely competitive segment. The breakout car for the trident brand is however the Quattroporte, since it brings style, elegance and the best leather in the world to a category that is dominated by severe German brands.
If the BMW 7-Series looks like a man in a uniform (and an ill-fitting uniform at that), and the Mercedes S-Class is a man in a four-button business suit, the Quattroporte is an Italian woman in a summer dress.
This car should have great appeal for people looking for something different and something genuinely exclusive, a trait BMW and Mercedes seem resolutely determined to abandon with their upcoming entry-level models (1-Series and the B-Class model that will come from Mercedes' new A-Class model) and increased sales goals.
Ferrari-Maserati's tag team approach certainly seems to be working. Ferrari's manufacturing ability is maxed out, and the new Quattroporte is pretty much sold out for the next 18 months or more.