Maserati May Offer Audi Derived All-Wheel Drive
Two rather unlikely suitors have just announced a marriage made in heaven; that is if you happen to love premium sport/luxury cars. Maybe it's best described as an arranged union by two influential parents. Either way Volkswagen owned Audi and Ferrari owned Maserati (backed by Fiat) have joined forces to assist each other in the development of future models.
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| Maserati will possibly offer Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system in their new Quattroporte sedan and future Kubang SUV, if it goes into production. (Photo: Maserati) |
Maserati will benefit by the use of Audi's acclaimed quattro all-wheel drive system in its latest Quattroporte sedan, if it chooses to do so, and Giugiaro-designed Kubang sport utility vehicle if it chooses to build it - the announcement for the latter should come sometime around the end of the year with most analysts expecting a go-ahead. The Italian marque will also get use of the German company's turbodiesel as an option in the SUV.
Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari-Maserati's president, stated that there won't be a diesel or long wheelbase variation of the new Maserati sedan, but a sports package and an executive version may offer the AWD system.
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| Audi benefits by having access to the Quattroporte's new chassis architecture and impressive 4.2-L engine. That begs the question, how much better in driving dynamics can the Maserati sedan really be over the already impressive A8? (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
Most importantly to Maserati, it will get use of Audi's financial services arm to help boost sales in an ever more competitive market.
What does Audi get out of the deal? First and foremost is the profits earned off of the financial services "paper" from the sale of Maseratis, plus the use of the Quattroporte's new chassis architecture (platform) as well as its impressive 4.2-L engine in yet unspecified future models.