Maserati Sales In America: 2002 - 2011

In the United States, Maserati sold 2321 cars in 2011. That's more than Bentley sold but less than half as many as smart. Not that smart and Maserati are direct competitors. Because they aren't. But there is the whole European two-seat thing going on at both brands. 

Anyhow, 2011 proved to be a favoloso year for Maserati. Sales jumped 22.4% in an overall market which rose just 10.3%. In the last decade, only Maserati's booming years of 2007 and 2008 were better. Maserati USA's 2011 sales total was 2.7 times better than it was a decade ago. 

And there's better news, at least for Maserati's output; if not for its image: the 2013 Kubang is likely going to do for Maserati what the Cayenne did for Porsche. 

Study the chart below for a closer look at what Fiat-owned Maserati has been able to accomplish over the last ten years in America. An already-published chart just like this one lays out Bentley's decade-long accomplishments. It's worth a look.

CLICK THE CHART FOR A LARGER VIEW

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Porsche Sales In America: 2002 - 2011

PHOTO COMPARISON OF TEN LARGE LUXURY SEDANS

To the human eye, shape trumps detail more often than not. The grandeur of a palace will grab your attention even if the colour of its bricks are not to your liking. The silhouette of a woman's body is most likely going to stop a man in his tracks despite the fact that her eyes are too close together and her nose is too wide. A thick t-bone steak cut by the best butcher in Texas will have you salivating.... right up until you see that it's 45% fat.

Likewise, the profile of a beautful new car, particularly as it passes you at high speed, will hold you spellbound. Maybe you hate twin-kidney grilles or bulbous fenders or angular taillights or oversized wheels, but the initial moment in which you spotted the shape of the vehicle will forever remain etched on your automotive conscience.

Yet automobiles basically come in only a handful of shapes. You have 1-box minivans, 2-box hatchbacks and wagons, 3-box sedans, wedge-like supercars and mid-engine roadsters, and back-on-its-haunches rear-wheel drive performance cars. Or, to be more specific, almost every vehicle's shape could fall under the heading of: Dodge Grand Caravan, Volvo V70, Honda Accord, Lamborghini Gallardo, and Ford Mustang. Agreeing with that analysis doesn't mean you don't see differences - huge differences - between a Chevrolet Corvette and a Nissan 370Z. In fact, if anything, agreeing with that analysis only praises the talent of automotive designers who continue to work with the consistent limitations presented by four wheels, a powerplant, a cabin, and cargo space.

Now look at one vehicle segment, expanded slightly for the purposes of this article, for evidence of designer talent when styling large, high-end 3-box sedans. Because the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide are actually hatchbacks and thus strikingly different in overall shape, they're not appearing in pictures after the jump. But ten other big sedans, including a concept and a heavy-duty whippersnapper from Korea, are shown, all with emphasis on profile. We'll all have unique guttural reactions to certain cars while finding others forgettable and some downright offensive. Deep down, these cars are rivals. However, they're seen competing in a high-dollar arena where personal design preference holds far more weight than financing deals or brake horsepower figures. Click through the jump to decide for yourself.

Audi A8

Bentley Continental Flying Spur

BMW 7-Series

Cadillac Sixteen

Hyundai Equus

Jaguar XJ

Lexus LS

Maserati Quattroporte

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Rolls-Royce Ghost

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net

Large Luxury Car Sales Stats

2011 Audi A8 Gallery

Low Volume Automaker Sales In The USA - June 2010

Top 10 Most Expensive Sedans In The World

FACT CHECK (WITH PICS) OF THE NEW MASERATI GRANCABRIO

It has been pointed out that we ought not believe everything we read. They say it's important to analyse the text before accepting it as truth. Considering the skeptical nature of most automotive critics, it won't surprise you to discover that The Good Car Guy is labelling Maserati's latest profound statement as false.

Says Fiat-controlled Maserati, in regards to their latest product, the GranCabrio: "The Maserati GranCabrio is powered by a 4.7 litre V8, 438 bhp engine and is the convertible with the longest wheelbase on the market."

Hmm, wait one second. "The market" can mean just about anything anybody wants it to, but if it includes every production car, the length between the GranTurismo's wheelhubs must grow by an astonishing 15 inches to accomodate four seats under the soft top of the GranCabrio to overtake the wheelbase of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead. Another 20 inch stretch would be required to overtake the pseudo-convertible of Maybach's, the Landaulet.

Does the new Maserati GranCabrio feature the longest wheelbase of any convertible on the market? No. But it's long, low, and lean physique does make for a beautiful vehicle. Check the pics for proof and have a look at other Galleries by clicking here.

2009 MASERATI QUATTROPORTE AVAILABLE WITH 4.7L V8

Named by The Good Car Guy as the third-best looking car for the company CEO in a GCBC Top 5, the Maserati Quattroporte is being upgraded.

Two new leather options replace beige: Marrone Corniola and Sabbia. The new grille is more GranTurismoesque. LEDs are present at both the front and rear. A new centre console ought to be more ergnomic and the new Maserati Multimedia System incorporates a new (and one would hope, incredibly improved) navigation system. 

But you kind of don't really actually truly care at all. The Q'Porte S is now fitted with a 4.7L V8 generating 430 horsepower, a pleasant bump over the standard and significantly less torquey 400-bhp 4.2L V8. The gallery for the 2009 Maser Q'Porte is below.