Maserati Woos Drivers Bored With BMW

摘要

Maserati has long supplied exotic-and expensive-rides to the rich and super-rich. Now the 99-year-old sports car maker is shifting its focus to the merely wealthy. In September the Fiat subsidiary plans to introduce the Ghibli, a midsize sedan starting at $65,600 that it hopes will present a direct challenge to German models such as the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Audi A6. Maserati is betting it can offer something the Germans can't: Italian sex appeal backed by the power and cachet of engines from sister brand Ferrari. "We have to steal buyers from the Germans," says Benedetto Orvietani, a product development manager at Maserati. "We are going after their most demanding customers, the ones that are bored with their Audi A6 and want to stand out."