Maserati’s future is murkier than ever. Sales collapsed in 2024, and rumors about its impending sale just won’t die. However, if the company can regain traction, we might see a new flagship model from the brand with a manual transmission as soon as next year.
There are few details about this new supercar, but Maserati engineering boss Davide Danesin suggested in an interview with Autocar that it’s possible such a vehicle could have a manual gearbox. According to Danesin, there are still customers who want “pure mechanical cars” and have no interest in electric vehicles.
Maserati canceled the electric MC20 earlier this year due to weak demand, and it’s not the only high-end automaker reconsidering EVs. Several automakers have recommitted to building gasoline engines as demand for electric vehicles falters in certain markets. Even Lamborghini might abandon its electric GT for a hybrid.
“By doing a purely mechanical car, it does make sense to have a mechanical gearbox with a shifter,” Danesin told Autocar. “So why not? It fulfils perfectly the brand. It fulfils perfectly our approach and the mindset. So honestly, I think one day we’ll do it.”
Maserati will allegedly base the car on the GranTurismo and use the brand’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Nettuno V-6 engine. It produces 621 horsepower in the new MCPura, but it’ll likely make even more power if it’s in a limited-run halo vehicle.
A limited-run car won’t fix the company’s dire financial situation, though. Last year, before leaving the company, former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said that the conglomerate would decide the fate of its 14 brands as soon as next year, so Maserati might not have much time left to prove its worth. But Stellantis has a new boss, so things likely have changed behind the scenes.
But it looks like the leaders might have the right idea to reinvigorate interest in the brand, and it doesn’t include batteries or electric motors. That’s a win.
