Maserati Heads to Goodwood with a Glossy New Model and Familiar Doubts

Modena’s luxury carmaker Maserati is gearing up to flaunt its prowess at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Known more as a playground for auto enthusiast vanity than a venue for hard news, the festival will once again serve as a platform where the Trident brand tries—somewhat desperately—to stay relevant.

The company’s so-called biggest announcement is the world debut of a previously unseen model. So far, details remain frustratingly vague. Most likely, it's another remix of an existing design dressed up with fresh polish and a heavy dose of marketing gloss. Maserati calls it “a new and authentic expression of energy,” a phrase that reads more like PR puffery than engineering triumph.

Alongside the new model, three already familiar cars will take the stage: the GT2 Stradale, GranCabrio, and MCXtrema. The GT2 Stradale is a so-called street-legal version of a race car, equipped with a license plate bracket and a few carbon flourishes. Its 640-horsepower V6 and 0–100 km/h sprint in 2.7 seconds look impressive on paper, but it's a niche vehicle with negligible real-world impact.

The GranCabrio, while visually striking, is essentially a standard grand tourer. Its 490 horsepower and glacier-white interior might give photographers something to click at, but it offers little of substance to the automotive landscape.

Then there’s the MCXtrema, a limited-edition track machine that continues Maserati’s long-standing tradition of building cars owned by a handful of collectors. With 740 horsepower and just 62 units produced, its significance remains confined to prestige spreadsheets rather than asphalt realities.

All three cars will participate in Goodwood’s famed Hillclimb, an event known for its tight curves and safe, yet dramatic setup. Maserati hopes the run will showcase “capability,” though performance metrics tend to take a back seat at such spectacles—what really matters is getting good photos and applause.

The entire event ties into the brand’s “Year of the Trident” campaign, a nostalgic nod to the century-old symbolism of its logo. But history aside, Maserati faces all-too-familiar challenges: middling innovation, a narrow audience, and products that continue to be priced well above their weight.