News

Maserati at 111: The Trident Sharpens for a New Century

Maserati doesn’t do quiet anniversaries. Fresh off unveiling its Meccanica Lirica project and announcing the return of GranTurismo and GranCabrio production to its historic Modena home, the Trident is now celebrating its 111th birthday. That milestone makes Maserati the longest-standing brand in Italy’s fabled Motor Valley—a region where longevity comes only to those who marry heritage with constant reinvention.

And reinvention is exactly what Maserati wants the world to witness as it approaches 2026: the Year of the Trident Centenary. Not a centenary of the company itself, but of the emblem that transformed a small mechanical workshop in Bologna into a global performance icon. In 1926, the first car to wear that badge—the Tipo 26—rolled onto the Targa Florio and promptly won its class. Built by the Maserati brothers. Driven by Alfieri Maserati himself. The DNA was set from day one.

Born in Bologna, Forged in Competition

The story starts earlier than the motorsport glory, of course. In 1914, brothers Alfieri, Ettore, and Ernesto founded Ditta Alfieri Maserati in downtown Bologna—essentially a tiny mechanical workshop powered by curiosity, race-tuned instincts, and an irrepressible love of speed. Another brother, Mario, sketched the now-famous trident after studying the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna’s Piazza Maggiore. Local roots, mythic symbolism.

By 1926, those roots gave rise to the Tipo 26. It wasn’t just the first Maserati; it was the first Maserati to win something. And the wins kept coming: back-to-back victories at the Indianapolis 500, multiple Targa Florio triumphs, nine Formula 1 wins, and Fangio’s 1957 F1 World Championship. The Trident learned early that prestige is earned at full throttle.

Maserati retreated from single-seaters in the late 1950s but reawakened its racing spirit dramatically with the MC12 in the 2000s. Six FIA GT championships later, Maserati had proven it could still dominate the highest tiers of GT competition. Today, the GT2 program continues that arc, bringing Maserati back to circuits around the world.

A New Home, a New Era

A major shift came in 1940 when the Orsi family led Maserati to Modena, opening the Viale Ciro Menotti plant that remains the brand’s beating heart. Postwar Maserati began looking beyond the racetrack, launching its first road car—the A6 1500—in 1947. Then came one of the most important chapters: the 1963 Quattroporte. Before that, no one had combined genuine sports-car performance with full-size luxury-sedan comfort. Maserati didn’t just build a segment—it invented one.

Ownership changes followed. Citroën brought modern manufacturing processes. De Tomaso brought the Biturbo, which became one of the brand’s most successful models. But the modern Maserati renaissance kicked off in the 2000s: the fifth-gen Quattroporte, the first GranTurismo, the GranCabrio, and later a broader lineup including the Ghibli and Levante SUV.

Modena Reinvented

The most transformative moment of the last decade arrived in 2020. Maserati didn’t just debut the MC20—it rebuilt the Viale Ciro Menotti factory to produce it, complete with a dedicated paint shop and the assembly lab for the Nettuno V6. That engine, with its Formula 1–style pre-chamber combustion system, is protected by international patents and made entirely in-house. It’s one of the most advanced powerplants ever installed in a road-legal Italian car.

From there, Maserati filled the pipeline: the Grecale SUV in 2022, the GT2 Stradale in 2023 (a road-legal machine with unmistakable motorsport genes), and the track-only MCXtrema in 2024—62 units, each one wielding an extreme 730-hp version of the Nettuno.

2025: The Next Pivot Point

If Maserati’s 111th year sounds busy, 2025 is even bigger. Production of the MC Pura will begin—a model positioned as the “purest expression” of Maserati energy and performance. Bottega Fuoriserie will debut, blending bespoke creativity between Maserati and Alfa Romeo. And perhaps most symbolic of all, the GranTurismo and GranCabrio are returning home to Modena, built once again at Viale Ciro Menotti where their predecessors first came to life.

A Heritage That Still Feels Hand-Built

“We’re celebrating 111 years in the city that represents the beating heart of our brand,” said Maserati COO Santo Ficili. “The know-how preserved here for more than a century shapes our vision of performance, design, and craftsmanship.”

That’s a polished executive quote—but in Maserati’s case, it happens to ring true. Few automakers can claim a lineage that stretches from century-old race cars to cutting-edge carbon-fiber supercars without losing their soul along the way.

The Trident has made it this far by refusing to become ordinary. And if 2025 is any indication, Maserati’s next century won’t be quieter—it’ll just be faster.

Source: Maserati

News

Porsche Digs Into Its Archives to Revive Iconic Interior Fabrics—Pepita, Pasha, Tartan, and More Are Back

Porsche has always understood that design doesn’t stop at the sheetmetal. Yes, the Stuttgart brand’s silhouette work—long hoods, fastback roofs, the unmistakable 911 profile—gets much of the glory. But inside, Porsche has spent decades building a second, quieter legacy: textiles. Pepita, Pasha, tartan, pinstripes—patterns that became as much a part of the Porsche identity as air-cooled flat-sixes and whale tails.

Now, those storied fabrics are making a comeback.

“By reissuing these fabrics we are closing a gap,” says Ulrike Lutz, Director Classic at Porsche. With many owners eager to return their classic or young-timer Porsches to exact factory specification, the brand saw demand for authentic upholstery rise sharply. The problem? The market was flooded with look-alike materials—patterns that resembled the originals but didn’t hold up to the quality standard Porsche demands. “We want to offer our customers a tested original alternative again,” Lutz adds.

Authenticity, Down to the Last Thread

These aren’t mere tribute reprints. Porsche dug into its company archives, retrieving original samples and specifications to ensure the new runs match not only the look, but the feel, durability, and color accuracy of the factory materials. Because often restorers aren’t redoing an entire interior—just one heavily worn seat bolster, a faded insert, or a single sun-bleached door card.

“Often, the upholsterer only has to reupholster the driver’s seat,” explains product manager Lukas Werginz. Matching a 40- or 50-year-old passenger seat requires ruthless precision, particularly with complex patterns. To that end, Porsche subjects the revived fabrics to a battery of durability tests: fire resistance, abrasion resistance, and light and color fastness. The new materials are sold as Porsche Genuine Parts in 1.5-by-2-meter sheets, ready for everything from seat centers to side panels.

The lengths Porsche went for accuracy are almost archaeological. In the U.S., the Classic team uncovered a pristine, unused 911 seat from 1975—still wearing immaculate green tartan upholstery. “Stored in a light-proof cupboard, and therefore perfectly preserved, this new-old-stock item was gold dust for us,” Werginz recalls.

Pepita: The Checkered Icon Returns

Pepita—its checked pattern linked by diagonal stripes—first appeared in the 356 in 1963, then in the early 911 two years later. The name traces back to 19th-century Spanish dancer Pepita de Oliva, but the pattern’s fashion fame came courtesy of Christian Dior. In Porsche lore, Pepita is synonymous with the brand’s early years: light, simple, and classically European.

Tartan: Turbo-Era Attitude

Tartan carries a different energy: heritage, confidence, and a bit of rebellious flair. Porsche offered three distinct tartans in the 1974 911 Turbo, expanding availability to the standard 911 lineup shortly after. It even appeared in concept form at the 1973 Frankfurt IAA on a 911 RSR Turbo study trimmed in Black Watch tartan.

Perhaps the most famous tartan Porsche ever delivered belonged to Louise Piëch—daughter of Ferdinand Porsche and mother of Ferdinand Piëch—whose silver “No. 1” 911 Turbo featured deep red leather and McLaughlan tartan inserts. It doesn’t get more Porsche-family-royalty than that.

Pasha: The Lounge-Racer Statement Piece

And then there’s Pasha—the most divisive, unmistakable Porsche textile ever created. Inspired by racing chequered flags and conceived under the wild design team of Anatole “Tony” Lapine and Vlasta Hatter, Pasha is a hypnotic grid of expanding and contracting rectangles that seems to pulse with movement.

First shown in a 928 in 1977 and later offered in the 911, 924, and 944, Pasha became the unofficial interior of Porsche’s late-’70s and early-’80s aesthetic. Its name was meant to evoke an Ottoman sultan lounging on luxurious cushions. Subtle, it was not—but unforgettable, absolutely.

Today, Porsche has revived Pasha not only for restorations but for new vehicles as well, debuting the pattern in the 911 Spirit 70 special edition. It’s a bold callback to a time when Porsche interiors weren’t afraid to swing for the fences.

Source: Porsche

NEW CARS

Alfa Romeo Giulia & Stelvio Quadrifoglio Collezione — Red Hot, Ultra-Rare, Instantly Iconic

Alfa Romeo has never been shy about leaning into its heritage, but with the new Giulia Quadrifoglio Collezione and Stelvio Quadrifoglio Collezione, the brand goes full ceremonial. These limited-run, 63-unit specials are rolling tributes to the most potent icon in the company’s 111-year history: the Quadrifoglio. Born on the Targa Florio in 1923, worn proudly by Ugo Sivocci’s victorious RL, the four-leaf emblem has since become shorthand for the best that Alfa can engineer—on the track and, starting in 1963 with the Giulia Ti Super, on the street.

Now, Alfa wants that legacy to circle the globe again.

Only 63 of Each — and Built with Ceremony

Produced at the Cassino plant—where hand-finished craftsmanship meets state-of-the-art manufacturing—the Collezione models wear their exclusivity openly. Each cabin carries embroidered numbering from “1 di 63 Collezione” onward. These aren’t just numbered cars; they’re numbered artifacts.

The tribute extends far beyond badges. Alfa has tapped deep into its paint archives to reinterpret the celebrated Rosso Villa d’Este—the luxurious, ink-rich red first seen on the 4C Concept and renowned for shifting from crimson to near-black depending on the light.

The result? Two distinct shades:

  • Giulia Quadrifoglio Collezione: Rosso Collezione Giulia
    Darker, moodier, almost blackened at the edges—fitting for the more aggressive of the duo.
  • Stelvio Quadrifoglio Collezione: Rosso Collezione Stelvio
    Brighter and more open, reflecting the SUV’s broader mission: speed with range and versatility.

Same heritage, two interpretations. It’s very Alfa.

Inside: More Boutique Atelier Than Factory Line

Slip into the cabin and the retro-romantic storytelling gives way to modern craft. A leather-wrapped dashboard stitched in red sets the tone, while the carbon-fiber Sparco shells remind you that these cars may be collectibles, but they’re not museum pieces. Leather and Alcantara cover nearly every touchpoint—including the door panels and the central armrest—creating the sort of cockpit that avoids gimmicks and instead builds a mood.

This is a racing brand grown up, but not tamed.

Under the Hood: The V6 Still Steals the Show

Both Collezione models are powered by the familiar—and ferociously charismatic—2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, now coaxed to 520 horsepower. It’s an engine that feels bred rather than built, and Alfa leans into that genetic drama with a standard Akrapovič exhaust system. Start it cold and you’ll swear the car is clearing its throat before delivering a speech.

Alfa also doubles down on carbon fiber: front badge, mirror caps, center tunnel trim, dashboard accents, and an exposed carbon roof that looks tailor-made to be admired under spotlights. The carbon-ceramic brakes come standard too, complete with burnished calipers stamped with a red Alfa Romeo script—a subtle flex visible through the spokes.

Driving: An Instant Classic, Not Just in Name

Alfa calls these “Instant Classics.” That’s marketing speak—but here, it’s justified. The Giulia remains one of the purist-driving sport sedans on the planet: tactile, alive, razor-sharp, and properly rear-wheel-biased. With the updated V6 and Akrapovič vocals, the car feels like an exclamation point on the Quadrifoglio mission.

The Stelvio, meanwhile, still handles like an SUV that resents being an SUV. The steering is unnervingly quick—almost Giulia-like—and the chassis hides its size better than physics should allow. In Collezione form, it gains an extra layer of road presence that borders on dramatic.

Neither car is radically altered mechanically, but that’s not the point. They’re distillations, not reinventions.

A Farewell, a Celebration, or a Beginning?

In an era rushing toward electrification, the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio Collezione feel like Alfa Romeo planting a flag—one last, deeply emotional salute to its combustion heroes. These cars aren’t merely special editions. They’re love letters, signed in carbon fiber and sealed in a shade of red that carries a century of racing history.

Collectible? Absolutely.
Cynical? Not even close.
They’re a reminder that passion is still a specification, and Alfa Romeo still knows how to engineer it.

Source: Alfa Romeo

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