Maserati is known throughout the world for the high quality and craftsmanship of its cars. This level of excellence has been attained by constantly monitoring and improving production processes, engineering, testing and evaluation and training of the craftsmen and women who assemble Maserati cars. In addition clients’ expectations and satisfaction levels are also constantly monitored and factored into the design and production processes.

Maserati’s objective is to strive to improve an already excellent product through production process controls and by constantly monitoring the supply of materials from the prestigious interior finishes to high-tech components.

Every single vehicle undergoes a series of checks before and during assembly intended to help ensure quality. The engine is examined closely and, before it is mounted on the car, goes to the test bench for twenty minutes at 2000 rpm, twenty minutes at 4500 rpm and then thirty at 6000 rpm. These checks are carried out to make sure the engine meets the required performance and emissions standards.

Before leaving the factory, each Maserati has to pass a number of stringent tests to ensure it measures up to spec. The tests that take place during the production phase are only the last in a long series of checks. Each new model goes through a demanding programme of development, endurance and reliability tests conducted over hundreds of kilometres on the road. These exams are held in extreme conditions on roads all over the world and on some of Europe’s most famous tracks. Each test has a precise objective: develop the product, the endurance and reliability of the components and improve the car’s safety and dynamic handling across a variety of conditions.

The brakes and climate control systems are tested in the searing temperatures, sand and rugged terrain found in Spain and South Africa. Greece, with its heat and windy roads, is the ideal test bed for checking engine wear, while the icy highways of Scandinavia put the electronic safety features through their paces on low grip surfaces.

As well as putting its cars through harsh tests, Maserati also uses racing as a way to measure its cars’ development. Since the first Maserati was produced in 1926, when the Tipo 26 made a winning debut at the Targa Florio, Maserati has participated in many endurance races and shown superb levels of reliability. The success that Maserati has attained with the MC12, including multiple wins in the fearsome 24 Hours of Spa, is evidence that this winning tradition continues to this day.