When you own a luxury car built by an exotic manufacturer like Maserati, chances are you have high expectations regarding the contents of your vehicle.
That’s all the more true if we’re talking about a range-topping model such as the Quattroporte sedan. But in a world where very few luxury car manufacturers have managed to remain independent, it is increasingly difficult to find automobiles that are truly bespoke— unless you’re willing to spend seven-figure sums.
In order to keep expenses low and profits high, car groups are sharing parts across the brands they own, including their luxury divisions. In Maserati’s case, it goes without saying that it uses parts shared with other FCA models from the Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep brands.
Also watch: Buying A Used Maserati Quattroporte Means Fooling Most People
But how much of the Quattroporte is truly Italian and bespoke and how much is of U.S. origin? The folks from the “Luxury Lives On” YouTube channel tried to find out by taking their Quattroporte to a Chrysler/Dodge/Ram/Jeep dealership in San Diego and compare it with other FCA products.
They were refused by the first dealership so they moved to another that was more friendly. Once there, they asked an employee to take a look at the Italian luxury sedan and see what parts he recognized from other FCA vehicles. Right off the bat, he identified quite a lot of them, including the door-mounted window and mirror controls, trunk release button, light switch, engine start/stop button, and more.
And those are only a few of the parts that are visible, imagine how many other components the Maserati Quattroporte shares with other FCA automobiles. We’re not saying that parts sharing is a bad thing in itself (as long as the parts are good) but would you be comfortable paying more than $100,000 on a Quattroporte knowing all this?