February 23, 2010 by nitram
We’ve seen automakers creating special edition models for numerous reasons or occasions, but Maserati’s decision to premiere a limited production version of the Quattroporte sedan to celebrate the 56 awards from automotive and lifestyle publications that the car has received during its six years of life, sounds like the Italians are either running low on cash or ideas – maybe even both…
The distinctiveness of the “Awards Edition” that is based on the range-topping Quattroporte Sport GT S with the upgraded 433HP V8 engine extends to both the exterior and interior appointments.
The special edition model is offered in a uniqueQuarzo fuso exterior colour which is a pearlescent metallic Grey with a golden hue.
Among the exclusive to this model exterior enhancements are the 20-inch Multi Trident dark grey rims in a satin finish, polished Brembo brake calipers and the burnished treatment used on the chrome parts, as well as on the side air vents and radiator surround.
Inside, the Poltrona Frau leather of the seats is combined with perforated Alcantara with a new pattern, and the headlining is also in Alcantara.
Completing the interior upgrades are the special brushed aluminium door sills and Piano Black satin-finish wood mouldings while the boot is finished in black trim and features chrome details and a leather side pocket.
The Quattroporte Sport GT S “Awards Edition” will be go on sale in the latter half of 2010.
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January 26, 2010 by nitram
The weather outside may be frightful, but fret not, because summer is coming soon…ish. And when it does, you’re going to want the right set of wheels. With that in mind, the good folks over at Maserati North America have revealed the pricing for their new GranTurismo Convertible (also known as the GranCabrio overseas) so you can start saving now. And save you will if you want to get your hands on one, because it sells for a princely $135,800 (MSRP, before taxes and additional fees).
If you’re wondering how much it costs to lob the roof off a GranTurismo and replace it with a triple-insulated retractable soft top, consider that the standard coupe starts at $117,500, for a difference of – carry the one, divide by the square root of pi – $18,300. When you consider, however, that the convertible comes standard with the larger 4.7-liter engine from the $121,500 GranTurismo S, the additional cost of open-air motoring comes out to a somewhat more manageable $14,300, which may or may not make it easier to justify to your spouse. Details in the press release after the jump.
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December 7, 2009 by nitram
So how do you further improve the Maserati GranTurismo coupe? Well, for one you start off with the sportiest model of the range, the 440HP GranTurismo S. Then you begin upgrading it with a bunch of mechanical and styling parts from the company’s newly launched “MC Sport Line” customization catalogue.
Maserati did not say which items from the lineup made their way onto the limited edition GranTurismo S MC Sport Line, but we do know that only 12 examples finished in a Matt White “ice” color will be built and sold exclusively to customers in the Middle East.
And if you’re wondering why twelve cars, Maserati said it’s because that’s the number of world titles won by the firm’s MC12 racer in the FIA GT International Championship since 2005, but also because twelve are the Middle East cities where Maserati is present with a dedicated showroom.
Each example of the GraTurismo S MC Sport Line will feature an internal plaque with the name of the city to which it is committed.
Later on, Maserati will produced a second run of 11 units of the car, this time finished in a Matt Bianco Fuji with pearlescent nuances, all of which will be destined for its home market in Italy.
Read the rest of this entry »
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September 18, 2009 by nitram
Maserati blew the top off the dazzling convertible version of it GranTurismo coupe, which goes by the name GranCabrio, at the Frankfurt Show today. The first four-seater convertible in the history of the Italian automaker borrows the GranTuismo S’ 440HP 4.7 liter V8 engine which is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. All it takes for the driver and the passengers to enjoy an open-air experience is a push of a button and 28 seconds latter presto, the cloth top is neatly tucked away under a special compartment behind the rear seats.
The Italian firm’s engineers paid particular attention to vehicle’s aerodynamics, with the creation of a flat aluminum base that not only adds to the overall body’s rigidity but also reduces Cx by 6 points. Amazingly and for the first time -or so Maserati claims- the topless version is able to maintain the same aerodynamic performance of the coupe, with a Cx of 0.35.
The new Maserati GranCabrio will be available for order this coming winter, with first deliveries expected to arrive the following spring of 2010.
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September 4, 2009 by nitram
At last, after countless spy shots and months of waiting, we can present the convertible version of Maserati’s stunningly beautiful GranTurismo coupe, the GranCabrio – not the best choice of names in our book… It’s the Italian automaker’s first-ever four-seater convertible and it will make its worldwide debut on September 15 at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show with international sales set to start in the spring of 2010.
Even though most of the heavily disguised test mules of the GranCabrio featured a retractable hardtop, Maserati finally chose to offer the production model with an automatic canvas top, a decision that seems to have been dictated by ‘mama’ Fiat in order to differentiate it from the sportier Ferrari California.
Like the coupe variant, the convertible model has been styled by Italian design house Pininfarina and at least with the top down, we can say that the GranCabrio looks the part.
Maserati says that the GranCabrio has the longest wheelbase on the market of any convertible, promising to offer “proper seats” for all four passengers.
There are no changes under the hood as the GrandCabrio comes with the same powerhouse as the GrandTurismo S, which means a 4.7-liter V8 engine that cranks out 440HP at 7,000 rpm and 490Nm (362 lb-ft) of torque at 4,750 rpm. Power is sent to the rear wheels through the firm’s dual-clutch, electro-actuated gearbox with fast MC-Shift arranged in the transaxle layout.
The Italian company did not disclose any performance figures but we expect the GranCabrio to be a tad slower the lighter GranTurismo which goes from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 4.9 sec and achieves a top speed of 295 Km/h or 184 mph.
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We’ve seen automakers creating special edition models for numerous reasons or occasions, but Maserati’s decision to premiere a limited production version of the Quattroporte sedan to celebrate the 56 awards from automotive and lifestyle publications that the car has received during its six years of life, sounds like the Italians are either running low on cash or ideas – maybe even both…
