Modena – 11 September 2007. The new Quattroporte Sport GT S is unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show for its worldwide preview. The Quattroporte Sport GT S is the ultimate expression of Maserati’s flagship car sportiness. Exclusively for those looking for a sporting edge in a luxury sedan, the Quattroporte Sport GT S, equipped with an automatic 6-speed gearbox, stands out for its exceptional dynamic behaviour and uncompromised handling.
This result was obtained with the introduction of single-rate dampers and a new “racing” set up. The Quattroporte Sport GT S sits 10 mm lower at the front and 25 mm at the rear, and also features new, stiffer springs and dampers. The lower ride height and greater rigidity in the suspension system have led to a noticeable reduction in the roll and pitch angles, in the weight transfer and also to a slight increase in lateral acceleration. In everyday driving, this translates into limited body movements, with significant improvements in terms of agility, as well as travel speed through and traction coming out of curves. The result is a car that feels very much like a coupé to drive.
The Quattroporte Sport GT S also boasts another major new development: a unique braking system developed in collaboration with Brembo. This innovative technology uses composite dual-cast discs, the first time such a set up has been employed on a road car.
Unlike traditional cast iron discs, dual-cast discs are made of two materials, cast iron and aluminium, to ensure optimised braking, improving performance in the most extreme conditions and providing greater resistance to fade even at the highest temperatures. The dual-cast disc consists of a cast iron braking surface and an aluminium hat, making it possible to combine the advantages of heat-resistance provided by cast iron with the lightweight properties of aluminium. In particular, the use of aluminium, which is generally 20% lighter than cast iron, made it possible to increase the diameter of the front discs up to 360 mm, while maintaining the same weight. In addition to improving the performance of the braking system, other advantages created by the dual-casting of these materials include greater driving comfort, less wear on the discs and pads, and better component performance.
The Quattroporte Sport GT S’s new braking system also features new mono-block, six-piston front brake callipers and new tyres have been developed especially for this car (front 245/35-R20 and rear 295/30-R20). The larger rear ground footprint allows optimum use of the V8’s 400 hp, whilst the new tyre mix helps the brakes and set-up to guarantee a superior level of handling and driving emotion.
The fuel economy is also remarkable: it uses 9% less fuel compared to the Quattroporte DuoSelect (non-urban driving).
The Quattroporte Sport GT S’s exterior is distinguished by a more aggressive look. The black-chrome mesh front grille, a characteristic element of sporty Maseratis, is joined by a series of significant aesthetic elements: the side window trims and the two double exhaust pipes are also in black, whilst door handles are in the same colour as the body of the car.
The Quattroporte Sport GT S is fitted with dark-chrome 20", seven spoke alloy wheels.
Even the interior reflects the muscular character of the car, thanks to a meticulous selection of materials which celebrate the sportier nature of the latest evolution of the Maserati flagship vehicle. The interior finish features carbon-fibre with aluminium treads.
The front seats offer an advanced level of lateral support and are distinguished by the new design of the seat and backrest. Thanks to a more cosseting shape, they ensure an excellent level of comfort as well as support for the upper body and legs in sporty driving.
The interior of the Quattroporte GT S combines the traditional Poltrona Frau leather and Alcantara, which covers the central sections of the seats, the door panels and the rim of the steering wheel. Available in five colours (Beige, Pearl Beige, Grigio-Gray, Nero-Black, and Blu Trofeo), Alcantara, beside giving customers a further personalisation option, also offers better grip.
MASERATI GRANTURISMO: 2007 PRODUCTION – AND MORE – ALREADY SOLD OUT
Introduced at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show, the Maserati GranTurismo is a car whose place in motoring history is guaranteed. It is a car that will be talked about for a long time to come, a fact that’s demonstrated by the excellent reception from customers, to the extent that the entire production run for 2007 has sold out already. The first vehicles were delivered to the showrooms at the end of July, following the international press test drive.
Style and dimensions of the GranTurismo blend into a thoroughbred and sporty car body – masterfully designed by Pininfarina – well-proportioned, elegant and never over the top.
The GranTurismo is suitable for everyday use, with excellent handling, a very sporty feel and a thrilling drive. It is also a car which pays attention to comfort, materials, details, with large interior space and a capacity of up to four adults, which is greater than the average for the segment. The rear seats have been designed to accommodate two adults comfortably even on long journeys, which makes the vehicle a perfect example of Maserati’s concept of a great touring car.
A high-performance sports car, exciting to drive, the GranTurismo has a V8 4.2 engine with 405 hp at 7,100 rpm and a maximum torque of 460 Nm at 4,750 rpm, of which 75% is already achievable at 2,500 revs. Its maximum speed is 285 km/h, and it accelerates from 0-100 in 5.2 seconds. Weight distribution is 49% on the front, 51% at the rear. The gearbox is automatic with self-adjusting controls which adapt the gear change to the driving style and conditions. The car is 192.17 in long with a wheel base of 2942 mm. The standard wheel rims are 19”, with 20” available as optional extras.
The fuel economy on the GranTurismo has been improved even further – with a 3% reduction compared to the Quattroporte Automatic (which had already achieved savings of 9% compared to the earlier model).
As usual for Maserati cars, the possibilities for customisation are endless, with a wide selection of materials to choose from, including Poltrona Frau leather and various types of wood, as well as numerous colour schemes.
Maserati’s Gran Turismo tradition began in 1947, at the Geneva Motorshow, where Maserati unveiled its first A6 GranTurismo, styled by Pininfarina. It was the first Maserati road car and 58 units were produced. Ten years later, in 1957, again at the Geneva Motorshow, Maserati unveiled its first standard Gran Turismo, the 3500 GT. This was the car that turned Maserati into a road car manufacturer: from then on production of road cars took priority over that of racing models. A total of 1,983 units of the 3500GT were produced over seven years.
The name Maserati GranTurismo is no coincidence. Once again, the Maserati-Pininfarina partnership has produced an exciting car whose construction, unique and inimitable style sets it apart from the competition.
Besides the new Quattroporte Sport GT S and the Maserati GranTurismo, Maserati brings to Frankfurt the Quattroporte Automatic, unveiled at the Detroit Motorshow, and the Quattroporte DuoSelect, the vehicle that created the market for “luxury sport sedans”. Since 2003, 12,000 Quattroporte have been delivered to customers – a major achievement, which testifies to Maserati's growth over the years.
FIFTY YEARS AFTER FANGIO’S VICTORY, MASERATI’S RACING SUCCESS CONTINUES
2007 is a very important year for Maserati — a year of meaningful anniversaries not only for the standard production (A6 and 3500 GT), but also as far as racing is concerned.
In 1957, Juan Manuel Fangio won the F1 World Championship Drivers’ title at the wheel of the Maserati 250 F, partly thanks to a great comeback that brought him victory at the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.
The car that Fangio used that day, with VIN number 2529, is on display on the Maserati stand at the Frankfurt Motorshow.
Today, Maserati is still a star of GT races. It leads the FIA GT1 Constructors’ Championship, which it won in 2005, and is at the top of Team and Driver rankings, thanks to the German-run Vitaphone Racing Team, with Michael Bartels and Thomas Biagi, flying the flag for Italy.
The aim for 2007 is to continue this winning sequence which began with the debut of the MC12 in 2004 (by winning two Team titles and one Drivers’ championship, as well as two editions of the Spa 24 hour race, again with the Vitaphone Racing Team). This year, there are six Maserati MC12s lined up, driven by the Playteam, Vitaphone Racing Team and JMB Racing.
As a testament to the technological excellence and great potential of Maserati as a supercar factory, we recall that the production of the MC12 Versione Corse, in only 12 units, derives from the MC12 GT1. The MC12 Versione Corse, also on display on the Maserati stand at the Frankfurt Motorshow, is not homologated for road use or any racing activity and can be used exclusively on track during private test sessions.
2007 – INCREASE IN SALES VOLUMES AND POSITIVE ECONOMIC RESULTS
In the second quarter of 2007, Maserati’s revenues were € 177 million, which represents a 19.6% increase compared to the same period in 2006. This improvement can mainly be attributed to the excellent performance of the new Quattroporte Automatic, which is proving to be a success in all markets.
During the second quarter of 2007, Maserati achieved a positive operating result (€ 1 million) for the first time since 1993, the year in which it was acquired by the Fiat Group. This turnaround, compared to the € 7 million loss for the same period in 2006, is due to the increase in volumes and major cost-cutting exercises carried out over the past 12 months.
In the first half of the year, Maserati’s revenue amounted to € 344 million, up 27.9% compared to the same period of the previous year. During the first six months, Maserati largely broke even, in terms of its ordinary operating profit. There was a clear improvement compared to the same period for the previous year, in which it recorded a loss of € 26 million.
The Quattroporte’s positioning in its segment, that of luxury sport sedans with a power output of over 300hp, and price range between € 80,000 and 150,000, is extremely satisfactory.
A study of the average figures for January-June 2007, in the world's top eight car markets (Italy, UK, Germany, France and Switzerland, in Europe), plus the USA, Japan and Australia, showed that the Quattroporte is the third most popular vehicle in its category. It is the second most popular, if the analysis is limited to the five European countries.
Specifically, the best performance was achieved in Italy and France, where the Quattroporte is top of its segment, while in Switzerland and Australia it is second.
The GranTurismo has been an outstanding success since its unveiling at the Geneva Motorshow. This year’s production has sold out already, and the first vehicles were delivered to the showrooms in July. By the end of 2007, approximately 2000 GranTurismo will have been delivered.
The alignment of sales results for the past two years has represented a phase of consolidation, ready for the vigorous period of growth which Maserati is set to embark on this year, with a fully overhauled product range and an ambitious objective: 7,000 vehicles delivered to customers.
The United States is still Maserati’s leading market, with around 40% of turnover (together with Canada). Italy is always in second place as the European leader, ahead of Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, China and Australia.
Maserati is now present in 59 countries and five continents, with a total network of over 272 dealers. India will certainly be of potential interest to Maserati in the future.
Equally significant in terms of company growth and expansion is its collaboration with Alfa Romeo, to produce the 8C Competizione.
ECO-COMPATIBILITY
Protecting the environment, reducing fuel consumption and emissions and the constant improvement of safety are increasingly important issues on which Maserati is working at a cracking pace, without losing any of the performance or content typical of its cars, in the best Trident tradition.
As we have already seen with the Quattroporte Automatic and the Quattroporte Sport GT S, substantial improvements have been made in terms of fuel saving, with a reduction of 9% (non-urban driving mode), which obviously leads to reduced emissions. The designers have reduced consumption on the GranTurismo by a further 3%.
On the safety front, Maserati is introducing an absolute first for the car industry — a new technical solution developed in collaboration with Brembo: the floating dual-cast brake disc manufactured in two materials, cast iron and aluminium. The advantages offered by this brake disc include: weight reduction (between 15% and 20%), greater comfort, corrosion and wear reduction and better component performance.
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