Maserati Quattroporte (2013 onwards)

What – Maserati Quattroporte
Where – Nice, France
Date – December 2012
Price – £110,000 (including 20% VAT)
Available – mid 2013
Key rivals –BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide

Maserati’s latest four-door targets the luxury saloon elite but its strengths still lie in the way it looks and goes.

We like – Blistering pace, better handling than a two-tonne saloon has any right to, space, heart-warming design
We don’t like – Suspension noise and firmness, small details that let the design down

Read more Maserati car reviews
MSN Cars' best luxury saloons
Gallery: Maserati Quattroporte 2013

This would be a very important car for Maserati. It’s an all-new Quattroporte, the sixth generation of the Italian marque’s simplistically named four-door saloon car, and it arrives 50 years after the 1963 original. It really is all-new too, we’re talking completely new twin-turbo engines, a new 8-speed auto gearbox and an advanced new aluminium architecture. Yes, the new Quattroporte would be a very important car for Maserati but it’s not. It’s an absolutely crucial one.

There’s even more riding on this Quattroporte than immediately meets the eye and the reason lies in Maserati’s master plan. This is a brand that’s going places, or it will be if the Quattroporte and the series of models due to follow it live up to their billing. Maserati confidently expects to be selling 50,000 cars a year globally by 2015. In 2011 it sold 6,200 units with the old Quattroporte its top seller. Now you begin to get a feel for how much is riding on this luxury saloon.

Just as the metaphorical weight of expectation has been piled on to the Quattroporte, the physical weight has been lifted off. This car is substantially bigger than its predecessor gaining 105mm of extra rear legroom and 80 litres more boot space but it’s lighter, aluminium substituted in components through the car shaves nearly 100kg from the old-timer’s kerb weight. A twin turbo 407hp 3.0-litre V6 engine option will arrive later and all-wheel-drive models are available in other markets but not destined for the UK.      

Maserati

The V8 Quattroporte tips the scales at 1,900kg and with its 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 developing 523hp, that makes for a power to weight ratio of 264hp per tonne. It’s a full-size luxury saloon but after the briefest squint at those numbers you know it’s apocalyptically quick.

The official numbers say 0-62mph takes 4.7s and the top speed is 191mph. The originally Quattroporte re-wrote the record books in the early 60s and this car reclaims its title as the world’s fastest series production saloon.

What does that mean on the road? Well, we obviously didn’t scratch the surface of the Quattroporte’s maximum velocity but even at legal speeds it feels extremely fast. The advanced aerodynamics that make the 300kph barrier breachable in safety produce reassuring stability during fast motorway travel.

It’s a full-size luxury saloon but... it’s apocalyptically quick

 At lower speeds, it’s the engine’s torque that defines progress. There’s so much muscle low down that the car feels docile most of the time but you can feel the potential under your foot and when you do approach the rev limiter you know you’re really flying.

With eight speeds to choose from and that mountain of shove, the automatic gearbox invariably has an easy time of it. Manual changes are swift and the metal paddles feel good to the fingers but you sense they won’t get a lot of use from Quattroporte clientele. There’s the odd extra sonic treat, a soft exhaust rasp or throttle blip on down changes, to go with the deep gargle under hard throttle but this engine never sings like the sweet normally-aspirated unit in the old car.   

Maserati

The trick in a big car with sporting pretensions is making it feel small and the Maserati engineers have scored a direct hit with the Quattroporte. A perfect 50/50 weight distribution in the rear-wheel-drive models helps. As does precise steering and really talks the talk, transmitting little shimmies over the bumps and more weight as the suspension loads up in corners. Together with the excellent Brembo-developed Dual Cast brakes this gives the Quattroporte a lovely alertness and agility on tight roads.

...the Maserati engineers have scored a direct hit with the Quattroporte

The suspension system utilises Maserati’s Skyhook adjustable dampers and plays its part in achieving the Quattroporte’s athleticism. Body roll is well contained and the nose grips hard through corners but you can detect some flex in the 5.2m long body during fast direction changes. 

From a comfort point of view things are less rosy. Surface lumps aren’t soaked up with quite the same oily smoothness you get in the top luxury barges. Opting for the softer damper setting doesn’t have a huge impact and the ride can clang and jitter noisily on bad surfaces.  

Maserati

The long flowing lines of the Quattroporte’s dash look great. The fascia is dominated by a great plank of wood that, by its size and shape, could have been sourced from a surfboard manufacturer. Simple, crisp instruments shine out from behind the wheel and buttons are kept to a minimum with most of the minor controls bundled into the touchscreen infotainment system. The abundance of lacquered wood might not be to everyone’s taste but it adds to the warmth and character of the interior and there’s a raft of personalisation options so the unconvinced can get shot of it.

Despite an impressive design, there are areas where Maserati’s four-door could use some more polish. Slam connoisseurs will be disappointed as the Quattroporte’s lightweight doors don’t close with any great solidity and the plastic on the dash air vents feels cheap too. Storage space is limited, the electric seats move with a jerky motion and the indicators tick-tock so loudly it’s like your brain surgeon mislaid his watch during that last operation. These are small factors but factors the German competition gets right.

Cutting fuel consumption and emissions was key in Maserati’s move to lightweight aluminium

 From a practical standpoint the car impresses. The front seats sit as good as they look, rear legroom is excellent and headroom is plentiful in all four berths. A five-seat rear bench is available as an option and this splits 60/40 to further increase the 530-litre boot capacity. 

Cutting fuel consumption and emissions was a key consideration in Maserati’s move to lightweight aluminium and smaller twin-turbo engines with this Quattroporte. The result is just under 24mpg on the combined cycle and emissions of 274g/km. Considering the car’s size and supercar rivalling performance, that isn’t bad.

All Quattroportes get six airbags and Maserati’s latest MSP stability control programme. You can’t get the mind-boggling array of advanced driver aids that accompany many luxury saloons these days but the brakes are phenomenal, which counts for a lot.

Maserati

The luxury saloon market has been a difficult place to do business in recent years with lots of private customers having their heads turned by less stuffy and increasingly opulent SUVs or, to a lesser extent, four-door coupes. The Maserati Quattroporte could be the kind of model to draw some of them back.

It might not replicate its predecessor’s Pininfarina styling elegance or its free-breathing V8 soundtrack but buyers do get a considerably more rounded product that still looks and goes like a Maserati should.

The ride can lack composure and the final layers of polish that the German alternatives delight in smothering on are sometimes missing but the Italians sure can make a car appeals on an emotional level and they’ve done it again here.

The Quattroporte is now closer than ever to the luxury saloon alternatives but its soul still stands out. Many owners won’t do the driving but there’ll be bored chauffeurs across the globe casually dropping Maserati brochures where their bosses might see them. This hugely important car for Maserati is also a very good one.

Read more Maserati car reviews
MSN Cars' best luxury saloons
Buy a Maserati Quattroporte on Auto Trader
On Bing: more Maserati Quattroporte pics
Gallery: Maserati Quattroporte 2013

View the original article here

Maserati Quattroporte (2013 onwards)

What – Maserati Quattroporte
Where – Nice, France
Date – December 2012
Price – £110,000 (including 20% VAT)
Available – mid 2013
Key rivals –BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide

Maserati’s latest four-door targets the luxury saloon elite but its strengths still lie in the way it looks and goes.

We like – Blistering pace, better handling than a two-tonne saloon has any right to, space, heart-warming design
We don’t like – Suspension noise and firmness, small details that let the design down

Read more Maserati car reviews
MSN Cars' best luxury saloons
Gallery: Maserati Quattroporte 2013

This would be a very important car for Maserati. It’s an all-new Quattroporte, the sixth generation of the Italian marque’s simplistically named four-door saloon car, and it arrives 50 years after the 1963 original. It really is all-new too, we’re talking completely new twin-turbo engines, a new 8-speed auto gearbox and an advanced new aluminium architecture. Yes, the new Quattroporte would be a very important car for Maserati but it’s not. It’s an absolutely crucial one.

There’s even more riding on this Quattroporte than immediately meets the eye and the reason lies in Maserati’s master plan. This is a brand that’s going places, or it will be if the Quattroporte and the series of models due to follow it live up to their billing. Maserati confidently expects to be selling 50,000 cars a year globally by 2015. In 2011 it sold 6,200 units with the old Quattroporte its top seller. Now you begin to get a feel for how much is riding on this luxury saloon.

Just as the metaphorical weight of expectation has been piled on to the Quattroporte, the physical weight has been lifted off. This car is substantially bigger than its predecessor gaining 105mm of extra rear legroom and 80 litres more boot space but it’s lighter, aluminium substituted in components through the car shaves nearly 100kg from the old-timer’s kerb weight. A twin turbo 407hp 3.0-litre V6 engine option will arrive later and all-wheel-drive models are available in other markets but not destined for the UK.      

Maserati

The V8 Quattroporte tips the scales at 1,900kg and with its 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 developing 523hp, that makes for a power to weight ratio of 264hp per tonne. It’s a full-size luxury saloon but after the briefest squint at those numbers you know it’s apocalyptically quick.

The official numbers say 0-62mph takes 4.7s and the top speed is 191mph. The originally Quattroporte re-wrote the record books in the early 60s and this car reclaims its title as the world’s fastest series production saloon.

What does that mean on the road? Well, we obviously didn’t scratch the surface of the Quattroporte’s maximum velocity but even at legal speeds it feels extremely fast. The advanced aerodynamics that make the 300kph barrier breachable in safety produce reassuring stability during fast motorway travel.

It’s a full-size luxury saloon but... it’s apocalyptically quick

 At lower speeds, it’s the engine’s torque that defines progress. There’s so much muscle low down that the car feels docile most of the time but you can feel the potential under your foot and when you do approach the rev limiter you know you’re really flying.

With eight speeds to choose from and that mountain of shove, the automatic gearbox invariably has an easy time of it. Manual changes are swift and the metal paddles feel good to the fingers but you sense they won’t get a lot of use from Quattroporte clientele. There’s the odd extra sonic treat, a soft exhaust rasp or throttle blip on down changes, to go with the deep gargle under hard throttle but this engine never sings like the sweet normally-aspirated unit in the old car.   

Maserati

The trick in a big car with sporting pretensions is making it feel small and the Maserati engineers have scored a direct hit with the Quattroporte. A perfect 50/50 weight distribution in the rear-wheel-drive models helps. As does precise steering and really talks the talk, transmitting little shimmies over the bumps and more weight as the suspension loads up in corners. Together with the excellent Brembo-developed Dual Cast brakes this gives the Quattroporte a lovely alertness and agility on tight roads.

...the Maserati engineers have scored a direct hit with the Quattroporte

The suspension system utilises Maserati’s Skyhook adjustable dampers and plays its part in achieving the Quattroporte’s athleticism. Body roll is well contained and the nose grips hard through corners but you can detect some flex in the 5.2m long body during fast direction changes. 

From a comfort point of view things are less rosy. Surface lumps aren’t soaked up with quite the same oily smoothness you get in the top luxury barges. Opting for the softer damper setting doesn’t have a huge impact and the ride can clang and jitter noisily on bad surfaces.  

Maserati

The long flowing lines of the Quattroporte’s dash look great. The fascia is dominated by a great plank of wood that, by its size and shape, could have been sourced from a surfboard manufacturer. Simple, crisp instruments shine out from behind the wheel and buttons are kept to a minimum with most of the minor controls bundled into the touchscreen infotainment system. The abundance of lacquered wood might not be to everyone’s taste but it adds to the warmth and character of the interior and there’s a raft of personalisation options so the unconvinced can get shot of it.

Despite an impressive design, there are areas where Maserati’s four-door could use some more polish. Slam connoisseurs will be disappointed as the Quattroporte’s lightweight doors don’t close with any great solidity and the plastic on the dash air vents feels cheap too. Storage space is limited, the electric seats move with a jerky motion and the indicators tick-tock so loudly it’s like your brain surgeon mislaid his watch during that last operation. These are small factors but factors the German competition gets right.

Cutting fuel consumption and emissions was key in Maserati’s move to lightweight aluminium

 From a practical standpoint the car impresses. The front seats sit as good as they look, rear legroom is excellent and headroom is plentiful in all four berths. A five-seat rear bench is available as an option and this splits 60/40 to further increase the 530-litre boot capacity. 

Cutting fuel consumption and emissions was a key consideration in Maserati’s move to lightweight aluminium and smaller twin-turbo engines with this Quattroporte. The result is just under 24mpg on the combined cycle and emissions of 274g/km. Considering the car’s size and supercar rivalling performance, that isn’t bad.

All Quattroportes get six airbags and Maserati’s latest MSP stability control programme. You can’t get the mind-boggling array of advanced driver aids that accompany many luxury saloons these days but the brakes are phenomenal, which counts for a lot.

Maserati

The luxury saloon market has been a difficult place to do business in recent years with lots of private customers having their heads turned by less stuffy and increasingly opulent SUVs or, to a lesser extent, four-door coupes. The Maserati Quattroporte could be the kind of model to draw some of them back.

It might not replicate its predecessor’s Pininfarina styling elegance or its free-breathing V8 soundtrack but buyers do get a considerably more rounded product that still looks and goes like a Maserati should.

The ride can lack composure and the final layers of polish that the German alternatives delight in smothering on are sometimes missing but the Italians sure can make a car appeals on an emotional level and they’ve done it again here.

The Quattroporte is now closer than ever to the luxury saloon alternatives but its soul still stands out. Many owners won’t do the driving but there’ll be bored chauffeurs across the globe casually dropping Maserati brochures where their bosses might see them. This hugely important car for Maserati is also a very good one.

Read more Maserati car reviews
MSN Cars' best luxury saloons
Buy a Maserati Quattroporte on Auto Trader
On Bing: more Maserati Quattroporte pics
Gallery: Maserati Quattroporte 2013

View the original article here

2012 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Sport First Drive: Beautiful and a Great Set of Pipes

2012 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Sport First Drive – Review – Car and Driver #pallet {margin:0;}#echoice li.category {margin:0;}Car and DriverIntelligence. Independence. Irreverence. VehiclesReviewsNewsFeaturesBuyer's GuideFollow UsSubscribeSearch Car and DriverHome › Reviews › 2012 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Sport - First Drive...

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2012 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Sport - First Drive ReviewTopping off Maserati's topless lineup with the delightful Sport.BY JENS MEINERS
July 2011

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Photos (44)Visit Our Buyer's Guide »Maserati GranTurismo› Overview› Specifications› Price with Options› Photos & 360° View› Get a Free QuoteNews & Reviews2012 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Sport Official Photos and Info - Auto Shows2011 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale - Auto Shows2011 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible - First Drive Review2010 Maserati GranTurismo Spyder - Spied2009 Maserati GranTurismo S Auto - First Drive Review2010 Maserati GranTurismo Spyder - Car News2010 Maserati GranTurismo MC - Car News2009 Maserati GranTurismo S Automatic - Auto ShowsGentlemen, Start Her Engine! - Car NewsTop CompetitorsAston Martin DBS VolanteAudi R8 SpyderFerrari CaliforniaJaguar XKR convertibleMercedes-Benz SL63 AMG

It was a peaceful and elegant scene, the bright sunlight glinting off the top-down Maserati GranTurismo convertibles parked on the Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia in Trieste. Passersby admired the gorgeous cars, one of Pininfarina’s masterpieces. Then a legion of uprated 4.7-liter V-8s ignited with a snarl, and peace and elegance were the last things on our minds.

About that wonderful engine, fitted in the top-spec GranTurismo Convertible Sport: Purists still lament the fact that Maseratis, which were long defined by powerplants that developed peak power at low rpm, are now equipped with high-revving buzz saws bought from its former arch rival, Ferrari. But the GranTurismo Convertible Sport's 444-hp variation of the 4.7-liter V-8 is sure to create a few converts.

It’s an evolution of the regular GranTurismo convertible’s 433-horse 4.7-liter with less internal friction, thanks to a revised oil sump and slipperier coatings for the valve tappets and cam lobes. This upgraded version also powers the GranTurismo MC Stradale coupe. Compared with its lesser sibling, the droptop Sport exhales through a freer-flowing exhaust, the main purpose of which seems to be to create as much beautiful noise as is legally allowed. It’s aided in that pursuit by active valves that open at 2500 rpm when the transmission is in its automatic-sport mode. We predict the V-8 will haul the 4600-pound droptop to 60 in 4.8 seconds.

Fantastico Automatico

As in the U.S.-market MC Stradale and the Quattroporte Sport GT S, power flows through a six-speed, torque-converter automatic supplied by ZF. But don’t lament the fact that there’s no hard-core gearbox. The automatic has been extensively reworked for duty here and offers normal and manual-sport modes in addition to the aforementioned automatic sport, as well as launch control. Gearshift times are improved by up to 50 percent, it blips the throttle for downshifts, and in manual-sport mode, it doesn’t downshift when you hit the kickdown switch or upshift unless you tell it to. There’s more: You can call for a lower gear if there’s any leeway whatsoever before redline (most transmissions won’t let you downshift unless the resulting engine speed is farther down the tach from redline), and the exhaust flaps are always open in manual sport. This automatic is so good you'll hardly miss a dual-clutch transmission—or the Euro-market MC’s single-clutch automated manual. Of course, you might miss a proper clutch-pedal manual gearbox, but Maserati doesn't offer one anymore.

Chassis Changes, Too

Underneath, the front and rear springs and anti-roll bars are stiffer on this derivative, the dampers are modified, and the ZF Sachs–sourced Skyhook damping system has been retuned. On twisting roads, the Sport handles well and generally does what you ask of it, but there’s simply no masking the car’s two-ton-plus weight or somewhat uncommunicative steering. The body flexes more than it should, too. To be sure, the GranTurismo Convertible Sport is an enjoyable companion in nearly every situation, but it’s less full-bore sporty than its sinister looks and capital-S “Sport” badge might let on. So when a well-driven Audi R8 spyder closes in on you from behind, our advice is to just let it pass. Take solace in the fact that the Audi will never sound as glorious as the Maserati or seat four as comfortably (or at all).

There are a number of competitors: BMW's new 6-series droptop, the soon-to-be-new Mercedes-Benz SL, the Porsche 911 cabriolet, the Audi R8 spyder, and, of course, the Jaguar XK and its distant cousin, the Aston Martin V-8 Vantage roadster. The Maserati acquits itself well by informal comparison. It’s more spacious than most others (even if the trunk is tiny), it’s not outrageously expensive by the standards of the segment, it offers incredibly luxurious accommodations, and it just might have more character than the whole bunch combined. Those qualities ought to satisfy almost anyone—trident purists included.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door convertible

BASE PRICE: $146,300

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 286 cu in, 4691 cc
Power (SAE net): 444 hp @ 7000 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 376 lb-ft @ 4750 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 115.8 in Length: 192.2 in
Width: 75.4 in Height: 53.3 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 4600 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 4.8 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.4 sec
Top speed (mfr’s claim): 177 mph

FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway driving: 12/21 mpg

 

 


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2011 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Tested

2011 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Road Test - Review - Car and Driver #pallet {margin:0;}#echoice li.category {margin:0;}Car and DriverIntelligence. Independence. Irreverence. VehiclesReviewsNewsFeaturesBuyer's GuideFollow UsSubscribeSearch Car and DriverHome › Reviews › 2011 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible - Short Take Road Test

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2011 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible - Short Take Road TestTight hindquarters on this supermodel.BY AARON ROBINSON, PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ALLEN
June 2011

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Photos (23)Highs and Lows

Highs:Lusciously trimmed, gorgeously Italian, you can finally hear that Ferrari-derived V-8.

Lows:Wee trunk, rather heavy, needs a separate suspension control.

Visit Our Buyer's Guide »Maserati GranTurismo› Overview› Specifications› Price with Options› Photos & 360° View› Get a Free QuoteNews & Reviews2010 Maserati GranCabrio - Car NewsTop CompetitorsAston Martin DB9 VolanteAudi R8 SpyderFerrari CaliforniaJaguar XKR convertibleMercedes-Benz SL63 AMG

Test jalopies rarely show up on a Saturday evening, but this one did. The Maserati GranTurismo convertible stopped a dinner party in its tracks by sliding out of a three-axle trailer in front of our West Coast bureau—top down, quad pipes spluttering, looking like Athena’s left Puma in its umpteen coats of waxed Blu Oceano enamel. If your ego demands that you make an even grander entrance, may we suggest renting the USC marching band?

Builders of luxury convertibles have split between folding hardtops and canvas. Rational heads in search of extra ultraviolet go for a Mercedes-Benz SL and its metal robo-roof. Traditionalists prefer the lustrous burled wood found under the fabric top of a Jaguar XK. An extrovert goes Italian, definitely ¬Italian, even if it costs a bit more. On its $140,200 GTC, Maserati has opted for a three-layer ragtop.

One button in the lavishly bovine-skinned interior sends the top diving in 21 seconds under a motorized cover, which can be swaddled in even more leather for an extra $1350 (which also includes extra dash wrapping). Our top flopped and re-popped many times and without any shilly-shally or smoke from the wires, so a treasured stereotype took a beating there.

Stowing the roof is akin to removing cotton from one’s ears. In the GranTurismo hardtop, the V-8 is almost mute. With no
top, suddenly there’s an engine with the voice of an angel—a barking angel, a snarling angel, an angel that rips and howls and makes catcalls at the ladies.

At least, if you have selected the sport setting. If not, the 433-hp, 4.7-liter V-8—which pulls this rig past 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and delivers 140 mph in less than half a minute—makes an unsettling hissing noise, like the Goodyear blimp with a leak.

The trouble is, besides opening up the exhaust throats, the do-it-all sport button also tenses up the GTC’s suspension and makes the throttle and the six-speed automatic far less concerned about fuel economy.

The firmer damping delivers no great benefit to the handling of this 4571-pound porker, but it does wreck the otherwise smooth ride and telegraphs more shock waves through the floor and the steering ¬column, already weakened by the absence of a solid roof. We wish Maserati had included a separate suspension button to give the driver more a la carte control.

Even though the GTC’s steering feels a bit remote and the brakes sometimes get overwhelmed before tight bends by all the kinetic energy stirred up by the heroic engine, the car retains enough poise to make an open road highly pleasurable.

Sure, shifts by the traditional planetary-gear ZF six-speed automatic aren’t quite as snappy as in the latest dual-clutch jobs (or as satisfying as a manual’s—dream on), but we suspect the GTC’s mostly boulevard-bound drivers will appreciate its smooth operation.

As with the coupe, the ragtop swallows up a full parking space. It rolls on the same platform as the Quattroporte sedan, and the 115.8-inch wheelbase is more than a foot longer than a Benz SL’s. In crowded lots, this giant four-seat lothario feels big enough to span the gap between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West.

Even so, the trunk shrivels from a shoebox nine cubic feet in the coupe to a snuffbox six, leaving a space shaped like—and not much larger than—a carton of cigarettes. At least the rear-seaters get to keep their knees, and with the top up, the cabin is pretty well sealed off from wind and road noise. Broad and mostly flat, the front seats are brutally firm and feel like cast concrete after a few hours.

Selling to rich folk seems so easy. Will they really pay $750 for painted brake calipers and $2500 for body-color dash trim? Maybe. Either way, the GTC is both alluring and idiosyncratically flawed, a combination as old as Italy itself.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door convertible

PRICE AS TESTED: $146,500 (base price: $140,200)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 290 cu in, 4747 cc
Power (SAE net): 433 hp @ 7600 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 361 lb-ft @ 4750 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 115.8 in Length: 192.2 in
Width: 75.4 in Height: 54.3 in
Curb weight: 4571 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.9 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 11.7 sec
Zero to 140 mph: 26.1 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 5.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.5 sec @ 107 mph
Top speed (drag limited, mfr’s claim): 176 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 150 ft
Roadholding, 200-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway: 12/20 mpg

 


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Porsche Panamera S vs. BMW 750i, Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S - Comparison TestsStimulus Packages: The startling new Porsche sedan goes toe-to-toe with a glamourous Italian and a businesslike German.

2012 Jaguar XK Gets New Snout, Warm Beeringsley ApprovesMaserati to Have Five-Vehicle Lineup by 2014: Two GranTurismos, Two Sedans, and SUV (Thanks, China!) Car and Driver Video »This Month in Car and Driver » Vehicles Trucks, SUVs, & Vans Sporty & Fun Sedans & Wagons Luxury Budget & Green Editor's Choice Most Researched Reviews In the Magazine From the Archives Comparison Tests Road Tests First Drives News Auto Shows Spy Photos Car News Car and Driver Blog Features Gear Box Interviews Tech Department Sport Awards Columns Features Buyer's Guide Editor's Choice: Trucks, SUVs, & Vans Editor's Choice: Sporty & Fun Editor's Choice: Sedans & Wagons Editor's Choice: Luxury Editor's Choice: Budget & Green Follow us Car and Driver RSS Car and Driver on Twitter Car and Driver on YouTube Car and Driver on Facebook Backfires Subscribe Mobile Digital Edition Newsletter Subscriptions Sitemap Contact Us Browse Cars for Sale Subscriptions/Customer Service Website Feedback Best Cars Luxury Cars Sports Cars Trucks Hybrids YouTube Twitter FacebookHFMU.S. Mens Network

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Maserati to Have Five-Vehicle Lineup by 2014: Two GranTurismos, Two Sedans, and SUV (Thanks, China!)

Don’t tell us you didn’t see this coming—after all, isn’t everybody doing it? Maserati is under orders from Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne to make nice with affluent Chinese buyers, a cozying up that also will shape the brand’s lineup globally.

Two Four-Door Models, Shared Ferrari Tech

What it will affect most are are the brand’s premium four-door cars—yes, plural. There will be a new Quattroporte, plus a 5-series–sized derivative for the B-level management kiss-ass who can’t possibly buy the same car as his boss. (This is a huge deal in China.) Both cars are being planned and designed by Pininfarina together with the Fiat Auto Centro Stile as we speak. New engines will enter the Maser fold, too, including a 400-hp MultiAir-equipped, turbocharged version of the Pentastar V-6 and a newly available 300-hp V-6 turbo-diesel benefiting from Fiat Powertrain Technology’s latest generation of JTD II high-pressure diesel injection and management. Whether the latter can come play in the U.S. is yet to be decided.

It was clear that the trick, all-wheel-drive-enabling PTU that hangs off the front of the Ferrari FF‘s engine wouldn’t stay exclusive to Ferrari for long. We’ve been told that that both Maserati sedans will offer all-wheel drive versions using the ingenious technology, and the cars also will have ZF’s eight-speed automatic gearbox to help ease fuel-consumption and improve highway cruising manners.

The two cars shouldn’t be porkers, either, since the Fiat family’s close ties with Alcoa should allow it to merge some of Ferrari’s lightweight and rigid aluminum chassis technology into the Maserati models. At the same time, responding to complaints of cargo volume, rear passenger space, and ride quality, the rear suspension on both future four-door Tridents will be designed to allow 20-percent more cargo capacity and a repositioning of the gas tank. (The gas tank is currently placed on end right up against passengers’ lower backs.) The fresh Quattroporte arrives at the end of 2012 and the mini-QP comes one year later.

Maser SUV by 2014

While the Italians occupy themselves with the next Quattroporte lineup, the U.S. boffins at Jeep HQ have been handed the challenge of hammering Maserati SUVs out of Grand Cherokees by 2014 and no later. Maseratis off Detroit’s Jefferson Avenue assembly line? Dogs and cats sleeping together? We shall see. Actually, those 4×4 Maserati soft-roaders seem destined to exit the ex-Bertone facility outside of Turin—Fiat bought Bertone in 2009—since just this week the plant’s 1100 or so union workers approved a restructured labor agreement that could allow a $750 million investment to prep for Maserati SUV production. Production capacity would then be 50,000 units once all is in full swing, which means other Fiat-Chrysler models could join the Maser whomper at the factory.

So, by 2014, look for a five-model lineup at your local Maserati dealer: Quattroporte, mini QP, GranTurismo, GT convertible, and the performance SUV. So many Masers—thanks, China!

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