MASERATI EXPANDS QUATTROPORTE RANGE with NEW TWIN TURBO V6

- 1 -

MASERATI EXPANDS QUATTROPORTE RANGE WITH NEW TWIN TURBO v6

Hot on the heels of the launch of the all-new Maserati Quattroporte this month (January 2014) the Italian car maker has announced that the range-topping Twin Turbo V8 Quattroporte GTS will be joined in late February by a Twin Turbo V6 and, with a recommended retail price of $240,000excluding statutory charges, dealer charges and delivery, the new Quattroporte S is set to be bestselling version of the Quattroporte.

Although, like the V8 Quattroporte, the new V6-powered Quattroporte is a larger, more spacious car than the model it replaces, it is lighter and more powerful than its predecessor, so the all-new Quattroporte S offers performance on a par with the range topping version of the previous model along with better fuel consumption and lower emissions.

“The new Quattroporte S takes Maserati into a new area of the market, delivering Maserati’s unique combination of exclusivity, style and performance at a previously unavailable price and it does so without any loss in ability or the features that lift Maserati above the common herd,” says Glen Sealey, General Manager of Maserati in Australia and New Zealand. “It is, therefore, no surprise that the Quattroporte S has proven to be an unqualified success in every market in which it has been launched – something we expect to see duplicated in Australia and New Zealand.

The new Maserati Quattroporte is that rare vehicle, one that is truly all-new. It debuts not just a new and unique to Maserati platform, but also a new engine range developed specifically for Maserati, along with a new variant of the ZF eight speed gearbox. The suspension, the brakes, the interior are all new, as is its body that blends aluminum and steel for strength and lightness. Even the factory in which it is built is new.

As the flagship of the Maserati product range, the new Quattroporte is larger, lighter, more luxurious and more practical than the globally-acclaimed car it replaces.

The sixth-generation Quattroporte is a significant leap forward that not only sets the high-technology tone for Maserati’s upcoming range of new-models, but also remains faithful in style, design and sound to Maserati’s long history of luxury sports saloons.

The powerful and proprietary Maserati engines and the large cabin are at the core of the Quattroporte’s design. Dominated by a long, powerful nose and a concave Trident grille a clear link is created to both the outgoing Quattroporte and the current GranTurismo.

The Quattroporte debuts a newly-developed direct-injection engine family that opens with a 3.0 litre Twin Turbo V6 and is topped by a 3.8-litre Twin Turbo V8.

Although the engines are closely related, the engine designers at Maserati Powertrain have used their skills to give each engine a different angle for their cylinder banks, the optimal for performance and smoothness being 60 degrees for a V6 and 90 degrees for a V8. The V6 engine shares the V8’s bore dimensions, the same variable valve technology, almost the same turbocharging and manifold technology and the same engine block technology.

Both engines are assembled by Ferrari at its Maranello factory matched to the latest eight-speed automatic transmission developed with ZF to meet the needs of the new engine range.

Even with all of its new technology, the new Quattroporte remains true to Maserati’s roots.

With 301 kW of power at 5500rpm, the V6 Twin Turbo in the new Quattroporte S lacks little for speed,providing a tremendously powerful driving experience with 550Nm of torque between 1750rpm and 5000rpm.While it shares much with the V8 Twin Turbo, it has a character of its own, revving to a lower 6000 rpm maximum speed and delivering its torque peak 500rpm sooner.

This combination of lower weight and a wide, flat torque curve enables the V6 Twin Turbo powered Quattroporte S to accelerate to 100 kmh in 5.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 285kmh. These are performance figures that almost match those of the previous range-topping V8 version of the Quattroporte.The efficient Twin Turbo V6 engine delivers excellent fuel consumption with a figure of 10.4 litres/100km on the combined cycle and combined CO2 figure of 242 grams of CO2/km.

With Its 390 kW twin turbo V8, the Quattroporte GTS is not only the fastest four-door Maserati has ever built, but also the most powerful and the most fuel efficient. In direct contrast to its scintillating performance, the V8 Maserati Quattroporte has improved both its fuel consumption and emissions by 20 percent over the outgoing Quattroporte.

The 3.8-litre V8 engine sets Maserati’s new performance benchmark by reaching 100 kmh in 4.7 seconds and achieving a 307 km/h top speed- fully 20 kmh faster than the previous Quattroporte Sport GT S. At its peak it delivers up to 200 Nm more torque than the previous model.

This provides the new Quattroporte with a combination of effortless progress and smoothness with imperceptible gearchanges that marks it as an ideal luxury car and, when called upon, shattering performance that would not be out of place in a supercar.

The new Quattroporte has an all new-body that is built around a new platform specifically designed by Maserati that meets the needs of not just the new Quattroporte, but also the Ghibli and Levante models that will follow.

This all-new architecture retains the Quattroporte’s traditionally exquisite handling thanks to its near 50:50 weight distribution, new double-wishbone front suspension and new state-of-the-art five-link rear suspension.

The new Quattroporte also delivers new standards in quality in every area from design, development, fabrication and process controls. It is produced in a new plant that combines Maserati’s traditions of craftsmanship with cutting-edge technologies that are able to help guarantee outstanding quality by controlling even the tiniest of details.

Traditional hand-crafted design continues in the Quattroporte’s cabin, and this has been augmented with even more interior space in all seats and in both four- and five-seat layouts.

Cabin luxury leaps forward technically, too, with features like the Maserati Touch Control screen, reverse cameras and the optional 15-speaker, 1280 Watt Bowers & Wilkins audio system, as well as WLAN-based WiFi.

The new Quattroporte is the first of a new family of models that will arrive in 2014 that have already lead to an unprecedented demand for Maserati products and which will see Maserati expand its presence into new market sectors. The previous generation Quattroporte was the best-selling Maserati of all time, a title that will be bestowed on the new Quattroporte in early 2014, a little over a year after its launch, which also means it will also take the title from the GranTurismo as the fastest selling Maserati of all time.

“Maserati will be celebrating its 100th year in style,” says Glen Sealey, General Manager of Maserati Australia and New Zealand. “We will open the year with the launch of the Quattroporte in Australia setting a new benchmark for high performance exclusive luxury saloons and, with a wider range than the previous model, along with all the advances that an all-new car provides, it is set to outperform its record-setting predecessor. This will be followed by the Maserati Ghibli, which will bring Maserati style and performance to an entirely new sector of the market while, at the same time, demand is increasing for Maserati’s traditional sports cars, the GranTurismo and GranCabrio.”

The Maserati Quattroporte’s transformative effect on the Italian car maker is very clear, not just from the expanded sales but the new customers that it is attracting to the brand. In terms of sales, the demand for the Quattroporte has been unprecedented in the company’s history, with more than 20,000 orders taken in the first nine months following its launch, in contrast to Maserati’s total sales in 2012 of 6,300 vehicles for the whole range and its best ever year, 2008, when 9,000 Maseratis were delivered to customers.

But, more than just increased sales, the new Quattroporte has significantly changed the profile of owners, with the average age of a Quattroporte owner dropping from 55 for the previous model to as low as 37 in some key markets, the owner profile has changed substantially, with female owners climbing to as much as 40 per cent in some markets.

“This combination of a big lift in sales and the significant broadening in the customer profile is a clear indication of the masterstroke that Maserati has achieved with the new Quattroporte,” says Mr Sealey. “Maserati has kept all the features that made the previous car such a success, it has ensured that all the traditional Maserati values have been preserved and enhanced and yet, at the same time, it has produced an all-new car from the ground up that includes all the latest technology. This, combined with its considerably broader spread of variants across its market sector has proven a considerable success for the company and something that will be replicated in Australia and New Zealand in 2014.”

“The fact that the new Quattroporte’s platform provides the basis for the models that will compliment it, the Ghibli and the Levante, bodes extremely well for the company and, as it enters its second century, confirms that it has a bright, strong and secure future,” says Mr Sealey.

The new Maserati Quattroporte makes its debut in Australia and New Zealand with the top variant, the Quattroporte GTS. This 390 kW Twin Turbo V8 powered super saloon is fully equipped in every area of performance, safety, luxury and technology.

Externally it has Chromeline trim that highlights features such as the grille, with its chrome frame and gloss black vertical bars, the side vent ports and around the doors and boot. The 20 inch alloy wheels carry 245/40 front and 2985/35 rear tyres and behind them are powerful Brembo brakes. The headlights are the latest Bi-Xenon headlights that steer, auto dip and have headlight washers, while the rear LED lights provide optimal illumination.

There is a wealth of safety features, from the full set of air bags to the extensive range of electronic chassis controls that ensure maximum control under all conditions.

The interior is the perfect blend of the traditional and the new, ranging from the handcrafted leather and wood trim that could only come from Italy and which is set off perfectly by the new ambient lighting system, to new technology such as the Maserati Touch Control screen, which controls a wide range of features but does so in a manner that its well thought out, easy to operate, clear and intuitive.

New technology ranges from the complete keyless operation to the car, through to the ‘double glazing’ that cuts both noise and heat, the doors that hold at any angle, not preset points, to active cruise control. Luxury is conferred by the power operated rear and rear side sun blinds, the sophisticatedventilationsystem and the premium audio system.

Personalization has been a key feature of the success of Quattroporte, allowing each owner to design a car that meets their own personal style and character. The new Quattroporte is no different. For example, the standard 20 inch Mercuiro alloy wheels are complimented by a choice of the 19 inch Tritone, 20 inch Chrono and 21 inch Titano wheels; the black calipers may be replaced by calipers in red, Maserati Blu, silver or polished aluminum; the upper dashboard may be trimmed in four different colours; the lower dashboard in three colours; there are five different dashboardfinishes covering wood and carbon fibre; four different roof linings rear tables may be fitted, along with individual rear seats; there is a choice of different leathers and Alcantara for the upholstery and so on.

Arriving in late February, the Maserati Quattroporte S shares much of the equipment of the GTS and is, therefore, a fully equipped luxury car. Indeed the key differences – a different style of 19 inch alloy wheel, along with a different leather design on the seats and a different wood trim – serve to provide the Twin Turbo V6 with its own visual character inside and out.

The Maserati Quattroporte S has a recommended retail price of $240,000 excluding statutory charges and dealer costs and the Quattroporte GTS has a recommended retail price of $319,800 excluding statutory charges, dealer delivery and dealer costs.

KEY FEATURES OF THE NEW MASERATI QUATTROPORTE AT A GLANCE

All-new unique Maserati-designed, Ferrari assembled 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 engine
Direct-injection V8 delivers 390kW of power and up to 710Nm of torque
Class-leading specific power output (139hp/l) and specific torque output (171Nm/l). Class-leading weight-to-power ratio (3.6kg/hp)
V8 twin turbo 0-100 kmh acceleration in 4.7 seconds
V8 twin turbo top speed of 307 kmh
V6 twin turbo delivers 301kW and its 550Nm is greater than the torque peak in the outgoing Quattroporte Sport GT S
V8 kerb weight has been reduced by almost 100 kg, V6 by 120 kg
An eight-speed automatic transmission.
Rear-wheel drive agility and steering response
Traditional handling excellence assured with 50:50 weight distribution
Longer wheelbase creates increased leg and shoulder room
Five or four-seat layouts available, including work space and entertainment options
New cabin features include WiFi WLAN hotspot, up to 15 speakers of Bowers and Wilkins premium surround system, 8.4” Maserati Touch Control screen
Designed and engineered by Maserati and manufactured to new benchmark quality standards in its all-new plant in Turin

THE NEW MASERATI QUATTROPORTE IN DETAIL

EXTERIOR DESIGN
Maserati has been considered a master of sports saloon design from the day the original 1963 Quattroporte became the first automobile to blend speed and luxury with four doors.

A powerful engine and a large cabin are at the core of the Quattroporte’s design, dominated by a long, impressive nose with its short overhang.

“The design of the Quattroporte is inspired by Maserati’s core stylistic principles: harmony of proportions, dynamic lines and Italian elegance,” Head of Maserati Centro Stile, Marco Tencone explains.

“Every new model is a step into the future, but for a brand with the strong heritage of Maserati it is fundamental to bring on the most distinctive features as a signature: the contour of the air intake in the front, the three small outlets on the front wings and the strong triangular C pillar bearing the logo.”

“The design has been kept simple and clear with a character line flowing on the side to define the strong volume of the rear wing and create a very muscular look. The cabin is sleek, with a three window treatment and frameless doors.”

“The Quattroporte is a high performance sports saloon featuring a light, sensual design that embodies all the most famous stylistic touches of Maserati in a contemporary language.”

But the Quattroporte body design isn’t just about looks; it has delivered a 12% improvement in drag (Cx), down to 0.31, and an enormous 24% reduction in lift. These figures reduce fuel consumption and increase high-speed stability.

A large part of the Quattroporte’s aerodynamic work is out of sight, beneath the car. It has a flat floor that contains several aerodynamic features with the scope of optimising performance by lowering drag coefficient and keeping the proper cooling of all systems (engines, brakes, and transmission) at speeds over 300 kmh.

ENGINES
At the heart of the new Quattroporte is an entirely new engine family, which has been designed And developed in-house by Maserati Powertrain and manufactured under contract by Ferrari at Maranello.

V6 TWIN TURBO ENGINE AND PERFORMANCE

In designing its new family of engines Maserati chose the ideal angle for a V6 and V8 engine for smoothness and performance, hence why the new Maserati V6 engine has its cylinders at 60 degree V and the V8 is at 90 degree angle, but beyond this difference the engines are closely related and share most of the core components.

With 301kW of power at 5500rpm, the V6 Twin Turbo lacks little for speed,providing a tremendously powerful driving experience with 550Nm of torque between1750rpm and 5000rpm.

While it shares much with the V8 Twin Turbo, it has a character of its own, revving to alower 6000rpm maximum speed and delivering its torque peak 500rpm sooner.

While it’s specific power output is slightly lower (at 137 bhp per litre), its specific torque isactually higher than that of the V8, at 183Nm per litre.It is also a lighter car, weighing 1860 kg.