- 4 -
MASERATI CELEBRATES MOTORSPORT SUCCESS PAST AND PRESENT AT GOODWOOD
Maserati celebrated its motorsport success past and present at the UK’s premiere classic and performance motoring event, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with Maria Teresa De Filippis, the first woman ever to participate in a Formula One event, reunited with her Maserati 250F, lining up with super model Jodie Kidd, who campaigns a Maserati GranSport when she swaps the catwalk for the race track.
Maria Teresa De Filippis was the first woman ever to participate in a Formula One Grand Prix when she first drove a Maserati 250F in 1958. This year she was given the honour of debuting the Maserati GranSport Spyder in the UK.
The GranSport MC Victory, also at its UK debut, was piloted by Christian Klien, the Red Bull Racing F1 driver, who enjoys a close association with Maserati, having a Maserati GranSport at his disposal throughout the F1 season. The GranSport MC Victory is a limited edition model, produced to celebrate Maserati’s victory of the FIA GT Championship in 2005.
The Maserati drivers’ line-up for Goodwood was completed by Supermodel Jodie Kidd, Troy Bayliss – the former World Superbike Champion – and Freddie Hunt, the son of legendary Formula One driver, James Hunt, who made his debut behind the wheel of a race car. They all drove the Maserati Trofeo GranSport, which competes in the Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europe.
(ends)
The full set of Maserati pictures from Goodwood are available on the Ateco Media Web Site
Picture Captions:
Goodwood 01: Maria Teresa De Filippis in a Maserati 250 F
Goodwood 02: Maserati drivers Jodie Kidd and Maria Teresa de Filippis share racing tips in the paddock at Goodwood
Goodwood 03: Jodie Kidd in a Maserati GranSport MC Victory
Goodwood 04: Freddie Hunt, son of legendary James Hunt, made his racing debut at the wheel of a Maserati Trofeo GranSport at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Goodwood 05: F1 Driver Christian Klien (Red Bull Racing) drove a Maserati GranSport MC Victory up Goodwood Hill
Goodwood 06: Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss at the wheel of a Maserati Trofeo GranSport
Goodwood 07: Supermodel Jodie Kidd, Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss and Freddie Hunt drove the Maserati Trofeo GranSport up Goodwood Hill.
Goodwood 08: Maria Teresa De Filippis drives the Maserati GranSport Spyder up Goodwood Hill.
Goodwood: 09: The Maserati GranSport MC Victory makes its UK debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
1) MOMO, Italy's style-driven motorsport brand, has an impressive racing pedigree, its synonymous relationship with Italian design inspired its partnership with Maserati during the Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend. The alluring nature and the optimum performance of the products were in evidence as MOMO provided Maserati drivers with helmets, boots and driving gloves.
2) The Maserati GranSport Spyder’s sporting personality is enhanced by the front bumper which has a very pronounced low spoiler with the side bars elegantly integrated into the body itself. The look is completed by attractive 19” wheel rims inspired by those sported by the cars competing in the Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europe series.
The interior is a cleverly designed mix of carbon, leather and technical fabric trim BrighTex®, very much in the style of the GranSport. As a result, the cabin has a very strong racing feel whilst still exuding authentic Trident elegance.
The Maserati GranSport Spyder boasts the same cutting-edge engineering as the GranSport, including the more powerful version of the 4244 cc V8 engine, a power unit that now punches out 400 hp and maximum torque of 452 Nm. The engine has also been combined with a special sports exhaust system, designed to give enthusiasts that instantly recognisable deep, full-bodied rumble that only a Trident car can produce. The Maserati GranSport Spyder is available only with the six-speed electro-hydraulic transmission that allows drivers to choose between three gear shifting modes. The transmission is also controlled by specific software which in the Sport mode, offers 35% faster gear changing than the Spyder Cambiocorsa. The Skyhook electronic suspension control system is offered as standard on the GranSport Spyder too and instantly adapts the car’s damper calibration to suit the road surface and driving conditions. Thanks to all of the technological features, the GranSport Spyder delivers a fantastic 285 km/h top speed and 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in a mere 4.95 seconds.
3) The Maserati GranSport MC Victory will be produced in only 180 individually numbered units being produced worldwide, boasts a higher level of standard equipment than the Maserati GranSport on which it is based, and also offers a variety of new features that clearly link it to the Maserati MC12, and enhance its driving dynamics. Externally, the Maserati GranSport MC Victory is immediately identified by its blue carbon fibre front and rear spoilers and the Italian flag recessed into the front wings. The enlarged front splitter of the Maserati GranSport MC Victory generates more downforce at high speeds, as do the extended side skirts, modifications which improve the car’s high speed stability and dynamic responsiveness. Its agility is further improved by more direct and precise steering. The cabin’s carbon fibre components are in blue to match the exterior spoilers. They are combined with a selection of leathers and Alcantara trim, which cover the upper dashboard, the door panels, the steering wheel - making it easier to grip – and the centre sections of the carbon fibre racing seats, the overall effect dramatically heightening the interior’s sporting ambience.
4) The Maserati Trofeo GranSport is the racing version of the Maserati GranSport. Built at the Maserati factory in Modena on the same production line as the GranSport, the Trofeo was designed to offer the driver an easy-to-drive car capable of stirring the emotions on the race track. The 4200cc V8 engine produces 415 bhp and coupled to the six-speed gearbox from the standard road car it allows the driver to make the most of the power without compromising the torque. The ride height has also been reduced by 50mm. All non-essential accessories have been removed substantially reducing the weight of the Trofeo and improving the handling of the car. Pirelli are a sponsor and sole tyre supplier of the Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europe. Pirelli P0 tyres, especially developed for Maserati Trofeo GranSports, guarantee a great level of grip and performance in all weather conditions and temperatures.
For further information, please contact
Edward Butler
/ Tel: +61 2 9701 8000General Manager / Fax: +61 2 9701 3555
Maserati Australia and New Zealand / E:
Edward Rowe
/ Tel: +61 2 9701 8000Public Relations Manager / Fax: +61 2 9701 3555
Ferrari Australia and New Zealand / Mob: +61 407 913 244
E:
Maserati Media web site:
Australia: http://media.ateco.com.au/
New Zealand: http://media.ateco.co.nz/
Release Number: Maserati_80
Date of release: 7/16/2006 10:01:04 AM