Maserati Quattroporte
by Carlos
de Alzaga
The
President of the Ferrari-Maserati Group, Luca di Montezemolo, presented
the new Maserati Quattroporte in autumn 2003 to the press as follows: “The
Quattroporte is a unique, exclusive product and represents the closure
of the first stage in the rebirth of Maserati. In five years we have revolutionised
the plant, buildings and organisation, created three new cars, established
synergetic relations with Ferrari, while maintaining the absolute independence
of the management and the brand and expanding our sales network. This extraordinary
effort now enables us to look to the future with absolute self-confidence.
We have the greatest respect for our competitors, but Maserati and the
Quattroporte are afraid of no-one”. After this very Roman explanation,
di Montezemolo revealed more details: “It has bothered me for several years
that we had no indigenous car worthy of transporting our businessmen and
politicians. Now such a car exists: the new Maserati Quattroporte, heir
to a legendary name which will become the benchmark for luxury cars”.
Maserati
is ready to take up the challenge with its new Maserati Quattroporte V8
400 Hp flagship combining exceptional performance with unbeatable comfort,
over 5 metres long with ideal weight distribution: 47% on the front axle
and 53% on the rear, due to the adoption of the transaxle configuration
and the positioning of the engine behind the front axle. Such extraordinary
technical contents needed a style worthy of them, and Pininfarina was the
obvious choice. Therefore, Luca di Montezemolo, explains,: “It was quite
a challenge: to create a car that was comfortable and a top-level limousine
throughout, but without losing its hallmark sports orientation and aggression,
and completely avoiding banality. The interior owes its look and feel to
yacht interiors, with an innovative use of wood and other materials, with
an obsessive attention to detailing and the need for the passenger to feel
completely at his ease in the car”.
The
Maserati Quattroporte is a car that can be personalised right down to the
last detail to suit the client, using, of course, the very best of Maserati’s
trademark Italian taste and design. It also revolutionises the classic
architecture of the big saloon, thanks to two factors: the positioning
of the engine behind the front axle and the use of the sports-derived Transaxle
rear-mounted gearbox in unit with the differential. The result: optimal
weight distribution for guaranteed maximum efficiency. The sophisticated
electro-hydraulic gearbox is fully automatic, but allows the driver to
opt for a sportier change by selecting the manual setting and using the
steering wheel-mounted paddle shift. And there is a practically endless
array of personalisation options available, including 15 bodywork colours,
three types of wood (rosewood, mahogany and briarwood), 10 shades of leather
and a wide range of specific optionals.
Engine: 4.2L V8
Horsepower: 400 bhp
/ PS
Top Speed: 171 mph / 275
km/h
Peak torque: 451 Nm (333
lb ft)
Acceleration: 0-60
mph in 5.0 sec (0-100km/h in 5.2)
Retail Price: EUR 103,000
Competing Models: "Competing
Segment" on right side of "Best Autos & Cars in the World" page
More information on: www.maserati.it
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