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MASERATI QUATTROPORTE AUTOMATIC GOES ON SALE IN AUSTRALIA
One of the most eagerly awaited cars to arrive in Australia this year, the Maserati Quattroporte Automatic is now on sale in Australia, combining the ease of use of a full automatic gearshift with the dynamic driving excitement that has made Maserati an automotive legend, wrapped up in one of the most beautiful cars of all time.
“It may sound like an easy task to add an automatic gearbox to an existing model,” explains Edward Butler, the General Manager for Maserati in Australia and New Zealand. “But Maserati did not wish to dilute or soften any of the essential driving abilities of the Quattroporte just to give it the ease of use of an automatic gearbox. This means that the new Quattroporte is the high-revving auto in the world, with its 400 bhp V8 engine still able to scream around to 7000 rpm. Despite moving the gearbox from a transaxle to a conventional engine-attached gearbox, the new Quattroporte retains almost ideal 49/51 per cent weight balance.”
“But,” adds Mr Butler, “perhaps the most amazing feature is that, despite all these changes and improvements, one thing hasn’t changed: The price. There is no extra charge for this remarkable, beautiful, enthralling car.”
When the Maserati Quattroporte was originally launched, it arrived with the DuoSelect gearbox, a sequential or robotized manual gearbox derived from the self-shifting gearboxes used in Formula One. This route was chosen as there was no automatic gearbox that could cope with the 7,000 rpm rev-limit of the Maserati V8 fitted to the Quattroporte. Dropping this rev-limit was a sacrifice of driving excitement that Maserati engineers simply were not prepared to make to enable a conventional automatic to be fitted.
But Maserati did not give up on the idea of an automatic Quattroporte. Its engineers continued to work with the experts at ZF to produce a gearbox that could shift gears automatically, but also maintain all the essential elements of a Maserati driving experience.
Their efforts have produced the Maserati Quattroporte Automatic.
The changes to the car seem minimal. There is a new automatic gearshift selector, the use of an electric parking brake has allowed a redesigned centre console with larger cup holders and there are new trims and colours launched with the new model.
However, under the skin there have been radical changes. The DuoSelect has a rear mounted gearbox in a Transaxle for optimum weight distribution.
Though not impossible, placing an automatic gearbox in this position would have imposed a severe weight penalty, so this meant placing the gearbox in a conventional position, attached to the engine. Changes to the floorpan of the car have been made to accommodate the new gearbox, along with redesigning the rear suspension to cope with the loss of the transaxle and changing a number of components in the platform to ensure that the optimum rear-bias weight distribution for the sweetest handling was maintained.
Also, the engine had to switch from dry to wet sump lubrication and Maserati used this opportunity to up the torque output – 460 to 451 NM of torque – to absorb torque losses from the new gearbox.
In addition Maserati have re-turned the suspension for a smoother, more compliant ride again, without any detrimental effects on steering turn in or chassis response.
The result of this remarkable engineering effort is a car that is effortlessly easy to drive with cocoon-like comfort and isolation from the outside world when required, yet at the same time has the athletic response and dynamism of a sports car when called upon to reveal its true colours.
All of this is wrapped up in a body that has been described as the most beautiful sedan of all time, a car that is exclusive, unique and luxuriously well equipped. Completing the Maserati Quattroporte is the choice of two additional equipment and trim packages that further focus the car in particular areas, the Sport GT, which as the name suggests provides the Quattroporte with an even sharper performance edge with changes to the suspension, chassis, wheels, trim and equipment, and the Executive GT which boosts the levels of lavish comfort and refinement to new levels.
Given the Australian market’s predominantly automatic preference, Maserati expects that the new automatic version will become the dominant choice for local car buyers. For this reason it is being offered here as a choice right across the range, with automatic variants of the Quattroporte, Quattroporte Sport GT and Quattroporte Executive GT.
“Ultimately we expect the automatic to account for 80 per cent of Quattroporte sales,” says Edward Butler. “This is not just a reflection on our preference for automatics, it is proof that Maserati have achieved every goal they set for themselves with this new model, a car that retains and remains everything it means to be a Maserati, yet has the convenience of an automatic gearbox – in other words, another unique and remarkable car in the history of Maserati.”
The new Maserati Quattroporte is on sale now, with a recommended retail price of $269,000, the Quattroporte Sport GT has an RRP of $288,000 and the RRP for the Quattroporte Executive GT is $298,000, with the price the same for both the DuoSelect and the new Automatic versions.
THE MASERATI QUATTROPORTE IN DETAIL
ENGINE – 400 HP V8
The 90°, 4244 cm³, 8-cylinder V-engine, light and compact, delivers prompt and smooth power of 295 kW at 7000 rpm, equal to a specific power of 95.2 bhp/litre. Distribution is by four overhead camshafts, two per bank, chain driven, with four valves per cylinder controlled by hydraulic tappets. The aspirated camshafts, with a continuous-phase high-pressure speed gear-change, have a characteristic profile which optimizes delivery even at low engine speeds. The accelerator is ‘Drive by Wire’, electronically controlled, with no mechanical linkages. While having the same maximum power, the V8 has different technical features and set-up depending on the version:
· Quattroporte Automatic: with its distinct Maserati blue engine heads, stressing soft and fluid driving with a maximum torque of 460 Nm at 4250 rpm, 75% of which is available at 2500 rpm;
· Quattroporte DuoSelect: V8 red heads and dry-plate clutch lubrication; a technical solution on a par with the most advanced racing engines, with a maximum speed of 275 Km/h.
TRANSMISSIONS – HYDRAULIC OR DUOSELECT
HYDRAULIC: This is the six-ratio Maserati transmission of the Quattroporte Automatic. A hydraulic torque transformer favours soft and fluid clutch engagement, without neglecting fast gear changing to the advantage of driving comfort. Not forsaking its touring car spirit, The Quattroporte Automatic can also be driven manually by using the stick located on the central tunnel or by selecting the ‘Sport’ mode and thus making the most of all engine speeds and taking driving to a higher level. The ‘Sport GT’ Automatic version is also designed with standard steering-wheel paddles
DUOSELECT: This is the electrically actuated six-ratio transmission of the Quattroporte DuoSelect, derived from the F1 technology. Created to enhance sporty driving and the dynamic features of the car, by acting on rocker arms behind the steering wheel, the true performance spirit of the car is brought out by the speed and precision of the gear changes. By pressing the ‘Sport’ button, the stability becomes more rigid and gear changing becomes even faster, providing true racing car excitement.
TRANSAXLE AND WEIGHT BALANCE
The secret which transforms the Quattroporte from a traditional saloon to a flagship with the best handling in the world lies in the weight-distribution, which is unique in the industry, giving priority to a larger weight on the rear axle.
This set-up, achieved by moving the engine back within the front axle, allows for maximum traction, pickup capacity during acceleration, and exceptionally stable and balanced behaviour of the vehicle.
In the Quattroporte DuoSelect, this feature has been further enhanced by the Transaxle architecture or the technical choice of positioning the gearbox at the rear and combined with the differential. Usually applied to high-performance sports models, the Quattroporte DuoSelect is the first and only limousine to adopt this effective technology.
The distribution is at 47/53% for the Quattroporte DuoSelect and a careful study of the positioning of the mechanical members also allows for an optimal weight distribution in the Quattroporte Automatic (49/51%).
SUSPENSIONS AND SKYHOOK - COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE
A particularly highly developed suspension architecture, in combination with the Skyhook system, reconciles the demands for excellent performance with an uncompromising comfort. The suspensions are deformable quadrilaterals with forged aluminium hub supports and arms; thanks to Anti-dive and Anti-squat geometries, the front end does not drop during braking or the rear end during acceleration. These features ensure maximum levels of shock absorption to guarantee safety and stability.
The Skyhook system, developed in collaboration with Mannesmann-Sachs, enables automatic control of the dampening: a series of sensors that register the movements of the wheels and car body instantaneously adapt the shock absorbers to the roadway. Depending on the type of steering, one can choose between two functions: Normal (soft setting to guarantee maximum comfort) and Sport (more rigid setting to ‘feel’ the road like a true ‘GT’).
MAXIMUM SAFETY IN EVERY SITUATION
The 330-mm four-disc self-ventilating braking system, acted on by four-piston callipers, offers top-of-the-line performance, ensuring and maintaining high performance even under the most intense use.
ACTIVE:
· Brembo braking system with four self-ventilating discs (cross-drilled for the Sport GT);
· Front 330mm×32mm; rear 330mm×28mm
· Fixed four-piston callipers with differentiated diameter at the front, four-piston callipers at the rear.
· Anti-lock braking system ABS
· Electronically controlled braking distributor EBD.
· MSP stability control (includes ABS, EBD and ASR)
PASSIVE:
· Steel bearing body construction with aluminium bonnets at front and rear: meeting the most rigorous passive safety standards, it guarantees full compliance with the latest standards for collision protection.
· 6 airbags: 2 front, 2 side (front), 2 side curtain (front and rear).
· Seat belts with electronically controlled pyrotechnical pretensioners.
· Inertial switch (acting on the gas pumps to prevent fire in case of a violent collision).
EQUIPMENT AND FEATURES
One figure reveals the ultimate luxury offered by the Quattroporte; Four Million. That is the number of different combinations of trim, paint and interior finishes it is possible to have in the Quattroporte.
For example, the owner of a Quattroporte can define different finishes for the seats, the piping on the seats, the carpet, the wood trim on the dashboard, the roof lining, the two different sections of the dashboard, the door trims and the centre console. There are 11 different leathers and four different wood finishes, including mahogany, rosewood and briarwood. And, if that is not sufficient, then Maserati can produce a Quattroporte in any colour or finish required by a customer.
Of course the Maserati Quattroporte is fully equipped. For example it does not just have an AirCon system, the Quattroporte has a ventilation system that allows individual temperature setting left and right in both the front and rear areas of the passenger compartment.
The Quattroporte has a Bose Hi-End concert hall sound system that has been designed specifically for the acoustic qualities of the Maserati Quattroporte, with the exquisite sound quality delivered by neodyminium speakers.
With this unique specification and its unmistakable style, the Maserati Quattroporte has provided the celebrated Italian car maker with one of its most successful models in its history.
So how is it possible for these two new versions of the Quattroporte to improve on this exquisite luxury performance sedan?
By focusing more sharply on the two primary aspects of the Quattroporte’s soul, with the new Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT enhancing the luxury features of the Quattroporte, while the Sport GT variant provides a new, sharper performance persona.
MASERATI QUATTROPORTE EXECUTIVE GT
The Quattroporte Executive GT epitomises the great Italian flagship saloon at its most exclusive, raising the elegance of the car’s design and the sophistication of its interior to a whole new level.
The Executive GT is instantly recognisable thanks to its chrome front and side grilles and 19” wheels. Almost obsessive attention has been lavished on both the comfort of the interior and the exclusive finish.
This version also includes the Comfort Pack with combined heating, ventilation and massage for rear passengers as well as electric adjustment of both seats and backrests, retractable wood rear tables matched to the rest of the interior, and curtains for extra privacy and comfort. The cabin also boasts Alcantara roof lining, a leather-trimmed steering wheel with wood inserts and a climate control panel for the rear seat passengers.
The Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT fitted with either the new Automatic gearbox or the DuoSelect gearbox has a recommended retail price of $298,000.
MASERATI QUATTROPORTE SPORT GT
The Sport GT version of the Quattroporte was created to further enhance the high performance spirit and sporty character that set the Quattroporte apart from any other executive saloon.
This has been achieved through certain small yet significant aesthetic touches. The black chrome of the grille and the side air intakes, for instance, take their inspiration from Maserati’s traditional racing styling cues while the bonnet bears the pierced Trident typical of the Maserati competition cars of the past.
From an engineering point of view, the gearbox has been given the most radical overhaul; the Sport button allows the driver to significantly cut gear changing times which are now 35 per cent faster on average, thanks to a development in the electro-hydraulic transmission system’s CPU.
At high engine speeds, the Quattroporte Sport GT’s exhaust system also gives a much deeper rumble to the already sporty sound of the Maserati V8.
The 20” wheels and specific Skyhook adaptive damping software mean a clear improvement in dynamic handling when used in more press-on situations.
The wheels, which include the tyre pressure monitoring system, are combined with brakes featuring metal weave tubing, cross-drilled discs and titanium-coloured callipers. The car’s sporty character is enhanced too by the carbon fibre trimmed steering wheel, sporty hand-brake grip and lightweight aluminium pedals.