Maserati Quattroporte Automatic arrives in the UK

Press Release

The first twelve Maserati Quattroporte Automatic have arrived in the UK. Maserati dealers from all over the country gathered yesterday at five-star hotel The Vineyard at Stockcross where Maserati GB’s Managing Director Andrea Antonnicola symbolically handed over the keys.

In keeping with its role as a luxurious grand tourer, the Quattroporte Automatic offers six speed automatic transmission, developed in conjunction with ZF.  However, should the road invite a more sporty driving style, the driver can select manual sequential shifting by using the gearlever on the central tunnel, or by engaging the Sport mode.

With its engine being located behind the front axle, more weight is transferred to the centre of the car, so that it is remarkably well balanced: 49% in the front, 51% in the rear. Traction and acceleration are then further enhanced, due to the additional load over the rear driving wheels.

The Maserati Quattroporte Automatic goes officially on sale in the UK tomorrow, February 14 at a starting price of £77,000 (OTR), the same as the Maserati DuoSelect version.

Transmission – Automatic or DuoSelect

Automatic: In keeping with its role as a luxurious grand tourer, the Quattroporte offers a six-speed automatic transmission. However, should the road invite to a sportier driving style, the driver can select manual sequential shifting by using the gearlever on the central tunnel or by engaging Sport mode. The Sport GT Automatic version provides the driver with even more involvement in the gearchanging process via paddles located behind the steering wheel.

DuoSelect: Derived from Formula 1 technology, the DuoSelect six-speed manual transmission offers the ease of an automatic mode and the exhilaration of a clutchless racing gearchange. Around town, the automatic mode might be more convenient; but should the road invite a more spirited drive, a light touch on the two paddles behind the steering wheel is all that’s needed to shift up or down a gear. Pressing the Sport button then brings on the ultimate in dynamic driving, with even faster gearchanges, stiffer suspensions, a more powerful exhaust note and a lower level of intervention of the Maserati Stability Programme (MSP).

Transaxle and weight distribution.

Every Maserati ever built has been renowned for its roadholding and handling qualities, and across these important criteria the Quattroporte delivers an amazing performance – thanks largely to its weight distribution, which maximises traction and thrust during acceleration so that the car remains exceptionally stable and well balanced at all times.

The Quattroporte DuoSelect features 47% front-53% rear weight distribution, unique in its segment. This comes courtesy of two highly specific technical solutions: the positioning of the engine further back in the chassis behind the front axle to shift the load back towards the cabin, and the adoption of the Transaxle layout which sees the gearbox rear-mounted in unit with the differential. The transaxle architecture is normally reserved for high performance sports cars and, in fact, this is the first time it has been applied to a luxury saloon.

In the Quattroporte Automatic, the engine is still located behind the front axle (its centre of gravity is 9mm further towards the rear of the car, compared to the DuoSelect version), thus transferring more weight to the centre of the car. The automatic gearbox, however, is mounted at the front; the car still features an extremely balanced weight distribution, with 49% of its weight at the front and 51% at the back, which enhances traction and acceleration, due to the additional load over the rear driving wheels.

Suspension – The Skyhook System

In the Maserati Quattroporte, the sensational roadholding and handling are matched by the very highest levels of ride quality and comfort. A highly sophisticated anti-dive and anti-squat suspension system, featuring front and rear double wishbones with arms and hubs in forged aluminium, enhances the car’s stability and safety by preventing the front end from diving under heavy braking, and the rear end from squatting down under fierce acceleration. In  addition, the damping is automatically controlled by the acclaimed Skyhook system, which was developed in collaboration with racing engineers, Mannesmann-Sachs. Sensors constantly monitor vibrations and movements through the wheels as the car travels over different surfaces, and adjusts the settings of the dampers accordingly. The driver can then choose between two different settings: Normal for a more comfortable ride and Sport for a firmer, sportier drive.

Safety

The Maserati Quattroporte’s safety systems have been developed to match the outstanding performance of its 400 hp V8 engine. Four massive, ventilated disc brakes with aluminium, four-piston callipers combine with four-channel ABS and EBD to provide immense stopping capability.

Active Safety:

- Brembo braking system with four self-ventilating discs (cross-drilled for the Sport GT);       front 330 mm × 32 mm; rear 330 mm × 28 mm

- 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 Safety:

- Rigid steel body with aluminium bonnet and bootlid. In the event of a collision, the deformable structure is designed to absorb impact forces and turn the cabin into a highly resistant survival cell for the occupants. This conforms to the latest and most stringent safety standards for passenger 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 fuel pumps to prevent fire in case of a violent collision).

QUATTROPORTE AUTOMATIC

Exhilaration in the lap of luxury

All enveloping comfort is an integral part of the unique driving pleasure to be experienced in the Maserati Quattroporte. The interior is simply faultless in design, quality and craftsmanship; the luxury wood detailing is a joy to behold, and the soft Poltrona Frau leather upholstery a delight both to touch and smell.

Maserati V8 engine : The Quattroporte’s 4244 cc V8 engine, with its four overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and continuous phase variator, produces an impressive torque figure of 460 Nm at just 4250 rpm (with 75% of it already available at 2500 rpm), and a colossal 400 hp at 7000 rpm. The positioning of the engine behind the front axle means that the car is extremely well balanced, with a front/rear weight distribution of 49:51 that maximises the traction of the rear driving wheels.

Automatic Gearbox: The six-speed, automatic transmission is a model of smoothness and refinement. Sixth gear acts like an overdrive by reducing the revs, and therefore improved fuel consumption and interior noise on long motorway journeys. Should the road then appeal to the driver’s more sporting instincts, the gears can be shifted sequentially using the manual level on the central tunnel.

Maserati and ZF: The collaboration between Maserati and German transmission experts, ZF, has resulted in an exceptionally flexible and responsive gearbox that allows changes at engines speeds up to 7200 rpm. This endows the Quattroporte Automatic with truly superb performance figures: a top speed of 167 mph, and 0-62 mph in just 5.6 seconds.

A sublime grand tourer

The Maserati Quattroporte is a rare and remarkable car. Not only does it provide the ultimate in driving enjoyment through its incredible power, roadholding and handling, it also cossets its occupants in a luxury interior that makes every journey a serene and thoroughly rewarding experience. Achieving the perfect seating position is quick and easy, thanks to the electrically adjustable front seats, whilst the driver’s seat features three memory settings linked to the door mirror positions, and an ‘Easy Entry’ system that facilitates getting in and out of the car. Individually adjustable electric rear seats allow those in the back to stretch out and relax in comfort, as well. Automatic dual-zone airconditioning, with a new airflow distribution pattern, ensures that the passengers enjoy the ideal onboard environment, and specially laminated thermal window glass cuts down the heat and glare from the sun.

In the finest traditions of Italian interior design, the upholstery is tailored by leather specialists Poltrona Frau, in nine different colours. The customer can also choose from five types of wood trim: Rosewood, Walnut, Mahogany, Black Piano, and Tanganyika. Complimenting the air of opulence and refinement is a sophisticated Bose® sound system that has been specially developed to match the acoustic characteristics of the Quattroporte’s cabin.

‘Executive GT’ and ‘Sport GT’

The Maserati Quattroporte Automatic is available in two other versions: Executive GT and Sport GT.

The Executive GT version takes the concept of onboard luxury to the extreme, with massage seats for the rear passengers, retractable airline-style rear tables in the finest woods, and curtains for extra privacy. From the outside the Executive GT is recognisable by its chrome front grille, side grilles, and distinctive ball-polished 19” alloy wheels.

The Sport GT version of the Quattroporte is the ultimate expression of a luxury performance saloon. The black chrome of the grille and the side air outlets take their inspiration from Maserati’s racing past, as do the red highlights on the Trident badge. The Sport button allows the driver to cut gear changing times by some 35% and stiffen the suspension at the same time, whilst the car’s sporty character is further enhanced by 20” alloy wheels, carbon-fibre interior trim, and lightweight aluminium pedals.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

QUATTROPORTE AUTOMATIC

* European Market version