Maserati opened 2007 with a significant product development and even more varied product range, allowing for a wider client reach and increase in sales volumes.
With a view to varying its range even further, Maserati was about to launch the new Quattroporte Automatic alongside the current Quattroporte fitted with the DuoSelect gearbox.
The name, Quattroporte Automatic, describes the car's main innovation. The new hydraulic 6-speed transmission, a result of the collaboration between Maserati and ZF, is entirely new and has been designed to guarantee fluid gear changes and exceptional driving comfort. The new lay-out of the transmission system emphasises the progressive power delivery of the Maserati V8 engine particularly at low engine speed without limiting its power.
The current Quattroporte has a transaxle layout, and it has been impossible to fit an automatic gearbox at the rear of the car, so Maserati has re-engineered the floor pan to fit the gear box and its torque converter in the conventional front position. The redesign and addition of a torque converter has caused the weight balance of the Quattroporte to shift from the rear-biased 47/53 to a more neutral 49/51.
The international press was given a preview of the Quattroporte Automatic at the Detroit Motor Show, and the car will be on sale worldwide from January.
Launched in 2003, the Quattroporte immediately grabbed the attention of the media and car enthusiasts alike, thanks to its sophisticated, elegant design, content and performance-enhancing technology. The car has even created a new market segment for luxury sport sedans, and is the archetype of a category that is now being explored by other prestigious names in the car industry. Since 2003, the Quattroporte has received 28 awards from the world's press: a tangible sign of its popularity in the motor industry and with the public.
The new range is also enriched by new options: two new colours are presented for the body (Granite Grey and Ocean Blue) and a new type of wood, Tanganyika, while the interior now can be ordered in a two tone colour scheme. |
