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Motor Authority - blog Category: Maserati

  • Maserati GranCabrio Renamed GranTurismo Convertible For U.S.

    Maserati GranCabrio Renamed GranTurismo Convertible For U.S. October 21st, 2009 By Nelson Ireson's avatar Nelson Ireson, Author, October 21st, 2009 Nelson Ireson 2 Comments

    Maserati GranCabrio Renamed GranTurismo Convertible For U.S.

    In a move that's not too unfamiliar to carmakers selling models inside and outside the U.S., the Maserati GranCabrio has been renamed the 2011 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible. Aside from sidestepping the lesser-used "cabrio" nomenclature, the name also bluntly spells out exactly what the car is, perfect for easy consumption.

    While we'll stop short of imputing an underestimation of the average American Maserati buyer's intelligence, it does seem a difference without a distinction, as GranTurismo--aside from being a very popular video game--is as foreign-sounding as the GranCabrio name. And most of the people with the dosh and desire to put...

    In a move that's not too unfamiliar to carmakers selling models inside and outside the U.S., the Maserati GranCabrio has been renamed the 2011 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible. Aside from sidestepping the lesser-used "cabrio" nomenclature, the name also bluntly spells out exactly what the car is, perfect for easy consumption. While we'll stop short of imputing an underestimation of the average American Maserati buyer's intelligence, it does seem a difference without a distinction, as GranTurismo--aside from being a very popular video game--is as foreign-sounding as the GranCabrio name. And most of the people with the dosh and desire to put a Maserati in their garage would probably get the GranCabrio name anyway. Oddly enough, the car is currently listed as the GranCabro on Maserati's U.S. site. Whatever the sense--or lack thereof--behind the decision, it's fortunately the same, elegantly styled and eminently capable car sold elsewhere. With a 4.7-liter Ferrari-sourced V-8 engine rated at 433 horsepower, a top speed of 176 incredibly comfortable miles per hour and a 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds, the GranTurismo Convertible is every bit the grand tourer its GranTurismo hard top sister is. Fans of top-down cruising will also be glad to know the GranTurismo Convertible's trunk space is the same with the top up or down, meaning you won't have to abandon your overnight luggage by the side of the road should thunderclouds loom on the horizon. If the rain does come unexpectedly, however, the automatic roof will put you under shelter in just 24 seconds. Speaking of shelter, should you get really careless and manage to flip the car on its convertible lid, an active roll bar system will help protect occupants' head and shoulders, while cast aluminum structural supports, dual-stage front airbags and stronger door sill sections further help keep the passenger cell inviolate. The GranTurismo Convertible, introduced to North America in New York last week, is available for preliminary orders now, with delivery expected to start next year. [Maserati] Read More

  • Gay Or Straight? A Look At The Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS

    Gay Or Straight? A Look At The Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS October 20th, 2009 By Nelson Ireson's avatar Nelson Ireson, Author, October 20th, 2009 Nelson Ireson 8 Comments

    Gay Or Straight? A Look At The Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS

    Can cars have sexual identities? Or, perhaps more accurately, does their anthropomorphized sexuality have an effect on how we perceive them? To most awake and aware people, the answer there is a definite yes--though those very same people will often disagree in the conclusions they come to about a given car's identity. In this case, it's the Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS

    There's a healthy dose of humor and jest in the video below from a Vanity Fair piece by Stick Shift's Brett Berk, with Berk presenting the argument that the Quattroporte Sport GTS is a "gay car", and Motive Magazine editor-in-chief Eddie Alterman on the "straight car"...

    Can cars have sexual identities? Or, perhaps more accurately, does their anthropomorphized sexuality have an effect on how we perceive them? To most awake and aware people, the answer there is a definite yes--though those very same people will often disagree in the conclusions they come to about a given car's identity. In this case, it's the Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS There's a healthy dose of humor and jest in the video below from a Vanity Fair piece by Stick Shift's Brett Berk, with Berk presenting the argument that the Quattroporte Sport GTS is a "gay car", and Motive Magazine editor-in-chief Eddie Alterman on the "straight car" side of the debate. But beneath the humor and jest, there's a fair question at issue, and if anything, their repartee illustrates how much we project our own image onto a car. People often characterize cars as "chick cars"--the sporty Mazda Miata or the new Ferrari California, for example--or otherwise impose some sort of gender or sexual identity on them. But does it say more about the people driving the car or the people viewing it? Both Berk's points that the Quattroporte Sport GTS is sensual, emotionally connected and refined in a way that's clearly not in line with the heterosexual archetype and Alterman's focus on the Maserati's power, prowess and rough-and-ready Sport demeanor--stereotypically heterosexual properties--reflect their conceptions of beauty and power as much as anything. And beauty and power are attributes the Maserati clearly has in spades. So what do you see in the Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS's sleek lines, refined demeanor, quality materials, and fantastically Italian powertrain? Is beauty, or automotive sexuality, an objective thing? Or is it truly in the eye of the beholder? [Vanity Fair's Stick Shift blog] Read More

  • Report: Veritas planning RS III Coupe, all-new SUV

    Report: Veritas planning RS III Coupe, all-new SUV July 23rd, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, July 23rd, 2009 Kenneth Hall 1 Comment

    Report: Veritas planning RS III Coupe, all-new SUV From its raging 600hp BMW M5 V10 engine to its complete lack of ABS and traction control and its single-seater speedster layout, the Veritas RS III is perhaps the most potent yet completely pure driving experience available on the street today. But a new report out of England has Veritas planning a Coupe and an all-new fully custom SUV.

    The Coupe will feature the same performance as the open-cockpit speedster, though the addition of a hard top necessitated a ground-up redesign.

    “The car has been completely redesigned; the only thing the same are the wheels,” said Michael Trick of Vermot AG, maker of the Veritas RS III,... From its raging 600hp BMW M5 V10 engine to its complete lack of ABS and traction control and its single-seater speedster layout, the Veritas RS III is perhaps the most potent yet completely pure driving experience available on the street today. But a new report out of England has Veritas planning a Coupe and an all-new fully custom SUV. The Coupe will feature the same performance as the open-cockpit speedster, though the addition of a hard top necessitated a ground-up redesign. “The car has been completely redesigned; the only thing the same are the wheels,” said Michael Trick of Vermot AG, maker of the Veritas RS III, speaking with Autocar. “The coupe version will have a sloping rear that runs to the back of the car and it is designed for markets like the Middle East, where they need air conditioning.” With acceleration providing a claimed 3.0 seconds to 60mph and a top speed of 224mph, it might be nice to have more than a helmet in the way of protection from wind and rain, so Veritas thinks it will be able to sell as many coupes as it does speedsters: 30 of each. The SUV also revealed by Trick is still in the very earliest stages, but with a completely unique design, custom carbon fiber body and a small aircraft engine powering it, the project is off to a uniquely Veritas start. The RS III speedster itself is currently making its world debut at London's Salon Prive.Veritas RS III Read More

  • Report: Porsche Panamera Turbo lays claim to 7:56 Nurburgring lap time

    Report: Porsche Panamera Turbo lays claim to 7:56 Nurburgring lap time July 10th, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, July 10th, 2009 Kenneth Hall 4 Comments

    Report: Porsche Panamera Turbo lays claim to 7:56 Nurburgring lap time Porsche's intense rivalry with Nissan over Nurburgring lap times may have cooled off in recent months, but a new rivalry appears to be in the works, this time with Cadillac and the CTS-V. A report emerging from Germany today has the Panamera Turbo lapping the Nurburgring in 7:56 minutes - just over 3 seconds faster than the American uber-sedan.

    It would also mean taking the mantle as fastest lap time for a production sedan, since the CTS-V holds that title now. Porsche hasn't confirmed the time reported by Sport Auto, nor has it released its own times for the car, so it will remain to be seen if this is the final word.

    Still, the... Porsche's intense rivalry with Nissan over Nurburgring lap times may have cooled off in recent months, but a new rivalry appears to be in the works, this time with Cadillac and the CTS-V. A report emerging from Germany today has the Panamera Turbo lapping the Nurburgring in 7:56 minutes - just over 3 seconds faster than the American uber-sedan. It would also mean taking the mantle as fastest lap time for a production sedan, since the CTS-V holds that title now. Porsche hasn't confirmed the time reported by Sport Auto, nor has it released its own times for the car, so it will remain to be seen if this is the final word. Still, the possibility of the next round of super-sedans taking the title from the current $59,995 Cadillac CTS-V by mere seconds goes to show just how far Cadillac has pushed the performance-per-dollar value equation, especially considering the Panamera Turbo, at $132,600, is the least expensive of the super-sedan set, which also includes the Aston Martin Rapide and Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S. On the other hand, lap times at the Nurburgring, while a good measure of real-world performance, aren't the end-all, be-all many manufacturers would have you believe. Variables such as tire type, driver ability, season, temperature, traffic and more can all affect lap times, and in the end, very few if any of the production cars that guard their 'Ring times closely will see actual track use, making the debate academic at best. For more on the Panamera Turbo and its other variants, read our release story here, or check out our preview of the car's debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this August.2010 Porsche Panamera Read More

  • Mantide supercar to challenge Corvette ZR1’s Nurburgring lap time

    Mantide supercar to challenge Corvette ZR1’s Nurburgring lap time July 9th, 2009 ByJeremy Weber Jeremy Weber, Author, July 9th, 2009 Jeremy Weber 3 Comments

    Mantide supercar to challenge Corvette ZR1’s Nurburgring lap time With a hexagon-centric theme and styling that looks like it was sent back through a space-time rift from 2020, the Bertone Mantide is a new and polarizing figure in the design

    world. Soon, however, it may also be a prominent figure in the performance world as the owner of the car reportedly wants to take it to the Nurburgring and attempt to beat the scorching 7m 26.4s lap time set by the Corvette ZR1 – the same car on which the Mantide is based.

    Designed and built by Jason Castriota of Bertone fame, the Mantide is a special one-off supercar built from carbon-fiber and magnesium around a Corvette ZR1 chassis. The use of the... With a hexagon-centric theme and styling that looks like it was sent back through a space-time rift from 2020, the Bertone Mantide is a new and polarizing figure in the design world. Soon, however, it may also be a prominent figure in the performance world as the owner of the car reportedly wants to take it to the Nurburgring and attempt to beat the scorching 7m 26.4s lap time set by the Corvette ZR1 – the same car on which the Mantide is based. Designed and built by Jason Castriota of Bertone fame, the Mantide is a special one-off supercar built from carbon-fiber and magnesium around a Corvette ZR1 chassis. The use of the lightweight materials meant designers were able to shave almost 250lb from the kerb weight of the already lightweight ZR1. Furthermore, aerodynamic aids similar to the ones used in F1 sees the Mantide feature 25% less drag and 30% more downforce than the ZR-1 on which it’s based. Not surprisingly, Castriota insists the Mantide is faster than the ZR1 and is very excited about the prospect of the car now tackling the Nurburgring. “It has been a dream of mine from the outset of this project,” Castriota told PistonHeads. “The logistics are not easy, as we’ll need to hire a professional driver – somebody who’s truly a Nurburgring expert like Stefan Roser – and then get the circuit closed for a few days.” Luckily for Castriota, the car’s owner, British-born financier and ‘gentleman racer’ Dan Watkins, is equally excited about the car racing at the Nurburgring and is willing to let a team push it to its limits around the ‘Green Hell’.Inside Jason Castriota's Project M Read More

  • Porsche bringing collection of legendary 917 race cars to Goodwood

    Porsche bringing collection of legendary 917 race cars to Goodwood July 2nd, 2009 ByAlex Kaufmann Alex Kaufmann, Author, July 2nd, 2009 Alex Kaufmann 0 Comments

    Porsche bringing collection of legendary 917 race cars to Goodwood The Porsche 917 is one of the most stark raving mad automotive creations ever dreamt up by humanity, offering a performance level that remains as impressive today as it was during the 1970s. That historic car and its success at Le Mans will be playing a central role in Porsche's activities at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.

    Many variations of the 917 were produced, and in some iterations the car's turbocharged flat-12-cylinder engine generated up to 1,580hp (1,180kW) - enough to rocket the car to 60mph in 2.7 seconds and on to a top speed of more than 240mph (390km/h).

    Alongside the winning cars on display will also be some... The Porsche 917 is one of the most stark raving mad automotive creations ever dreamt up by humanity, offering a performance level that remains as impressive today as it was during the 1970s. That historic car and its success at Le Mans will be playing a central role in Porsche's activities at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. Many variations of the 917 were produced, and in some iterations the car's turbocharged flat-12-cylinder engine generated up to 1,580hp (1,180kW) - enough to rocket the car to 60mph in 2.7 seconds and on to a top speed of more than 240mph (390km/h). Alongside the winning cars on display will also be some of the drivers that took them to victory, including Richard Attwood, former F1 driver and 1970 Le Mans winner for Porsche, driving a 917; sports car racing legend Brian Redman will be behind the wheel of the 917/30 CanAm racer; David Piper, who bought a 917 new from the factory in 1969, will be driving his own car; and Jackie Oliver, who won Le Mans in 1969, will be reunited with an evocative Gulf-liveried 917. Perhaps the most evocative design on a 917 on display at Goodwood this year is a 917/20 Coupe affectionately known as the 'Pink Pig'. It features a pink livery with the German names for various cuts of meat and their outlines all across the bodywork, and was designed largely as an aerodynamic exercise to decrease drag, explaining its somewhat odd-ball looks. The 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed kicks of July 3 and runs through the weekend.Porsche 917s on display at 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed Read More

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