New Maserati Quattroporte Debuts in January at NAIAS
The sixth-generation Maserati Quattroporte is coming — lighter, longer, stronger.
The 2013 Maserati Quattroporte will debut in January at the 2013 North American International Auto Show, Detroit, with sales of the luxury sports sedan scheduled for spring in Europe and summer in the United States.
“I’m very excited about the car,” says Gary Simon, sales manager at Scottsdale Ferrari-Maserati-Lotus, a Penske Automotive Dealership, 6825 E. McDowell Road. “With the production of the first Quattroporte in 1963, Maserati introduced the world to the concept of a four-door sports sedan, a car that combined the looks, speed and handling of a sports car with the comfort and practicality of a sedan.”
With a longer wheel base than last year’s model, adding to its sporty image, the new car will compete against larger luxury models such as BMW 7 Series, Mercedes Benz S Class, Audi 8 and Jaguar XJ, Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera.
The new luxury sedan is part of the Maserati’s plan to bump production to 50,000 cars annually by 2015 — an aggressive tenfold increase for the company, which is approaching its centennial in 2014.
“It is a growth based on those values of style, elegance, quality and performance for which Maserati has always been recognized and praised in almost 100 years of history. This exciting progression will make the new Maserati a true global player with two new production sites in two different continents and a heart solidly planted in Modena, Italy, where our roots are,” says Harald Wester, Maserati CEO.
He adds: “It is a growth that will be based on three new models entering two new segments of the automobile market — and it starts with the all-new 2013 Maserati Quattroporte.”
Consistent with its distinguished heritage, the new four-door car will be graceful, sinuous and muscular.
“The new Maserati Quattroporte is a high-performance sports luxury sedan that reinterprets the design features of classic Maseratis in a contemporary design language,” says Lorenzo Ramaciotti, head of the Maserati Design Center. “Its style was born out of the guiding design principles of Maserati: harmony of shapes, dynamism of lines, Italian elegance.”
Some of the signature model elements will be continued: the front grill, the three side vents and the triangular C pillar. But new features will include a strong belt line along the sides, reaffirming Quattroporte strength and elegance.
The extensive use of aluminum will contribute to the car’s lighter weight, and refinements to the engine will produce a more efficient car, adding to overall eco-friendliness.
While the current Quattroporte is available with the 4.7-liter V-8 linked to a six-speed automatic transmission, for 2013, Maserati will offer a more powerful V-8 rated at 500 horsepower and an eight-speed ZF automatic. A turbocharged V-6 and a few transmission options are possible.
The engines will remain Maserati, but their research and development is a joint venture of Maserati and Ferrari. In fact, the engines will be produced in Ferrari’s legendary Maranello plant.
“Passion is indeed the middle name of a whole new generation of Maserati engines that will equip the all-new Maserati Quattroporte and the models that will soon follow it on the market,” adds Paolo Martinelli, Maserati powertrain director.
“Passion and state-of-the-art technology, both at the heart of all the new Maserati engines that will be mounted on the next generation of Maserati vehicles, have produced engines that are not only more powerful than ever, or more exciting to drive than ever — but also more fuel efficient than ever before,” he adds.
Inside, simplicity of lines and full functionality combine with elements such as soft surfaces made of prestigious woods and refined leathers, Ramaciotti notes.
“Refined technical solutions, an explicit attention to the most challenging targets in terms of performance, comfort, efficiency and safety: These are the key elements of the all-new Maserati Quattroporte,” says Roberto Corradi, Maserati vehicle development director.
“Maserati engineers have worked — with a competence matched only by their passion — in chassis designing and engineering, weight reduction, ergonomic enhancement to develop a car capable of fitting different powertrain architectures and transmission configurations for the most diverse driving conditions but always maintaining Maserati’s trademark best-in-class driving comfort.
“The result is the all-new Maserati Quattroporte, a luxury sports saloon that reaches new heights in terms of performance and handling, driving enjoyment as well as respect of the world we live in,” he continues.
“The best performance ever in the long history of Maserati’s four-door flagship saloon is matched by the unprecedented success in the quest for a more fuel-efficient automobile. All this is done, of course, as you may expect from Maserati, in the spirit of the most severe active and passive safety conditions.”
Gary adds: “Through five generations of the Quattroporte, Maserati has refined and polished the concept without losing sight of the original goal of producing the world’s best handling and most exciting sedan.
“While it will be more spacious and more luxurious, the important part is that it will be an even better driver. Faster, better handling and even more involving, it will set a new standard for performance and prove once again that a sports car can indeed have more than two doors.”
For more information or to pre-order, call Gary Simon at Scottsdale Ferrari-Maserati, 800.713.1858. Additional information and a video on the 2013 Maserati Quattroporte is at www.maseratiquattroporte.com.