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Video: Clarkson drives the C63 AMG Coupe Black Series against the Maserati GranTurismoIn the latest episode of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson got behind the wheel of one of the most impressive sports cars of the moment: a Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe Black Series. But he didn’t just test drive it; Clarkson put it up against Maserati’s GranTurismo MC Stradale to see how it would fair. The result was an impressive show. As a refresher: The C63 AMG Black Series is powered by a 6.3 liter V8 engine that delivers a total of 510 HP and a peak torque of 457 lb-ft. It sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds and can hit a top speed of 155 mph. 2011 Maserati GranTurismo S by DBXIt’s been a while since we last reported on a Maserati GranTurismo S, but this latest version has certainly got our attention. This is no ordinary GranTurismo S; this model has been given some expert attention by Diamond Black Exteriors - aka DBX - to spice it up. In actuality, all the tuner really did was come up with a phenomenal exterior package, but that was enough to transform the Maserati from sexy to sexy as hell. The exterior package’s most recognizable feature is a very cool satin orange foil wrap with carbon fiber displayed on the hood, mirrors, door handles, and grille. The roof was then wrapped in matte black with an Orange Maserati Crown decal, while the headlights were tinted in iron and the taillights in medium smoke. The GranTurismo S now sits on a new set of 22" Foose Wheels with an orange and black crown on the center cups and color-matched satin orange brake calipers. The Maserati GranTurismo S won’t go any faster, still powered by a 440 HP 4.7 liter V8 engine, but the sound will be a little richer coming out of the new custom axle black exhaust system. Hit the jump to watch a video of the Maserati GranTurismo S by DBX. Full story TopSpeed’s Best of 2011: Sportscar of the Year 
Before we even get into the top list of sportscar for 2011, we think it would be best to clear something up: the new Porsche 911 would have definitely made the list if it wasn’t for the fact that it won’t be hitting Stateside until 2013. That being said, we have a few top hitters for 2011 that we would be foolish not to take notice of. It was a battle trying to choose between the plethora of options provided in the sports car segment, but what we ended up with was a range of 450 HP to 560 HP, 0-60 mph sprint times between 4.6 seconds and 3.7 seconds, and speeds topping out between 186 mph and 198 mph. Among the sportscar heavyweights is the intoxicating Jaguar XKR-S, the luscious BMW M5, the curvaceous Chevolet Camaro Z06, and the maddening Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale. Hit the jump to check out each of these scintillating sports cars in detail. Full story 2011 Maserati Gran Turismo S Limited Edition
Italy has been celebrating the 150th anniversary of its unification all throughout 2011. In the past 11 months, a number of Italian automakers have paid homage to this special year, including Ferrari, which christened their 2011 Formula One race car as the "150° Italia". Ferrari’s biggest rival, Lamborghini, also paid tribute to the occasion with the release of the 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo Tricolore. At the 2011 Bologna Motor Show, Maserati unveiled their celebratory vehicle in the form of the GranTurismo S Limited Edition. The most unique feature of this special edition car is the Sebring Blue paint finish, but it also comes with certain carbon fiber elements to make it stand out. Elements such as the front and rear spoilers, the side mirrors, and the door handles highlight the blue finish, while polished aluminum calipers, side skirts, headlights, and a new set of 20" alloy wheels round out the exterior details of the special edition GranTurismo S. As for the interior, Maserati added a carbon trim for the instrumentation, particularly on the center console and dashboard. Additionally, there’s also a tradition commemorative plaque that highlights its tribute to Italy’s 150th unification anniversary, complete with the official number of the model. On the technical side, Maserati has yet to announce whether the GranTurismo S Limited Edition received performance modifications. Nevertheless, the sports car still carries a pretty impressive 4.7-liter V8 engine that produces 440 horsepower, mated to an electro-actuated MC-Shift manual transmission. This setup is good enough to post a 0-62 mph time of just 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 183 mph. Maserati will only be releasing 12 models of the GranTurismo S Limited Edition, which means that you’re going to have to strike early to score one. 2011 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale by Novitec Tridente
The Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale is one delicious sports car. Sure, it doesn’t carry the same esteem as its Ferrari sister, but it’s still a meaty and juicy sports coupe that just jumps out of the pack. And with Maseratis like this, you can always count on one tuning company to be front and center when it comes to producing some sickening performance modifications. So hello there, Novitec. We see that you wasted little time in tweaking the sportiest Maserati model in the family. Before we get to the new tweaks Novitec did under the GranTurismo MC Stradale’s hood, it’s worth noting that the Italian tuning company also worked on some aerodynamic details of the sports car, particularly a central air scoop on the hood that’s flanked by large air vents. There’s also a black-finish boot lid spoiler, two 105mm black-coated or polished tailpipes, lowered suspension springs, and a new set of 21" and 22" double-spoke design alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero high-performance tires. As for the performance mods, Novitec added a new SUPERSPORT turbocharger to the sports car, as well as a new water-to-air intercooler, a larger manifold, bigger injectors, and a remapped ECU. With these modifications, Novitec was able to take the GranTurismo MC Stradale’s 4.2 liter V8 engine and improve its output from the standard 450 horsepower and 376 lb/ft of torque all the way up to 646 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 460 lb/ft of torque at 5,600 rpm. The staggering increase in output also meant an improvement in performance numbers to the tune of a 0-62 mph time of 3.9 seconds a new top speed of 190 mph. The only drawback to the program is that it costs €23,900 ($32,000). But hey, if you have the money to buy the car, then you can probably afford Novitec’s impressive tuning program. 2011 Maserati GranTurismo Project Deathbolt by SR Auto Group
Anytime we see a tuning package from SR Auto Group, we know that we are going to be in for quite a treat, but their latest tuning package is a little on the boring side. The American tuner has chosen to perk up the Maserati GranTurismo with a package called Project Deathbolt. The name may have been chosen for its intimidation factor, but this package is anything but. SR Auto Group developed Project Deathbolt in cooperation with PUR Wheels who have measured out the perfect fitment to create the package’s defining stance. The team picked out a stunning effective split five spoke design set of wheels finished in a gloss black paint to tie in all of the black lower valences. Combined with a pure white exterior paint job, these black wheels are the stars of the show, but that’s an easy task to accomplish when nothing else was added. Project Deathbolt will still be powered by the Maserati’s standard 4.2 liter V8 engine developing 405 HP and 339 lb-ft of torque which means customers will still get from 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds with a top speed of 177 mph. We still think SR Auto Group is a killer tuning firm, but if you need a reminder, just check out their Project Megalith based on the Ferrari 599 GTB. 2011 Maserati Gran Turismo S Automatic Sport Pack
The GranTurismo S Automatic has turned out to be Maserati’s most sold model on the British market and, as a thanks to their customers, the automaker is now offering a new Sport Pack as a bonus. The new add-on further enhances the GranTurismo S Automatic so that it delivers a performance oriented experience, but don’t expect that experience for free; the new package is priced at £3,840, or about $6,240 at the current exchange rates. The most important feature of the new Sport Pack is a revised exhaust system which keeps its bypass valves fully open in Sport mode to provide an even richer sound. Next to this, the package also includes body colored side skirts and front winglets, a stylish black grille featuring the Maserati Trident logo with red accents, black mesh side grilles, black look headlights, an integrated rear boot lid spoiler, and oval exhaust pipes. Grigio Mercury Neptune-design alloy wheels finish off the Maserati’s sportier look. Other than that, the GranTurismo S Automatic’s specifications remain unchanged. Look for the usual 4.7-liter V8 engine that delivers a total of 440 HP and a peak torque of 361 lbs-ft at 4750 rpm to get the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds flat. Top speed remains at 183 mph. 2011 Maserati GranTurismo S Superior Black Edition by Anderson Germany
Anderson Germany seems to have a thing for turning already superior sports cars into lean and mean beasts of the road with exquisite black exterior paint finishes and upgraded power outputs. Their most recent transformations have come for the Porsche Panamera and the Aston Martin DBS, but they are now revealing the GranTurismo S Superior Black Edition. Just like the previously spectacular tuning packages, the GranTurismo S Superior Black takes the standard model and adds the aggressiveness it needs with a matte black exterior finish and other upgraded features, as well as extra thump for the engine. The body of the vehicle get a cool matte black paint job while the window frames, grill, and the rear logo are covered in a shiny black finish. Anderson Germany then covered the exterior mirrors, tailgate and roof ledges, and the lateral left and right air inlets in carbon fiber before finishing the vehicle off with a new set of 21" glossy black exclusive rims with carbon framing. The use of carbon fiber in these accessories has reduced the GranTurismo’s weight by a total of 28 lbs. Once the doors are opened, it becomes abundantly clear that Anderson Germany has also used carbon fiber to enrich the inside of the Maserati. The air inlets, door knobs, the switch desk in the roof liner, the door sill panels, the steering wheel, the seat regulation levers, the shifting paddles, and the radio mask are all made of carbon fiber. The luxury continues with black carbon leather seats with black Alcantara, keder piping, and red rhombus seams. Anderson Germany continued to throw themselves into this tuning kit by providing an exhaust enhancement, racing cats, and software optimization for the GranTurismo’s 4.7 liter V8. These additions brought the output to 492 HP from the standard 440 HP. 2011 Maserati GranTurismo MC StradaleMaserati may err on the side of of caution when choosing between luxury and speed, but eventually speed-loving fanatics have no choice but to reveal their road-gripping, fire-breathing side. Alas, we now have evidence of Maserati’s wild side. Just a couple of weeks before the Italian luxury brand was set to unveil their new special edition Gran Turismo at the Paris Auto Show, the company has jumped the gun and released the first official details of the fastest, lightest, and most powerful Maserati in the line-up. We hope everyone is just as intrigued as we were because this is a side of Maserati that should come out more often. The special edition is called the GranTurismo MC Stradale and is due to go on sale in Europe in the first quarter of 2011 with a U.S. launch shortly thereafter. It is powered by a 4.7 liter V8 engine that delivers 450 HP - an improvement over the standard 405 HP - while still offering the same fuel consumption as a standard Gran Turismo. It also comes with an improved aerodynamic down force and will brake the 186 mph barrier. Inspired by the Trofeo GranTurismo MC and the race-winning GT4 motorsport models, the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale special edition has been tweaked and modified as a direct result of the lessons learned from Maserati’s three racing programs. But what makes this vehicle even better is that it’s road legal. More details about the car will be released closer to its official unveiling. UPDATE 07/27/2011: Maserati North American has announced that the new MC Stradale will go on sale at a starting price of $139,000. With its 185 mph top speed, this will be the fastest Maserati offered on the US market. Hit the jump to read more about the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale. Full story 2011 Maserati GranTurismo Sovrano by DMC
In its standard version, the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale delivers a total of 450 HP - an impressive output over the GranTurismo’s standard 420 HP, but nothing compared to what DMC is capable. The German tuner has found a simple way to boost the power up to 590HP, and threw in an exterior and interior package as a bonus. In order to obtain the extra 140 HP, DMC opted to pair the Maserati’s 4.7 liter V8 engine with a supercharger and a new exhaust system. Those simple additions allowed DMC to turn the MC Stradale into a fire breathing dragon. Every other modification would be considered chump change next to the engine boost, but DMC tackled the exterior and interior anyway. The exterior was smoothed over with plenty of cabron fiber parts, including a new front bumper, a new spoiler lip to improve downforce, new air inlets and outlets, and new Wide Body side skirts. The rear of the vehicle gets a rear trunk spoiler and a rear diffuser, while the whole look is finished off with a new set of 20" forged alloy wheels. As for the interior, DMC opted for the finest leather with carbon fiber for the seats, doors, dash, and cabin-ski. Our only problem with this package is that they downgraded from the last MC Stradale package they created. Last year’s model was pushed all the way to 600 HP and featured a couple of other exterior features to help the engine along, like three air-vents, one on each side consisting of three air-stairs to go with the cooling vent in the center. | Find us on Facebook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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