Maserati cars

Video: Jay Leno reviews a 1962 Maserati 3500 GTi

The latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage again features a great classic car. This time around, Leno is reviewing his restored 1962 Maserati 3500 GTi. This car was been found hidden in a storage unit and, after almost two years of restoration, Jay Leno got behind the wheel and took it out on the road.

The GTi version of the 3500 was powered by an inline six-cylinder engine equipped with Lucas fuel injection (this is what the "i" in the name stands for) and delivers a total of 235 horsepower.

The model restored by the Jay Leno team received an upgraded radiator, a new alternator, revised brakes and new wheels. Fortunately, they were able to repair the fuel injection system, so the essence of the car has been kept.

Check out the video to see what Jay Leno thinks on this great 1960s grand tourer.

2013 Maserati GranTurismo MC by Ultimate Auto

Florida-based tuner and audio specialists, Ultimate Auto, is making some waves for the right reasons. A few months ago, we showed you what it was able to do to a Dodge Challenger SRT8.

True to form, Ultimate Auto followed that up with a new program, this time for the Maserati GranTurismo MC. The first thing the tuner did to the Italian supercar was to give it set of 20-inch Forgiato wheels. All well and good, but the wheels aren’t the highlight of the program.

For that, we go to the interior where you’ll notice that the GranTurismo MC has a new audio system. Not surprising, considering Ultimate Auto happens to be an expert in that area. Pop open the suede trunk and there it is, a JL Audio 10W3 subwoofer and a custom-lighted carbon-fiber trim ring that suits the luxury trim on the GranTurismo MC’s interior cabin.

Another unique and quite useful addition to the program is the Escort 9500ci radar detector, a technology that automatically drops the GranTurismo MC’s speed before it gets detected by radar, as well as a laser diffuser system that can keep the cops out of the supercar’s hair.

With all that additions, coupled with the 4.7-liter V-8 engine that produces 443 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque, this GranTurismo MC is definitely one to take serious notice of. And hey, it doesn’t hurt that the car can hit 60 mph in 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 185 mph.

2013 Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo

Of all the one-make racing series in the world, one that has really caught our attention is the Maserati Trofeo MC World Series. We like this series because it’s pretty competitive and because it features a race version of one of the supercars we love the most: the GranTurismo.

Maserati recently lifted the covers off of the GranTurismo MC Trofeo and just as it was last year, the 2013 version is all sorts of awesome.

Some modifications have been made to the 2013 GranTurismo MC Trofeo, including the widening of the track and the reduction of the weight, dropping it down to just 1,380 kg (3,042 pounds). But for the most part, the 2013 model is still pretty similar to its predecessor, including the it carrying the same 4.7-liter V-8 engine that produces roughly 490 horsepower.

The Maserati Trofeo MC World Series season is set to kick off in France this coming April 28th. Fifteen teams have already signed up for the series and with the aim of getting twenty teams on board, organizers are poised to have a pretty stout field that could rival the 84 drivers from 24 countries who competed during the 2012 season.

2013 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale

After being first unveiled at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale is about to receive its first major update, which Maserati will display at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The most impressive updates include: a more powerful 4.7-liter V-8 engine, plus the availability of a 2+2 seating configuration — previous version was only offered with a two-seat configuration.

On the exterior, the new MC Stradale received a series of updates inspired by the Maserati MC Trofeo racecar, including a carbon-fiber hood and a set of forged alloy wheels. The interior is offers four comfortable seats and new, higher-quality materials. With all of these updates, the new MC Stradale is offers the perfect combination of sportiness, luxury and elegance; comfort and style; and functionality and dynamism.

Thanks to the more powerful engine, the new GranTurismo MC Stradale is now 2 mph faster than the previous model.

Hit the jump to read the more on the 2014 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale.

Early Production 2014 Maserati Quattroporte Fetches $340,000 at Auction

Out of the shadows of Barrett-Jackson, a similar charity event was held at the Naples Winter Wine Festival in Florida recently. One of the auction pieces that drew frenzied bidding from the gathered crowd was a 2014 Maserati Quattroporte, one of the first production models of its kind to find an owner.

Having just made its world debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, the sixth-generation Quattroporte was one of the most-heavily bid-on items in the auction, generating an impressive total of $340,000. Apparently, being one of the first to own one of the early production models was more than enough reason for bidders to go gaga over it.

In the end, the $340,000 was an impressive amount, particularly because proceeds from the auction, including the amount generated from the 2014 Quattroporte auction, will benefit the Naples Children & Education Foundation. All in all, the auction raised more than $8.5 million for a number of different charities, an endeavor that’s always marked with good tidings from everyone in the auto industry.

As for the new owner of the 2014 Quattroporte, you got a really good one, sir. The latest-generation Quattraporte is one awesome luxury car.

Lamborghini, Maserati Joins Competition With Iran Pullout

It’s hard for rival automakers to find a consensus on topics regarding the industry, but every now and then, you’ll find that these companies are in agreement over a certain issue. The mass exodus from Iran appears to be one of them.

Last year, a number of automakers, including Porsche, Hyundai and Toyota, all announced their pullout from the Iranian market. Now, after mounting pressure from the group United Against Nuclear Iran, Italian supercar makers Lamborghini and Maserati have pulled also out of the country.

The decision to leave Iran was a response from calls made by the UANI during a press conference last October that outed the two automakers as still in business in the country. As soon as the conference ended, Lamborghini announced its departure with Maserati following suit. Maserati’s case, in particular, seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise, including the automaker itself, particularly because its parent company, Fiat, had already announced it was ending their business in the country a few months earlier.

It’s no coincidence why these automakers are all pulling out of the country. Rising economic tensions are at the forefront of the move, and it’s easy to understand why the massive automotive pullout was being done to support anti-nuclear efforts.

2015 Maserati GranTurismo

Just a few days ago we brought you a first rendering of the next-generation Maserati GranCabrio. Today is time to take a first look at its coupe sibling — the GranTurismo. Both models are part of Maserati’s bold plans of increasing its sales number to a total of 50,000 units a year — an impressive jump over the current 6,159 units.

Few details are known at this point about the next sports coupe, but who said we can’t speculate a little, right? The model will be smaller than the one it replaces and our rendering reveals a more aggressive design language. Up front we will see all-new headlamps, a redesigned front grille, a larger lip spoiler and larger air intakes. On the rear, Maserati will place redesigned taillights, a discrete rear spoiler and new tailpipes.

Under the hood, rumor has it that Maserati will place the company’s new V-8 engine developed by Ferrari at Maranello.

Just like with the GranCabrio version, the second-generation GranTurismo will be unveiled in 2014 with sales to being in early 2015.

Image Note: The above image is a TopSpeed rendering of the new GranTurismo and is not an official image.

2015 Maserati GranCabrio

As previously reported, Maserati’s future looks quite promising and by 2015, the company hopes to raise its sales number to a total of 50,000 units a year. That’s quite a jump from the last year’s 6,159 units. For Maserati, those numbers aren’t just a pipedream and it has invested big in adding three new models to its lineup, plus all-new GranCabrio and GranTurismo models.

It’s still too early to have any details on the next GranCabrio, but rumors suggested it will be smaller than the current model and, of course, will feature an updated design language and a new engine lineup.

Our rendering for the next GranCabrio (above) reveals all-new headlamps, a redesigned front grille, a larger spoiler lip, larger air intakes and a sleeker profile.

Under the hood, we will most likely see the new V-8 engine developed by Ferrari at Maranello. This engine will allow the sports convertible to be more powerful and more fuel efficient.

Expect to see the next-generation GranCabrio unveiled in 2014 with sales to begin in 2015.

Image Note: The above image is a TopSpeed rendering of the new GranCabrio and is not an official image.

Video: Maserati Teases us With the New Quattroporte

We are still awaiting the release of the all-new 2014 Quattroporte, and to say we are “patiently” waiting is an overstatement. Maserati is nearing its breaking point as its competition, which includes BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar, are running away with all of the profits, as the trident-bearing brand continues to pull up the rear in the sales race.

This all-new Quattroporte is a huge part of Maserati’s plans to increase its total sales to 50,000 units per year by 2015. So, needless to say, there is a lot riding on this release and we don’t want to see this famed brand get the axe. Maserati has already released tons of high-res images for us to see, but we have never actually seen the Quattroporte in action. That is, until today.

Maserati took the upcoming performance sedan to the Balocco Proving Grounds in early September 2012 and performed some night testing. This testing process was filmed and Maserati has released this film for us to see. Along with seeing the Quattroporte in action, we also get an earful of what to expect from the sedan. Unfortunately, we do not get an earful of the twin-turbo six-cylinder pumping away, but there is plenty of information passed along.

Check out the above video to get a good look at the upcoming model.

Maserati’s Future Looks Quite Promising as it Shoots for 50K Units Per Year

Maserati’s long history began on December 1, 1914 and during this period, the company only managed to hit a production plan of 6,159 units a year (2012). The future, however, looks completely different, asthe Italian company plans to hit a sales target of 50,000 units per year by 2015.

In order to achieve this sales target, Maserati plans to add three new models to its lineup — a new sedan placed under the current Quattroporte, a SUV and a new baby sports car.

The first to arrive will be a small sedan, which was previously confirmed as the Ghibli. It will be launched sometime next year and will be priced at about €55,000 (about $73k at the current exchange rates). In 2014, Maserati will bring a new SUV, the Levante, to the market. It was previewed by the Kubang concept and will be based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s platform, but it will feature unique styling details. The Levante will be priced at €60,000 (about $80k).

2015 will be the busiest year for Maserati. First, the company will bring the next-generation GranTurismo and GranCabrio into production and a new sports car, which is rumored to be called GranSport. This latter model will target the Porsche 911 and will carry a base price of about €80,000 to €90,000 ($105,800 to $119,050).

So, keep an eye out for big changes in our favorite trident-bearing brand, as it morphs into a more mainstream auto manufacturer.