Maserati cars

2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale "Pronto" by Wheelsandmore

Wheelsandmore isn’t the type to obsess over building ridiculous body kits for their aftermarket programs. Instead of that, they’ve taken the time to adhere to a tried-and-tested formula: focus strictly on the engine.

That doesn’t appear to change now that the German tuner has revealed their latest program for the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale. The program is called "Pronto," which translates to "ready" in English. Well, judging by what they did to the this Italian supercar, it sure appears to be ready to take on all interested buyers.

Before diving into the performance modifications, it’s important to note that Wheelsandmore also paid careful attention in fitting the GranTurismo MC Stradale with a brand-spankin’ new set of 21" ultralight 6Sportz2 forged wheels while wrapping it in Pirelli P Zero Nero tires. From there, Wheelsandmore also improved the car’s compression and rebound adjustable coilover suspension.

Then there’s the main event upgrade that comes in the form of a new hand-made exhaust system and an ECU modification. The resulting modification increases the GranTurismo MC Stradale’s 4.7 liter V8 output to 480 ponies and 406 lb/ft of torque, an improvement of 30 horsepower and 30 lb/ft of torque from the standard model.

2014 Maserati Quattroporte revealed in patent drawings

The many spy shots we have seen for the next generation Maserati Quattroporte have all been heavily camouflaged, leaving us completely unsatisfied. Thankfully, some internet ninjas have found a series of patent drawings registered at the European Patent Office of the new Maserati Quattroporte, so we can get a somewhat clearer view of the future luxury sedan.

The patent drawings reveal that the next Quattroporte will get a new exterior design language, just as Maserati already promised we’d see. There will be a much sharper front-styling inspired by the Kubang concept car unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and the same tail-light design as revealed by the spy shots.

As for what we already know, the new Quattroporte will be moved to an entirely new rear-wheel drive platform that will use lightweight aluminum extensively to reduce the total weight by about 330 lbs. Under the hood, we will see a supercharged V6 and a twin-turbocharged V8 engine.

The new Maserati Quattroporte will be making its world debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, so stay tuned!

2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale "Project Aurora" by SR Auto Group

Whereas a lot of people will tell you how much they love Ferraris and Lamborghinis, we certainly don’t mind if we got our hands on a Maserati GranTurismo. Heck, it’s even better if that GranTurismo is the MC Stradale.

Noted tuner SR Auto Group loves the GranTurismo MC Stradale, too. So much, in fact, that they built a program for it called "Project Aurora." According to SR Auto Group, Project Aurora "is a sophisticated machine that has been transformed into a menacing beast." Appropriate description, especially when the Italian super car was dressed with a Frozen White exterior wrap with Matte Black accents while also being treated with a new H&R lowering suspension set-up and a new set of 21" and 22" PUR 1NE wheels finished in gloss black.

SR Auto Group opted to keep the engine straight, but even without any enhancements, the GranTurismo MC Stradale is as beast in its own right, one that’s capable of producing 450 horsepower and 376 lbs/ft of torque from its 4.7-liter V8 engine.

No explanations needed here, folks. Project Aurora is a bright, hot, and smoking piece of GranTurismo MC Stradale awesomeness.

Jenna Jameson in Hot Water Over a Leased Quattroporte

Former porn star, err, “adult film star,” Jenna Jameson hasn’t made a new flick in many years, but we are fairly certain there are plenty of her classics circulating the computer screens of men everywhere. Well, it looks like her exit from “the industry” hasn’t treated her too well, as she was stuck leasing a Maserati Quattroporte S back in 2010.

Leasing of this luxury auto is not the story though; the real story is that she hasn’t paid the $2,299 lease payment since January. Using our crack mathematical skills, that puts her six months behind and owing $13,794 in late payments.

According to a report by TMZ, the finance company, Maserati Financial Services, attempted to repo the circa $130,000 425-horsepower sedan, but were apparently unsuccessful. Now MFS is outright suing Jameson to return the vehicle and pay an astronomical $107,000 in damages.

We are a little intrigued by the $107K in damages. What kind of damages has MFS undergone from not being able to repo a $130,000 car? We understand suing for the $13,794 in back payments, late fees, and even suing for fruitless repo fees, but what else could possibly add up to that number? Plus, if Jameson can’t afford to pay a $2,300 car payment, what make MFS think it can possibly milk $107,000 out of the ex-actress? We also have to ask, who leases a car anymore?

We’ll keep an eye on this one for you and let you know when we get any more details, as they are a little scarce right now.

Maserati’s future 911 rival will get an all-new V6 engine

The rumor mill has been churning out tidbits about Maserati’s new mid-engined sports car for a little while now. Propositioned as the GranSport, this new Maserati is expected to go on sale in 2015 and is rumored to cost about £90,000, or about $140,000 at the current exchange rates. So what’s all the fuss about?

Well, AutoExpress is saying that the new Porsche 911 competitor will be dropping the current V8 engine (yeah, Maserati and everyone else) in favor of an all-new V6 engine developed by Ferrari. Despite its lower capacity, the new engine will be both more powerful and more fuel efficient than the current 4.7-liter V8 engine. The new V6 engine will be equipped with twin turbos and will eclipse the current 450 HP output from the GranTurismo. As a result, the next GranSport will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds and up to a top speed of 190 mph.

The future Maserati Gransport will be built on a modified version of the 4C’s carbon-fiber chassis and thanks to the intensive use of composite materials, it will be extremely agile.

Video: Heavily camouflaged 2013 Maserati Quattroporte caught testing

Just days after we brought you the latest spy shots featuring the uprated 2013 Maserati Quattroporte and news that a California test mule was recently caught sporting what’s believed to be a turbocharged engine, we can now bring you a new video of the upcoming Quattroporte testing at Ferrari’s Fiorano Circuit. It seems that the turbocharged, Ferrari-sourced engine has made yet another appearance.

As we’re sure you know, both Ferrari and Maserati continually develop brand new technologies together and a force-fed Quattroporte would make sense considering that the Ferrari unit could have been in development for upwards of 4 years.

It’s obviously not yet clear if this latest addition to the Trident brand really was sporting a turbocharged engine, but if you listen closely at the 28-second mark where the test mule can be seen sliding around a corner, a turbo-esque sound can be heard.

Reports claim that the latest Quattroporte will feature a turbocharged V8 engine when it makes its official debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, while a six-cylinder supercharged engine may also be a possibility. With that in mind, this test mule may actually be fitted with the latter of those two units, but either way, it’s clear that Maserati is going to limit the forced induction sound when compared to the upcoming California turbo.

So, what do you think, does it sound like a turbocharger or a supercharger to you?

2014 Maserati GranSport

Last month, Maserati revealed that it is in the process of developing a new mid-engined sports car to rival the Porsche 911. Today, in an interview with British magazine EVO, Maserati CEO Harold Wester offered a few more details on the upcoming car. The model will most likely arrive in 2015 and will be called the GranSport. Wester described it as "the most pure expression of Maserati sportiness possible."

"Imagine having something like the Alfa Romeo 4C but for Maserati," said Wester. "It would have a carbon fiber monocoque and a mid-engined layout, just like the Alfa 4C, as this gives the stylists the most freedom to design something really stunning."

He also confirmed that the new model will be powered by a 4.7-liter V8 engine that will deliver a total of 454 HP. The engine will be mounted longitudinally, meaning that the car will need a much longer wheelbase than the Alfa 4C. The engine’s power will be send to the rear wheels via a new twin-clutch transmission.

Wester also said that the new model will be better than the Porsche 911, as well as cheaper. Maserati hopes to sell between 1500 and 2000 units a year.

UPDATE 07/03/2012: British magazine AutoExpress is reporting that the next GranSport will get an all-new V6 engine equipped with twin turbo that will eclipse the current 450 HP output from the GranTurismo. As a result, the next GranSport will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds and up to a top speed of 190 mph.

Spy Shots: Maserati Quattroporte Drops Some Camouflage

The next generation Maserati Quattroporte has been caught testing one more time around the Nurburgring race track and from the spy shots taken, we can see that it has dropped some of its camouflage to reveal more of its goodies.

The most important change for the new Quattroporte will be its new platform that will help the sedan save a few pounds. It will take its design inspiration from the brand’s latest models, the GranTurismo coupe and convertible. On the exterior, the Maserati will receive a completely new design, but the current grille treatment will remain the same. The interior will get improved technology and a more luxurious treatment.

Another change will be the luxury sedan’s power source which will be found in two completely new engines, both built by Ferrari at the Maranello factory. At its official launch, the new Maserati Quattroporte will be offered with a turbocharged V8 engine that delivers a total of 520 HP, while the second engine - a 420 HP supercharged V6 engine - will arrive at a later date. Both engines will be mated to a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission that will send the engine’s power to the rear wheels as standard or to all four wheels as an option.

The new generation Maserati Quattroporte will make its official at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.

Ferrari to Develop Two Engines for Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia to Share

We often talk about how mergers and shared productions have really made the automotive world do a complete 180 in recent years. A great example of this is back in the late-1980s when Ferrari and Maserati were direct competitors and no one could have ever imagined that in 1999, Ferrari would have complete ownership of Maserati. Then, Maserati ended up being split between Alfa Romeo and Ferrari in 2005.

What would be good for a barrel of laughs would be to travel to the mid-1980s and tell Enzo Ferrari that in 2012 his company would be manufacturing a pair of engines for Maserati. Well, all irony aside, that is exactly what’s happening, but also included in this €50 million ($62 million) production deal are Alfa Romeo and Lancia. All four of these models are under the only ownership umbrella that rivals Volkswagen AG, Fiat S.p.A., which is what allows them to share information without fear of losing sales to one another.

The first engine to hit the market will likely be a twin-turbo V-6 powerhouse that will crank out up to 450 ponies. The second engine to come from this development sharing will be a naturally aspirated (non-turbo) V-8 model that will likely crest the 500-horsepower mark. Alfa Romeo has had plans for a replacement for its sports sedan, the 159, but a proper engine hasn’t been developed for it yet. These engines would certainly fit the need and give it a whopping 200- to 300-horsepower increase over the 2011 159’s 3.2-liter V-6.

For Lancia, we really can’t see a model that these engines are suited for, as Lancia currently only has a rebadged Chrysler 200 in its lineup. Maserati can slap either of these engines in any of its cars and it would look right at home, as long as all “Ferrari” badges are stripped. Then again, the automotive world could pay back Maserati by forcing it to slap a “by Ferrari” tag on it like the 1989 through 1991 Chrysler TC by Maserati that we all know and “love.”

We’ll keep you updated on this as more information becomes available.

Maserati Diesels to Receive Simulated Engine Sounds

A few weeks back, we reviewed BMW’s Active Sound system, the system that pipes V-10 engine sounds through the stereo system. We dubbed this system a useless gimmick because a turbo V-8 is a damn fine sounding engine, but owners cannot opt to turn it off without pulling a fuse that also turns off the entire stereo system. Well, it looks like BMW is not alone in this game.

Starting In 2014, Maserati will be selling its first ever diesel-powered vehicle, the Kubang SUV to compete with the Porsche Cayenne diesel in the European market. What Car? asked Maserati’s Vice President of Product Development, Roberto Corradi, about the notoriously beautiful engine sounds that Maserati buyers know and love in their cars and its potential effect on the sales of this diesel SUV.

Corradi responded by stating that engineers are working on using the Kubang’s stereo system to give it a nice engine note. This can only be interpreted as Maserati piping in fake engine sounds through the stereo. Unlike the BMW M5, we see a purpose for this, just like we do in electric cars, as these economic diesel engines just don’t sound cool. This piping in sounds of a high-performance engine can make drivers feel more like they are driving a true Maserati rather than a slower diesel model.

All we ask of Maserati is to install an “On/Off” switch that allows its owner to shut this feature off if he prefers natural engine sounds. As long as that’s taken care of, we have no problem with this feature and actually find it pretty neat.