Maserati Granturismo Arrives In Australia And NZ

Maserati Granturismo Arrives in Australia and NZ

The Maserati GranTurismo, one of the most eagerly anticipated cars in 2007, has officially arrived in Australia and New Zealand with its unveiling at the Australian International Motor Show today (11 October 2007) but with more than 130 already sold in Australia and New Zealand, GranTurismo is already sold out until mid-2008.

Following the launch at the Motor Show, the first customer cars will arrive in December with full deliveries getting underway in early 2008, meeting demand that began as soon as the car was revealed to the world at this year's Geneva International Motor Show in March.

"The acclaim for the Maserati GranTurimso started as soon as the wraps came off in March," says Edward Butler, General Manager for Maserati Australia and New Zealand. "This was immediately followed by people wishing to be the first to own the car in Australia and New Zealand. The impetus for this demand was initiated by the reputation Maserati Quattroporte, from which the unique drivetrain for the GranTurismo was developed. This ensures that the new car is a true performance car. But it is the outstanding design of the GranTurismo, inside and out, allied to allure of true heritage and exclusivity, which has set the seal of success on our newest model."

The new Maserati GranTurismo makes the most of the experience gained with the Quattroporte in the luxury model segment, interpreting in an absolutely unique manner those concepts that have made the Quattroporte such a success in all markets.

Added to this, the new Maserati GranTurismo is able to offer top performance and a style that is unique within the automotive industry, and can thrill and attract the attention of the market and new potential customers with renewed vigour and urgency.

The car's concept appears evident from its name: the new Maserati GranTurismo is actually a performance sports car, enjoyable to drive, that makes no compromises when it comes to on-board functionality and comfort. The unique offering of the Maserati GranTurismo encompasses:
Design with an immediate visual impact Style inspired by the lines of the Pininfarina Birdcage 75th concept car Style and dimensions blend into a thoroughbred and ultra-performance car body, but never going over the top, always well-proportioned and elegant
The heart of the Maserati GranTurismo is the 4,244 cc 90° V8 which belongs to the new generation of Maserati power units, designed for its first application early in 2007 on the Maserati Quattroporte's automatic gearbox versions.

The V8 adopted for the Maserati GranTurismo has been especially fine-tuned from the engine fitted to the Quattroporte's automatic versions in order to enhance its responsiveness to the throttle controls. In this configuration it delivers maximum power of 298 Kw at 7,100 revs (specific power of 96.4 HP/Liter) and maximum torque of 460 Nm at 4,750 revs, of which 75% is available at 2,500 revs.

The lubrication system features a wet sump where the engine oil is collected in a sump integral with the crankcase and circulated by a single oil bath pump. This solution replaces the dry sump fitted on the previous family of engines, reducing the number of pumps and resulting in a significant reduction in operating noise to the benefit of acoustic comfort on board.

The new six-speed automatic transmission, the ZF 6HP26 unit, has been designed and developed specifically for Maserati to offer smooth and easy driving, without changing the performance behaviour of the Maserati V8. The new hydraulic transmission allows the full performance of the Maserati V8 in the low/medium range, and does not limit the power at high revs, allowing really sporty gear changes up to 7,200 revs, a limit not achieved by the other cars in the target segment.

The ratios have been chosen so as to allow the Maserati GranTurismo to obtain excellent acceleration times (0-100 Km/h in 5.2 seconds) and at the same time to reduce fuel consumption and interior noise levels at high speeds.

The automatic transmission is fitted with auto-adaptive control which adapts the type of change to driving style and driving conditions. The driver can at any time change from using the lever to the steering wheel paddles (leaving the gear lever in the "+"/"-" track). The electronic kick-down may be activated at any time by pressing the throttle right down either in Auto or Manual mode so that it is always possible to easily disengage in situations requiring maximum engine response.

What makes the Maserati GranTurismo so much fun to drive, responsive to commands and safe in every driving condition is a balanced weight distribution with a slightly greater load on the rear axle (49% front - 51% rear). The dynamic performance of the Maserati GranTurismo is assisted by the Maserati Stability
Program (MSP), specially developed by Maserati to optimize driving dynamics and safety.

The standard sporty 20" alloy wheels increase agility and responsiveness to steering manoeuvres due to a reduced drift angle. It also sports a look inspired by the wheels on the Birdcage 75th emphasizing the power of the mechanics. The already highly effective dual-xenon lights are enhanced by the steerable function which improves illumination of the road and surrounding areas and hence improves driving safety whilst travelling at night on very twisty routes.

The interior of the Maserati GranTurismo offers those sitting both in the front and in the rear maximum comfort, thanks to the spaciousness, which is greater than the average for the segment.

The Maserati GranTurismo guarantees to all four passengers maximum comfort also on long journeys. The basic material used for the interior of the Maserati GranTurismo is Poltrona Frau® leather, a true expression of Italian craftsmanship, both in regard to the rich quality of the raw material used and the traditional processing techniques adopted.

Given that the range of leathers spans ten shades, the customer can select the preferred colour combination for the seats, dashboard/rear shelf and steering wheel/gear lever knob, which can be matched to the colour of the stitching, mats and cabin roof.

The three slots behind the front wheels, which today distinguish the side of the GranTurismo, are a clear indication of the real heritage of the GranTurismo.

It was 1947 when Maserati presented its first road vehicle at the Geneva Auto Show, the A6 1500 Gran Turismo with coachwork by Pininfarina. Built on the A6 Type chassis, innovative in terms of its tubular structure and round-section elements, it fascinated the public with the beauty of its simple and elegant style -- its rounded forms were actually a year ahead of those of the Cisitalia D202.

Many of the aesthetic solutions were highly original for the time. The concealed headlamps, the Plexiglas sunroof and long straight ribbing around the wheelhouse, topped by the three air vent portholes, make the A6 1500 Gran Turismo prototype, which would give way to 58 production vehicles, unmistakable.

A new chapter had begun in the history of Maserati, a company born in 1914 as a maker of racing cars. Real series production started however only ten years later, with the arrival of the new Maserati 3500 GT coupé in 1957. These were the years of post-war economic recovery and its launch coincided with strong demand, particularly from foreign markets, for beautiful, fast and powerful Italian granturismos with luxury finishes.

The 3500 GT, whose spacious four-seater bodyshell was built by Touring with the Superlight method, was bought by international celebrities such as Prince Rainier III of Monaco, opera tenor Giuseppe di Stefano, actors Alberto Sordi, Tony Curtis, Stewart Granger, Rock Hudson and Anthony Quinn. A total of 1,983 units were built in seven years.

During the half-century following the unveiling of the 3500 GT, Maserati confirmed its vocation as a producer of exclusive granturismos. Some on a small scale only, like the 5000 GT built between 1959 and 1966, the most famous example of which was fitted especially for the Shah of Iran Reza Pahlavi.

In the golden years of special-production vehicles, all the major coachbuilders of the time worked for Maserati: not only Pininfarina and Touring, but also Bertone, Frua, Ghia, Monterosa, Allemano, Vignale with designs by Giovanni Michelotti. The cars created include the Sebring, Mistral, Mexico, Indy, and Ghibli, the latter styled in 1967 by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro who a year later would leave Ghia to set up his own company, Italdesign.

As an independent designer, Giugiaro created other historic granturismos for Maserati, ranging from the Bora to the Merak, and the 3200 GT which in 1998 signaled the return to softer and more sinuous lines, reprised in 2001 in today's Coupé.

The Maserati GranTurismo has a recommended retail price of $292,800 in Australia and $280,500 in New Zealand.

ENDS

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