Posts tagged maserati
2005: A look back at Maserati’s victorious return to racing.
Feb 3rd
With a couple of months until the 2006 racing season starts, here is a look back at 2005, a major year in the history of Maserati racing.
For 2005, two customer teams each raced MC12 cars in the full FIA GT Championship; the German team, Vitaphone Racing, ran two cars in their distinctive black and green livery, while Monaco-based JMB Racing also had two cars, in dark blue. The races were designed to be a true test of man and machinery; most races were three hours in length, with a 24-hour race thrown in at mid-season.
Right from the beginning of the season, at the historic Monza circuit in Italy, the MC12 proved itself the perfect car for the series. It claimed four of the top five places in the season opener, and followed that up with a clean sweep of the podium at Magny-Cours, in France, three weeks later. These two races set the pattern for the season; the MC12 was fast and consistent, and at least one Maserati finished on the podium at each of the eleven races.
In their first ‘official’ season of competition since 1957, Maserati took the Manufacturers’ Cup, and Vitaphone claimed the Teams’ Championship from JMB – in both competitions, Maserati racked up more points than the rest of the competitors combined. The MC12 took four wins, eight second places and six thirds – eighteen podium finishes from 44 starts, a remarkable rate of success.
Five more international awards for the Maserati Quattroporte
Feb 3rd
” Important recognition also came from France and the respected Automobile Magazine. The publication elected the Quattroporte the “Best Car” in the luxury berlina category in its 26 January edition. As Stephane Meunier, editor of the French monthly, pointed out, the Trident vehicle is the only car to have received this award of three consecutive occasions. This is testimony to the extent to which the Quattroporte is valued by the French public.
To conclude, the Quattroporte was voted the “Best Car 2006” in the “Luxury” class by the Swiss magazine, Auto Illustrierte. The Modenese model took the prize for the second successive time and attracted 25% of the votes polled. This was almost 10% more than its nearest rival.
Since its international launch in September 2003, the Maserati Quattroporte has received 27 international awards.”
Hipsteronomics
Feb 1st
From this month’s Mpls St Paul Magazine:
They have a great article this month profiling what’s hip and what’s not. Dozens of the twin citie’s tastemakers were polled so who are we to argue with their results?
(on newstands now!)
Latest Maserati News
Feb 1st
From the Detroit International Autoshow:
“Former boxer and current CEO of Maserati, Karl Heinz Kalbfell, President of Maserati North America, James Selwa, and Maserati PR chief Luca Dal Monte each took a turn describing the Trident’s snowballing success: a 92% increase in cars delivered during 2005 to North American buyers, for a total of over 2000…”
“The sound throughout the rev range is worth the price of admission – especially when the car is in Sport mode, when freer-flowing exhaust and quicker shift mapping add layers to the motor’s music. One would not be insane to buy this vehicle for the exhaust note alone…”
Perhaps the ultimate accolade is that the CEO of CurtCo Robb Media owns a 90th Anniversary Spyder, while its Senior VP and Creative Director traded his Porsche for a GranSport!
From Maserati Monthly; Owner Profile: Dan Hammond
“A quiet and thoughtful man, Dan lives in Dallas, Texas. He is recently retired at the age of 53 from his position as founder, Chairman, and CEO of Intervoice, the leader and an originator in voice recognition telephony systems.”
“Dan Hammond grew tired of driving the same car as everyone else, so he went looking for something different – and within minutes of getting into the 2005 Maserati GranSport, he knew he had found it: “you start to drive it and feel the g-forces, even accelerating from 0 to 40 – all of a sudden I feel like I’m driving something besides a car, it feels like a race car.”
Owner Profile: Nick Mason
Jan 29th
“Our profiled owner this month is a hero to many for both his “day job” and his well deserved reputation as one of the world’s foremost car enthusiasts. For him the choice of Maseratis was a clear one, and money really wasn’t much of an object. The drummer Nick Mason, you see, is a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd; just one of their albums, Dark Side of the Moon, spent fifteen straight years in the Billboard Top 200, and has sold over 40 million copies.
Nick can afford to indulge in his hobby: motor racing. What’s more, he enjoys the luxury of being able to keep anything he wants. His world famous collection currently runs to around 30 cars – including three of the most desirable Maserati racers in existence, and unlike those in many collections, every one of Nick’s cars gets used.”
Maserati News
Jan 29th
Quattroporte Leads the Way
Maserati’s $100,000 sedan helps automaker turnaround in North America
This is a fantastic article from AutoWeek about the current status of Maserati, as well as their future ambitions.
Quattroporte Voted Best Imported Luxury Car
”Readers of Germany’s leading car magazine, Auto Zeitung, have voted the Maserati Quattroporte the best Imported Luxury Car for the second consecutive year. The Quattroporte far outstripped the second place Bentley Continental Flying Spur, with almost double the votes.
German voters appreciate the Quattroporte’s advanced engineering, performance technology and quality – a strong endorsement from a country whose affinity for all things technical is well known. This is the second consecutive year in which the Quattroporte’s unique blend of performance, style, and luxury earned clear victory in the category. Since the Bentley is essentially a German car, the discerning and highly demanding German public has signaled its agreement that Maserati sets the standard for premium luxury sports sedans. They have also recognized true exclusivity in saying the Quattroporte is the car to drive on the Autobahn and boulevard.”
Maserati Quattroporte: Ciao, Bella: An Italian Opera in Four Doors (By Ted West, NYTimes)
October 9, 2005 — They took back my Maserati today. No, worse. They made me drive it to Maserati North America in New Jersey and surrender it. That wasn’t easy. (This article is available by full or temporary subscription to the New York Times)
A great article about how one New York Times writer came to love the Quattroporte, “On my first few tries, DuoSelect shifted like a bag of broken glass.” “All it asked of me was some touch and a little technique. Shifting became like driving the pedals of a pipe organ. I was playing the DuoSelect as if it were Puccini.” “The Quattroporte beckons to those stalwart few who believe a car should have a soul.”
Maserati Announces Master GT Driving School in North America From the Detroit International Autoshow
“Maserati announced in Detroit the establishment of Maserati Master USA driving school. Modelled directly from the extraordinarily successful Master GT Driving School held at the Varano circuit in the mountains of Parma, Italy, the US program will provide expert driver training in Maserati products in an elegant setting.
Twelve two-day and eight single-day programs will be offered beginning in March 2006. A total of eighteen participants will spend time in exclusively Maserati cars including the Coupe, GranSport and Quattroporte.
Master Maserati will be held at the famed Road Atlanta circuit with support from Panoz Racing School. Each program will include all technical equipment necessary, gourmet catering, concierge service and a full business centre available. The two day course will also feature one night at the Château Elan resort including a Maserati supper with instructors and Maserati North America staff.”