Maserati News
What do Ferrari’s F1 drivers drive after work?
Apr 5th
During a recent behind-the-paddocks view of the F1 parking area at Bahrain it was revealed that the Prancing Horse team was using a Coupe and Quattroporte for transportation to and from the circuit in Sakhir. The use of the Trident vehicles is further confirmation of their widespread appeal as they have won over an ever-increasing number of VIPs, business people and opinion makers.
A busy year in racing for Maserati.
Apr 5th
Maserati has a busy 2006 lined up, competing in the FIA European GT3 Championship and Italian GT, while still running a full Trofeo series.
The first race of the 2006 Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europa season was run this past weekend at Monza. The race was won by Alberto Cerrai, winner of the 2005 Trofeo Maserati. The next race up for the Trofeo series will be held at Silverstone on May 7th, opening weekend for the FIA GT International Championship races.
Joining the FIA GT3 class this year is a brand new GranSport race car. This car is currently undergoing final testing in preparation for the May 7th debut at Silverstone.
In addition to the Trofeo and GranSport, the MC12 is currently competing in the Sara GT Italian Championship. The first round was held at the historic Italian circuit in Imola over the weekend of March 26th. Two MC12s took part in the race, with the Playteam Sara Free car taking the win. The next Italian GT race is scheduled for May 14th, at the Misano Adriatico circuit.
For more information about Maserati’s racing programs, check out www.maseraticorse.it
4Car test drives the Quattroporte Sport GT
Mar 30th
” You look at this car, you drive it, you want it. There’s a Deadly Sin in there somewhere. “
BusinessWeek interview with James Selwa
Mar 28th
James Selwa, the Maserati North America CEO was recently interviewed by Marty Bernstein of BusinessWeek for an in depth article on the companies future direction.
Here is an exerpt:
” The biggest challenge is making sure you don’t push the volume too high and broaden the product range too far down market. Look what happened to Jaguar and the X type. People that pay over $100,000 want exclusivity. BMW and Mercedes are becoming mainstream brands. A low end 7 series looks just like a 760 that you pay $100,000 for to the untrained eye. The Quattroporte has established the price point, differentiators and class leading qualities. Our main challenge is to attract the right clients and make them happy.”
See the full article here: http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/mar2006/bw20060315_824992.htm
Video: Schumacher drives a Spyder
Mar 26th
Ever wondered what Michael Schumacher, Ferrari’s legendary F1 driver would say while driving a Maserati Spyder?
” The gearbox does very well in this one, almost better than the Ferrari”
“The engine is quite powerful, quite strong”
“Is very good handling, honestly, and the power still continues, is very nice engine”
Watch the video here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=WhcCf3tLOks
Quattroporte Beats M5
Mar 17th
2006 Quattroporte Sport GT wallpaper for your computer
Maserati’s 4.2 liter V8 Quattroporte is faster than BMWs 5.0 liter V10 M5. The Quattroporte is quicker around a track than BMWs best sports sedan. Britain’s evo magazine proved this conclusively on its Bedford Autodrome test circuit, which the Quattroporte lapped in considerably less time, being far the fastest four door, and the fastest real four seat car yet tested. The Quattroporte’s advantage is most devastating in the corners, where it bested the M5, and a number of current Porsches, Mercedes’, Bentleys and others, by a wide margin. This is, of course, the mark of accessible speed and real world performance; evo noted that the Quattroporte is in a completely superior class for luxury, as well.
Upping the Ante
Mar 17th
This is the new Sport GT, the edgier Quattroporte for those who want even more performance from the sports sedan that evo says “redefines big car handling”. evo blasted a Quattroporte around their test track in less time than the V10 BMW M5, proving the Maserati is the fastest real world sports sedan available. The new Quattroporte Sport GT ups the ante with even better handling and a brilliantly engineered concentration on usable performance.
Announcing the GranSport MC Victory!
Feb 16th
2/15/06 – To celebrate winning the 2005 FIA GT Manufacturers’ Cup, Maserati has launched a new limited edition model of the GranSport.
The Maserati GranSport MC Victory will be officially launched at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, and will be on the market from May, with only 180 uniquely numbered units produced.
As well as boasting finer standard equipment than the Maserati GranSport from which it derives, the new Maserati GranSport MC Victory offers a variety of new features that clearly link it to the Maserati MC12, celebrating its driving dynamics.
Externally, the Maserati GranSport MC Victory is immediately recognizable for its aerodynamic, blue carbon front and rear spoilers and for the Italian flag embedded in the side panels, another feature taken from the MC12.
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.”