Maserati auto news

Maserati, Architectural Digest celebrate best real and concept garages

Maserati makes beautiful cars. In a contest they held with Architectural Digest, the home of the trident went looking for the best homes for those cars -- not the actual houses, but the garages that house their creations. Entries came in two categories, Existing and Concept, and were judged on "noted architectural element, uniqueness and individuality."

The winning existing garage could barely be considered a garage -- more like a living room where you park your car. The winning concept garage has three turntables that can place cars in three different positions depending on whether you're coming, showing off, or going. You can read the press release after jump and check out the stunning high-res images of the winners' designs below.

Gallery: Winning Garages of Maserati "Design Driven" Competition

Continue reading Maserati, Architectural Digest celebrate best real and concept garages

Spec out your own Maserati - in 1/43 scale

If you're looking for a Maserati that's easier on your wallet, or a treat for a Maserati lover, then you should check out the Maserati model configurator. Three base models in 1/43 scale are available: Quattroporte, Quattroporte S, and Granturismo S. From there you can choose from among seven exterior and two interior colors, four or five different brake caliper colors, two or three different kinds of rims, and select a sunroof which is made of glass. No, it doesn't open.

You can even select a personalized license plate written in one of four fonts. Naturally, once you're finished, you can buy it. The models are €230 ($320 US), which includes shipping, and are sent within 30 days. If your Maserati doesn't match your expectations, you can return it (good luck doing that with a real car). If you don't want to go all the way then you can just display your modeling prowess in the virtual showroom. Everybody wins.

REPORT: McNabb left GM premium post for Maserati position

At GM, McNabb ended up shepherding one of his brands and trying to sell the other two. At Maserati he'll have just one brand to lead and he'll be focused on selling its cars. Maserati sales have done their impression of a sinkhole, falling 48% worldwide and nearly 58% in America, taking revenue numbers with them. We find those numbers a little surprising, but perhaps the coming GranTurismo convertible will help things out. In the mean time, best of luck to you, Mr. McNabb.

REPORT: More foreign automakers skipping Tokyo Motor Show as tally swells to 22

As of Thursday, Porsche and Maserati are the latest two brands to pull out of the biennial Tokyo Motor Show. That brings the tally to 22 foreign brands sitting out the Japanese showcase, leaving Hyundai, Ferrari, and Lotus to duel for import honors. Said a show spokesman, "It is unprecedented to see such a large number of carmakers not coming to the motor show. It's disappointing."

And even though Japan's 14 domestic makers are expected to show in force, the country's four largest truck makers have said they won't be coming. At least one report has said there will be half as many cars this year as there were two years ago. As with the other brands that have decided to pass on this year's show, Porsche and Maserati cited the cost of attendance.

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 5.12.09

	Top 10 Forgotten Hatchbacks The annals of automobile history are littered with the occasional hatchback success story, but for every Volkswagen Golf or Toyota Prius, there are dozens of failed three- and five-doors that fizzled out shortly after hitting the American market. We pick the top ten.		Spy Shots: New Lexus LF-A caught racing the 'Ring After hearing nothing about the Lexus LF-A for some time, we've nabbed the new prototype testing at the Nürburgring wearing a new front and rear fascia, and revealing a few more details before the production version debuts next year.
	Leaked: 2010 Opel Astra gets early web reveal The Opel Astra hasn't been welcomed with open arms here in the U.S. while wearing a Saturn badge, but the four-cylinder econocar lineup is pivotal stuff in Europe, and the next-generation model could still find its way to America - even if it doesn't wear a planetary badge.	Other news of import China's Hautai reportedly readying Bentley Continental knockoff Will GM consider moving its headquarters out of Detroit? [w/POLL] Ferrari to quit Formula 1 in 2010 if new rules are enacted Leaked GM document shows automaker plans to sell China-built cars to U.S. consumers Execs including Bob Lutz, Troy Clarke dump GM stock

Maserati Loves Company: Quattroporte stretched limousine

Maserati Quattroporte limousine - Click above for an image gallery

While running around from merger to acquisition, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has been riding in style in a Maserati Quattroporte. And why shouldn't he? The luxurious sport-sedan is miles ahead of the Alfa Romeo 167 which Fiat executives were chauffeured around in beforehand, and better than anything Opel or Chrysler has got to show off, too. But one limousine company in Florida has what it figures is the next step up: a stretched Quattroporte with seating for ten.

Based on the previous incarnation of the Trident-emblazoned four-door - the horizontal slats in the grille are a dead giveaway over the vertical bars on the newer model - the Padilla Car Collection claims it's the only stretched Quattroporte in the world. And we certainly hope so. The company's also got stretches Hummers, Bentleys, Escalades, Mercedes S550s and a custom Chrysler 300 should you, your pals and your prom dates be looking for something a little more, um... reserved. For our part, we don't even want to know what the extra yardage has done for the QPorte's handling, with which we fell in love on the back streets of Salzburg, Austria, and we're quite sure Signore Marchionne doesn't, either.

Gallery: Maserati Quattroporte stretched limo

Spy Shots: Maserati GranTurismo drophead spotted

The drophead's powerplant and transmission are suspected to be the 433 hp V8 from the Granturismo S mated to the six-speed automatic from the Quattroporte GTS.

No one has been able to pin down whether the roof will be a soft- or hard- top, however. With the exception of Mercedes-Benz and parent Ferrari, every other competitive car uses a soft top, but we really wouldn't be surprised to see a folding metal unit.

If reports are accurate, you can look forward to seeing the car at next year's Geneva Motor Show.

Novitec Tridente supercharges the Maserati GranTurismo S for 600hp

Some people believe in tuning exotics, some prefer to leave them alone. But everybody's got to respect Novitec. The German tuning house, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, is one of the established names in tuning Italian exotica. The company's Novitec Rosso line is known for strapping superchargers to Ferraris to delirious effect, but a couple of years ago they turned out a decidedly low-key modification to the Maserati Quattroporte. Now the Novitec Tridente line is back at work on the GranTurismo S, producing the supercharged super-coupe you see here.

By adding a supercharger, tinkering with the ECU and replacing the exhaust system, Novitec has managed to coax out an extra 165 horsepower from the Ferrari-sourced 4.7-liter V8 for a whopping 600 ponies. Managing all that extra power is a retuned KW suspension gripping massing 20 and 21 inch wheels front and back, which team up with the carbon fiber body kit to add even more aggression to one of the industry's meanest-looking GTs. See for yourself in the gallery below.

Gallery: Novitec Tridente Maserati GranTurismo S

Maserati Spyder debut pegged for early 2010

As the prospective launch date approaches, everyone's wondering what will become of the upcoming Maserati Spyder. Some big questions remain about what shape the new GranTurismo cabrio will take: will it have four seats, or will the folding top take up the cramped rear quarters? Will it have a soft top like its predecessor, or a hard top like its Ferrari counterpart? Will it offer the 400hp 4.2-liter V8 from the base GranTurismo, or the 435hp 4.7-liter unit from the GranTurismo S? One way or another, sources suggest we'll find out soon enough, placing it on the road by early next year, with a springtime market launch likely. That means its debut could come as early as the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, or else wait for the Geneva Motor Show in March. Expect the sticker price to come in below the Ferrari California, targeting the likes of the Aston Martin DB9 Volante, Bentley Continental GTC, BMW M6 convertible, Jaguar XKR convertible and Mercedes-Benz SL-Class and at around $130,000.

Gallery: Maserati GranTurismo S

Maserati's North American CEO steps down... after less than one year?

As it as been with most of the world's automakers, 2009 has been a tough year for the Fiat-owned automaker. Only 247 Maserati vehicles had been sold through March of this year in the U.S., representing a sales decline of 58 percent.

As quoted in AutoWeek, Raffaele Fusilli, Maserati's global commercial director said:

"We deeply value the concrete effort of Marti and the MNA team... During a very challenging time, Maserati was one of the very few automotive players in North America to post a positive result in terms of sales in 2008, thus contributing to the second-consecutive record year achieved by the company worldwide.